In India, the rising elderly population, and epidemiological and sociocultural changes are driving the demand for home healthcare, similar to the experience of European and other Asian countries. India is expected to add another 311 million people to its current population of 1.21 billion by 2036. States like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Himachal Pradesh are predicted to have a higher elderly population than youth. Approximately 62 percent of disabled people in India require a caregiver, and nearly one-fifth of all disabled people are elderly. In 2016, the proportion of deaths caused by non-communicable diseases (NCDs) increased to 61.8 percent, and nearly 65 percent of NCD deaths occur before the age of 70 years.

At the same time, the cancer burden is increasing in the country and nearly six million people are estimated to need palliative care annually. There is a dearth of information about the services, providers and organisations that offer home healthcare in India, notably the private, for-profit, home healthcare companies. Considering the rising need and the growth that this sector is experiencing, Health Systems Transformation Platform (HSTP) reviewed the home healthcare landscape in the country. An exploratory descriptive qualitative (EDQ) study was undertaken to: (i) understand what comprises home healthcare, with regard to the services, users, providers and different types of organisations engaged in home healthcare, and (ii) explore the interaction between the users, providers and organisations engaged in home healthcare. A total of 24 in-depth interviews and one expert consultation were conducted between February and May 2022, to complement the information gathered from the literature review. The data was analysed using thematic analysis. The scope of the report is restricted to services and providers of the western system of medicine.