Outlook Money 40After40: Retirement Security Essential For India Becoming A Developed Nation

The fourth edition of Outlook Money 40After40 event got underway in Mumbai on February 20, 2026. In his opening address, Outlook Group CEO Indranil Roy highlighted the importance of retirement planning and an urgent preparation for the same in view of India’s rapidly rising ageing population. He said that by 2050, about 20 per cent of India’s population will be over the age of 60.

“The fertility rates are declining, and life expectancy is rising; this translates into a structural burden for Indians if they remain underprepared for retirement. This is not just a potential personal issue, but a structural burden if the masses continue to ignore their life after retirement,” he said.

He added that only about 20 per cent of adult Indians are financially literate, while only a small percentage of 9.50 per cent are participating in the capital markets. While most Indian individuals consider and rely on buying a home as an investment, it becomes a compromising retirement strategy, he said.

Retirement Not Just a Financial Issue

He said retirement is not just a financial issue. It spans over healthcare, mental well-being, long-term care, accessible housing and the need for improving senior financial products, such as senior homes or assisted living solutions.

He said retirement security is essential to India’s journey toward becoming a truly developed nation.

“There are certain critical elements. There are multiple stakeholders in this entire journey. Now if you look at us as individuals, we individuals do our bit. We buy our home, we buy a few insurance policies, we do some savings, we do investments in mutual funds, capital market, etc. Then there is the role of banking financial services and insurance (BFSI), healthcare, long-term care producer providers. So if you look at it, everybody is playing their role. I am not saying that we are not playing our roles individually. We are playing our roles in this entire ecosystem,” he added.

Retirement is Not an Ending, It’s a Beginning

Nidhi Sinha, Editor, Outlook Money, said that retirement should be viewed “not as an ending, but as a fresh beginning.”

She said too many individuals delay planning for retirement until it is too late. With government pensions shrinking, a large workforce working outside of formal working structures, and ever-changing family dynamics, retirement planning becomes all the more important. She said many professionals prefer having financial and emotional independence in their later years of life.

She added that while building a retirement corpus is a critical life decision, a more pragmatic approach would be to have emotional resilience, physical well-being and finding renewed purpose after one’s formal career comes to an end.

“Retirement brings a loss of designation, routine, people, and in some cases even identity. But those who adapt quickly in rebuilding themselves often experience a far more satisfactory second innings. The question she left for the masses to reflect is, “Who will you be after retirement?” The answer to this helps in preparing for the retirement days,” she said.