A flight back home might take four hours or twenty. The dread remains identical. A newly released report quantifies the non-financial burden on NRI families looking after parents in India.
Every NRI child shares the same fear. What if something happens, and I'm not there? What they need isn’t sympathy but a system they can rely on. One that's quick and outpaces their rising worry.”— Asheesh Gupta, Founder and CEO, Samarth Elder Care NEW DELHI, DELHI, INDIA, July 25, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Looking after aging parents from overseas carries a price that cannot be measured in rupees. Samarth Elder Care pulled together existing studies to show what that distance truly costs.
What keeps NRIs up at night shifts depending on where they live. In the US, an H-1B visa is tied to one employer, and flying home does not guarantee an easy re-entry. According to the Back to India NRI Community Survey, 68 out of every 100 H-1B holders and 43 out of every 100 NRIs overall reported that visa uncertainty blocks their ability to provide care.
In Gulf nations, residency is linked to employment. Taking an extended leave could mean losing both a job and a home. In the UK, Australia, and Singapore, the main worries involve full-time jobs, young children, and a parent living far away.
74 out of every 100 NRIs stated that being nearer to aging parents was the top reason they would consider moving back.
The other source of anxiety depends on where the parents reside. According to the India Ageing Report released by UNFPA, nearly one in three elderly Indians live with an ongoing health condition. Samarth’s own data shows that they have received roughly one emergency handling request per day over the last year. India’s National Health Mission aims for a 20-minute ambulance response in cities. In practice, on-the-ground help does not move that fast. This lag can determine the outcome of a stroke or heart attack.
To compound their fears, the available care may not be located where their parents live. Organized senior care remains concentrated in a few major cities, while Tier 2 and 3 cities are experiencing the fastest-growing demand, according to industry estimates from the Association of Senior Living India.
The worry stems from a built-in trust deficit. Finding a dependable provider for everyday elder care has become a separate challenge for NRI families—one that The Economic Times and The Times of India have recently covered, exploring what genuine, reliable elder care looks like and how families abroad can spot it.
"I built Samarth because I couldn't find the type of care my parents needed in Dehradun. I know what it feels like to lose sleep at night and peace of mind during the day over their well-being. These families deserve rigour, not just reassurance,” Asheesh Gupta added. "Our job is to be the trusted professional and reliable bridge between the families, parents and care.
About Samarth Elder Care
Samarth Elder Care is India's leading professional eldercare company, helping older adults live with dignity and independence while giving their families, wherever in the world they may be, the assurance of high-quality care. Founded in 2016 by alumni of IIT, IIM, Cambridge, Yale and McKinsey, Samarth operates across 350+ cities in India, serves families in 33+ countries, and is backed by Social Alpha. Its services span in-home care with a dedicated Care Manager, community and wellbeing programmes, and specialist clinical care through the Samarth Clinic for Healthy Ageing.
When a family cannot be there, Samarth is.
Sources
Back to India NRI Community Survey. NRI Community Survey Report. BackToIndia.com. Sourced from: https://backtoindia.com/survey/
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) India. (2023). Caring for Our Elders: Institutional Responses – India Ageing Report 2023. Sourced from: https://india.unfpa.org/en/publications/caring-our-elders-institutional-responses-india-ageing-report-2023
Association of Senior Living India (ASLI). Industry estimates on senior care demand in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, as reported in Outlook Money, "India's Elderly Care Market Is Set to Boom in Tier 2 and Tier 3 Cities, Say Experts." Sourced from: https://www.outlookmoney.com/retirement/spend/senior-living/indias-elderly-care-market-is-set-to-boom-in-tier-2-and-tier-3-cities-say-experts
Chitralekha Samaddar Sen
Samarth Elder Care
+91 87006 90186
media@samarth.community
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