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By the seniors, for the seniors, of the seniors

Empowering seniors to embrace a new chapter of life filled with purpose, dignity, and enrichment. This is the story of Vayah Vikas, an NGO dedicated to transforming the landscape of post-senior citizen years. At Vayah Vikas, we believe that age should never limit one's potential for growth, joy, and contribution to society. We envision a world where every senior citizen is valued, respected, and supported in their pursuit of a purposeful life. We are here to rewrite the narrative of aging to create a society that embraces the wisdom, experience, and unique talents of our senior citizens.

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Our Story

Population ageing is being experienced in India and across the globe, and focused planning for a changing population structure is imperative. It calls for a full-fledged ecosystem in a symbiotic relationship with its senior members who receive, contribute and evolve the ecosystem.

The idea behind the formation of Vayah Vikas was seeded in 2013, when a report - 'Aspirations for the Elderly' was put together by Dr Alexander Thomas (Ex-Director of Bangalore Baptist Hospital) with a team of experts of the NTT (National Think Tank) for the India Backbone Implementation Network (IbIn) at the behest of Dr Arun Maira, Member, Planning Commission, Government of India (GoI). Subsequently, efforts continued at the community level in villages and lobbying with GoI to increase budgetary allocations to improve the quality of lives for senior citizens.

A few years ago, the idea of setting up a senior citizens forum was mooted by Dr. Alexander Thomas (Founder Member of AHPI) with various members of AHPI, and the Think Tank

on health at NLSIU, which finally culminated into the setting up of Vayah Vikas in April 2021, under the leadership of Mr. Kris Gopalakrishnan with six other eminent luminaries who agreed to be the founding members, who are dedicated and work for this cause.

In the three years since its inception, Vayah Vikas has made enormous strides as the voice of senior citizens. The unrelenting efforts and expertise of our founders, Dr. Alexander Thomas, National President of the Association of Healthcare Providers India (AHPI), and Dr. Devi Shetty, Chairman of Narayana Health, have been instrumental in driving the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) to eliminate the age bar for health insurance, ensuring equitable healthcare access for seniors nationwide.

Vayah Vikas is a compassionate, senior-driven ecosystem of well-designed services and opportunities enabling seniors to lead independent lives with dignity and meaning.

OUR DREAM

To create a society where every senior citizen leads a purposeful life, embraced by a supportive community, and empowered to live actively and with dignity.

Our dream is to evolve into a pan-India entity that emerges as a strong voice mobilizing civil society and enabling policy changes to ensure the seniors' well-being.

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to be the voice of senior citizens, empowering them to discover purpose, find a sense of belonging, and live enriching lives through collaboration, resources, and advocacy. We strive to be a bridge between senior citizens and the community, facilitating opportunities and support for their active and dignified aging journey.

OUR SUPPORTERS

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OUR JOURNEY

Journey to 1.45L+

Empowering 1.45L+ seniors across India, our success is rooted in strategic partnerships, government collaborations, and a holistic ecosystem. Recognizing seniors' contributions, we're dedicated to fostering connections and well-being.

Mr. Senapathy Gopalakrishnan

Co-founder of Infosys; Incubator of various Start-ups; Technology Thought Leader; Chairman of the Board of Governors of IIT, Bangalore.

Dr. Devi Shetty

Chairman and Executive Director of Narayana Health; A cardiac surgeon with around 34 years of experience.

Dr. Alexander Thomas

Founder member and Patron AHPI; Founder-Member and President of the Association of National Board Accredited Institutions (ANBAI); Has served the healthcare sector for over 30 years.

Ms. Gauri Kumar

Retired IAS, Former Secretary in the "Ministry of Labour and Employment" and "Ministry of Home Affairs" (Border Management)

Mr. Arun Seth

Trustee of the NASSCOM Foundation; Board Member of HelpAge India; Chairman & Co-Founder Global Groupware Solutions; Mentor for various Start-ups

Dr. Girdhar Gyani

Director-General, Association of Healthcare Providers (India); Ex elected director on board of International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua); Ex-Secretary General of Quality Council of India.

Dr. Srinath Reddy

Ex (Founder) President and Honorary Distinguished Professor, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) and Former Head of the Department of Cardiology at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AlIMS)