When I'm 64
Outlook Business|October 2024
Marketers are helping senior citizens open their purse strings by offering curated travel itineraries, special insurance packages and aided living spaces among other goods and services
Naina Gautam
When I'm 64

A callow 20-something Paul McCartney thought that the 60s were a time for knitting "a sweater by the fireside" and "doing the garden, digging the weeds" ("When I'm 64", Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band). Ironically at 82, McCartney is doing just the opposite. Instead of staying at home and playing with grandchildren, he is busy touring to packed auditoriums.

McCartney is not alone in leading an active life even after becoming a senior citizen. Gone are the days when turning 60 meant renouncing worldly pleasures and withdrawing into a shell. Take the example of Subhasree Tagore. The 76-year-old former professor and an avid traveller has been to Kunnur, the Stans and even to faraway New Zealand in the past few months.

“I love travelling. As a retired professor I now have the time and money to indulge myself. A lot of places now have provisions for elderly people. That’s a bonus,” she says.

Beyond pursuing leisure activities, many senior citizens continue to work. Delhi-based VP Gupta retired as registrar from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in 2012 when he turned 60. The very next day he joined a private university. At 72, he is still working; in fact, he earned a PhD when he was 65.

“My grandchildren are now on the verge of joining the workforce, but I don’t want to retire,” Gupta told Outlook Money, our sister publication.

Never Too Old

Most senior citizens after retirement either receive pension or have a sizeable nest egg in place, says Tagore. That plus enough free time and fewer commitments are catalysts for travel or pursuing their passions.

A 2024 paper Senior Care Reforms in India: Reimagining the Senior Care Paradigm by NITI Aayog notes that “by 2050 one in every four Indians will be a senior citizen, it will be equal to the population of the US for the industry in the form of a ‘silver economy’.”

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 2024 من Outlook Business.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 2024 من Outlook Business.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من OUTLOOK BUSINESS مشاهدة الكل
'Automation is Redefining Efficiency and Precision in Jewellery Manufacturing'
Outlook Business

'Automation is Redefining Efficiency and Precision in Jewellery Manufacturing'

Increasing brand consciousness and awareness among consumers is helping expand the organised jewellery retail industry. MP Ahammed, chairman of Malabar Group, discusses prominent trends in the jewellery industry

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024
BATTLE TO WIN THE AI RACE
Outlook Business

BATTLE TO WIN THE AI RACE

In Supremacy, Parmy Olson tells the astonishing and behind-the-scenes story of the battle between the world’s two leading artificial intelligence firms, OpenAl and DeepMind and the continuing rivalry of its founders Sam Altman and Demis Hassabis respectively

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2024
A LEADER WHO EMPOWERS
Outlook Business

A LEADER WHO EMPOWERS

Anshul Arzare, MD and CEO of YES SECURITIES, wants to ensure a workplace where employees not only contribute to the company's vision but also feel content

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024
EV Unplugged
Outlook Business

EV Unplugged

Electric vehicles are crucial to India’s climate change plan. But reliance on China for imports and technology constraints remain hurdles the sector needs to overcome

time-read
6 mins  |
November 2024
Every Lamborghini Owner is a Brand Ambassador
Outlook Business

Every Lamborghini Owner is a Brand Ambassador

Regional director of Automobili Lamborghini, Francesco Scardaoni, talks to Prachi Khanna about the brand’s approach to fostering a sense of community among its vehicle owners. Edited excerpts

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
NO ZEST FOR ZED
Outlook Business

NO ZEST FOR ZED

A government initiative to green MSMEs is not finding enough takers

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2024
SMALL PLANTS, BIG TROUBLE
Outlook Business

SMALL PLANTS, BIG TROUBLE

Climate-triggered stress is placing an unprecedented burden on small businesses. But a lack of access to climate aid hinders the sector's ability to adopt greener methods

time-read
6 mins  |
November 2024
'We Think About the Rider More Than Any Other Company
Outlook Business

'We Think About the Rider More Than Any Other Company

Rapido co-founder Aravind Sanka talks to Neeraj Thakur and Deepsekhar Choudhury about how flexibility and fair pay helped his company disrupt the Ola-Uber duopoly. Edited excerpts

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
LABOUR PANGS
Outlook Business

LABOUR PANGS

Rising cost of living in a fast-growing economy is making workers restless

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2024
'Hustle is No Virtue'
Outlook Business

'Hustle is No Virtue'

It has become fashionable to talk about the verb “hustle” these days, especially in professional settings.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024