Bhiwadi/Dehradun: For most of her 68 years, Pramila Kumar lived for others—husband, children, students, grandchildren. She cooked, cared, and carried the weight of family duty. Then one day, she asked herself: When am I going to live for myself? Ten months ago, she moved to a retirement community in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan.
Now she swims, plays billiards, and takes long drives, answering to no one. A retired high school chemistry teacher, Kumar has restarted her life with renewed energy ever since she rented her apartment in Bhiwadi, an industrial town now finding its own second life as a retirement hub in Delhi-NCR. Two senior living projects are already up and running here, with a third on the way.
“Before coming here, I was busy raising my grandkids, cooking in the kitchen. Now I am living my life the way I want to, on my own terms,” Kumar said, tucking into a healthy meal of dal, rice, and sabzi at the spacious canteen of Ashiana Nirmay, the senior living property where she has rented a flat for around Rs 18,000 per month. It’s manicured and multi-storeyed like many other upscale societies in NCR, but also comes with mobility access and medical care on call.
Until about a decade ago, seniors in India could either live with family or brave their twilight years alone. Now, a third option is booming— independent senior living communities. In cities that revolve around the needs of the young, these spaces—developed by companies like Ashiana Housing, Antara Senior Care,.