November 18, 2025
Every major growth story has its own price tag.
While we often celebrate India as a young, energetic country poised for long-term growth, a quieter story is unfolding. And it’s one that takes place in our home.
It starts small. Parents who live alone in another city. Friends who postpone marriage. Couples who choose not to have children. Parents and grandparents need more medical care, but less family support.
These are everyday conversations, but they are also signs of a huge economic shift.
India is getting older.
The data supports this. According to the latest government figures, both birth and death rates are falling in India. The number of elderly people is increasing.
According to a report by Colliers – a global investment management company specializing in real estate – one in five Indians will be over 60 years old by 2050.
Let that sink in: in just 25 years, 20% of India will be made up of seniors.
This is not some distant, abstract future. We’re already seeing the first impacts: rising medical bills, rising health insurance premiums, a shortage of elder care facilities, and families struggling to find reliable options for their aging members.
As India ages, a new economy is emerging – from senior-friendly housing to healthcare needs and insurance. The ‘silver economy’ is not just about a growing number of grayer heads and an aging population. It’s about the money flowing to companies that take care of them.
And here’s where things get interesting from an investor’s perspective.
According to Colliers, the senior housing market in India could grow five times by 2030 – from $2 billion to $3 billion today to around $12 billion.
Here are three publicly traded small cap companies that I think are worth following; each taps into this silent but fast-growing trend.
Ashiana Housing Ltd is one of the few real estate developers that actively focuses on the development of senior housing.
It builds homes for the elderly, spaces designed for independent living with a strong sense of community. Senior housing makes up a third of the current project pipeline and pre-sales in this segment grew by more than 20% last year. This year the company expects to grow another 25%.
Consumers are not only buying these homes, they are willing to pay more for them. Most interestingly, senior housing projects tend to be less cyclical than the typical real estate sector.
Then there is Medi Assist Healthcare Services Ltd. It may not be a household name, but it plays a role in thousands of hospital visits every day.
It is India’s largest third-party administrator (TPA), essentially the company that helps patients get cashless treatments under their health insurance. It works with more than 28 insurers and more than 19,000 hospitals.
Rising medical inflation and government push to cover more people under health insurance have made companies like Medi Assist crucial for smooth, scalable and technology-driven claims processing.
Medi Assist handles over 8 million claims per year and has saved insurance companies billions through smart technology, fraud detection and better hospital rate negotiations. The company recently acquired another player – Paramount TPA – increasing its market share to over 23%.
The third name is Polymedicure Ltd one of India’s largest manufacturers of medical consumables such as intravenous sets, catheters and blood bags, the kind of equipment that keeps hospitals running.
Although 70% of sales still come from exports, the Indian business is expected to grow faster this year at over 30% – with the company’s expansion into segments such as renal therapy, cardiology and intensive care, and increasing contacts with hospitals.
The growing healthcare infrastructure and Make in India mandates provide further support for its activities.
These are not buying or selling conversations.
These stocks, like all others, involve risks. Valuations are not covered here and every company has its own execution challenges.
But from a long-term lens, these companies are building a long-term future that many in the market continue to ignore.
Kind regards,
Richa Agarwal
Editor and research analyst, Hidden gem
Equitymaster Research Private Limited (formerly Equitymaster Agora Research Private Limited) (Research Analyst)
#Senior #Stocks #Watchlist