India, Nov. 5 -- India's care economy is one of the country's biggest untapped opportunities. A recent paper by the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council puts its economic value at nearly 15-17% of GDP. Yet the people who hold this economy together, the women who look after our children, remain among the least recognised workers in the country.

The demographics make the case plainly. In 2025, around 24% of India's population, about 350 million people, was below the age of 14, and roughly one in ten was aged 60 or above. By 2050, India is projected to have around 300 million children and 347 million older persons. Childcare, eldercare and long-term care for dependents will all be in demand at once.

Where there is demand, there are j...