Know about us
Serving the elder cause for over four decades
HelpAge India is a secular, not-for-profit organisation in India, registered under the Societies’ Registration Act of 1860. Set up in 1978, the organisation works for ‘the cause and care of disadvantaged older persons to improve their quality of life’. HelpAge’s motto is ‘Fighting isolation, poverty and neglect’.
Governing Body
HelpAge India has a history of working with compassion for the cause of the elderly while relentlessly pursuing a focused agenda of improving their quality of life and fighting for their rights. In this, it is aided by a professionally acclaimed Board of Directors to help, guide, and assist the teams at the ground level.
Mr. Kiran Karnik
Chairperson
Ms. Rumjhum Chatterjee
Vice Chairperson
Mr. Arun Nanda
Hon. Treasurer
Mr. J. C. Luther
Member
Mr. Arun Seth
Member
Radhika Bharat Ram
Member
Ms. Gita Nayyar
Member
Mr. Kaushik Dutta
Member
Mr. Sanjeev Kapur
Member
Mr. Rohit Prasad
Chief Executive Officer
About HelpAge India
HelpAge India envisions a society where the elderly have the right to an active, healthy and dignified life. It works through 26 State Offices across India, running numerous programmes on-ground, addressing elder needs and advocating for their rights. It strives to achieve this by taking a comprehensive approach to our programmes and interventions, ensuring seamless interlinkages between them and a holistic system of care for elders. The organisation’s programmes are focussed on direct impact in the areas of: Advocacy & Awareness, Agecare, Healthcare, Livelihoods & Disaster Management, Research & Policy.
HelpAge India reaches approximately 2 million disadvantaged elderly directly and indirectly every year. It collaborates with multiple stakeholders, including the government, corporates, educational institutions and social sector organizations in advancing its mission. In 2020, it became the first and only Indian organisation to be honoured with the ‘UN Population Award’ for its exemplary work in the field of ageing.
It runs numerous programmes on-ground, addressing elder needs and advocating for their rights, such as their right to Universal Pension, quality Healthcare, action against elder abuse and many more at a national, state and societal level with Central and State governments. It advocates for elder friendly policies and their implementation thereof. It played a major contributing role towards the formation of the National Policy on Older Persons in 1999 as well as the the promulgation of The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007.
Executive Committee
HelpAge India’s senior management team operates from its Head Office in New Delhi
Rohit Prasad
Chief Executive Officer
Prateep Chakraborty
Chief Operating Officer
Paromita Thomas
Country Head
(HR Administration & Procurement)
Rajeshwar Devarakonda
Mission Head – Livelihoods & Emergencies
Imtiaz Ahmed
Mission Head – Agecare
Ritu Rana
Mission Head – Healthcare
Anupama Datta
Head - Policy Research & Advocacy
Sonali Sharma
Head – Communications
Kanchan Sen
Country Head - Resource Mobilisation and Marketing
Gulshan Sharma
Chief Financial Officer
Our History
HelpAge India came into being in 1978 with Cecil Jackson Cole, founder of HelpAge International (UK), as its first President. Around this time two other men figured prominently in the HelpAge India story – John F. Pearson and Samson Daniel.
Cecil Jackson Cole
John F. Pearson
Samson Daniel
Philip Jackson
M.M.Sabharwal
Constant grants from the United Kingdom were something both Pearson and Cole felt would not be practical in the long run. They realized a regular inflow of funds was needed so that they could make a positive and lasting impact.
In March 1974, when Cole, visited India, an intrepid philanthropist named Samson Daniel approached him for financial help to set up a member organization in Delhi. A far-sighted man, Cole instead offered to train him to raise funds. After a three month training course in London, Mr. Daniel and his wife returned to India and organized a sponsored walk with schoolchildren in Delhi. It was so successful that in 1975 HelpAge International recruited more staff to cover Bombay, Madras and Calcutta.
In April 1978, HelpAge India was officially registered in Delhi and Pearson became a Trustee of the organisation and a key member of its Governing Board. One of the founder members of HelpAge International, Philip Jackson, joined HelpAge India the same year as its first Chief Executive.
Once financial support from the UK ceased, it took HelpAge India three months to become autonomous. Soon, the Society was awarded Certificates of Exemption under the Income Tax Act of 1961.
Two years later, Late Madan Mohan Sabharwal became an integral driving force of the HelpAge story. Sabharwal was a happily married man until tragedy stuck; at the age of 51, his wife died and left him a widower. Bereft, Sabharwal focussed his attention and many skills on the promotion of the cause of the aged. Soon, he took over as President of HelpAge India’s Governing Body, succeeding Pearson. Today, he is no longer with us, but he continues to be an inspiration and the spirit behind the elder cause.
What began as a humble initiative from a rented two-room office in New Delhi’s Kasturba Gandhi Marg, has now blossomed into an extensive operation spread across 26 states with headquartered at the capital’s Qutab Institutional Area.
Helpage India
Documents
Publications
Awards & Recognitions
Through the years, HelpAge India’s work has been recognised by several organisations and institutions. We are thankful for their faith and belief in our services by giving us such an honour. It encourages us and instils a sense of belief that we are on the right path whilst reminding us of the great responsibility we carry toward the elderly of our society.