As India Ages, Homes Are Learning to Move With Their Elders

New Delhi : On a winter morning in Delhi, an elderly couple sits on their terrace, tea cups warming their hands as the sun rises slowly over the city. What appears ordinary today once required careful planning—when to go up, how long to stay, whether the stairs would cooperate. The change is subtle, but its meaning runs deep.

India is quietly ageing, and our homes are beginning to feel the shift.

The country’s population aged 60 and above has grown steadily—from about 8.6 per cent in 2011 to nearly 10 per cent today—and is projected to reach around 15 per cent by 2036. By 2050, India is expected to have over 300 million senior citizens. Unlike many countries where ageing is supported by institutional care, most elderly Indians continue to live in independent or family homes, often spread across multiple floors.

At the same time, urban housing—particularly in cities like Delhi-NCR—has gone vertical. Builder floors, duplexes, and multi-storey private homes are now commonplace. The convergence of these trends has created a challenge that is not immediately visible but deeply felt: how ageing bodies move through homes designed for younger years.

For many seniors, the response has been adaptation rather than redesign. Bedrooms shift downstairs. Upper floors and terraces slowly disappear from daily life. Movement becomes restricted, not by intent, but by fear of falls, fatigue, or pain. Over time, these compromises reshape routine and independence in ways families often accept as inevitable.

Health experts point out that reduced mobility affects more than just physical strength. Limited movement is closely linked to declining mental well-being and social withdrawal. Yet within residential spaces, these issues are rarely treated as design problems. They are seen instead as natural consequences of ageing.

That perception is now beginning to change.

Residential mobility solutions—particularly home elevators—are being reconsidered as tools of dignity rather than indulgence. The focus has shifted away from speed or spectacle to continuity: ensuring that people can access every part of their home safely, confidently, and on their own terms.

In this evolving context, New Delhi–based vertical mobility brand Elevito has increasingly seen elderly needs shape conversations around home design. Working across elevators, escalators, moving walkways, and dumb waiters, the company’s residential work reflects a growing demand for homes that adapt gracefully as their occupants age.

“For many elderly homeowners, the elevator is not about comfort—it’s about not feeling confined in their own house,” said Neha Singhania, Marketing and Sales Head at Elevito. “It allows people to move freely through spaces that still feel familiar and personal, instead of planning their day around physical limitations.”

According to Singhania, the emphasis is on integration rather than intrusion. Compact elevator designs suit dense urban plots, while interiors avoid the harsh, clinical feel often associated with commercial buildings. The goal is subtle support—preserving independence without constantly reminding users of physical decline.

Architects echo this shift. Accessibility is no longer treated as a later-stage modification but is increasingly planned from the outset, particularly in multigenerational homes. Families are thinking ahead—to ageing parents, extended living, and their own future needs.

As India grows older, the question may no longer be how tall our homes rise, but how thoughtfully they help us move through them. In that quiet evolution lies a powerful idea: that dignity, like mobility, begins at home.