As India’s elderly population steadily rises, a growing spotlight is cast on the role of assistive technologies, particularly social assistive robots (SARs), in eldercare. These technologies hold the promise of enhancing the quality of life for seniors by supporting independent living, alleviating caregiver burdens, and providing continuous monitoring. Yet, beneath this promise lies a complex tapestry of skepticism, ethical challenges, and regulatory gaps that must be addressed to realize their full potential in the Indian context.
The demographic shift towards an aging population in India is undeniable. With advances in healthcare extending life expectancy, the number of elderly individuals is expanding rapidly. This demographic transformation has fueled interest in technological innovations aimed at supporting eldercare, where SARs have emerged as a frontrunner. These robots can assist with daily tasks, facilitate social interaction, and offer vital health management support. However, acceptance among the elderly themselves remains tentative, amplified by cultural nuances and mistrust toward robotic interfaces.
The very concept of SARs operating in intimate spaces such as elderly care brings forward profound ethical considerations. Unlike traditional machines, these robots are designed to engage socially and emotionally, which complicates the boundaries of consent, privacy, and autonomy. India currently lacks a comprehensive regulatory framework to guide the development, deployment, and governance of robots across sectors. The only tangentially related governmental framework remains the NITI Aayog’s National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence, which highlights healthcare, education, agriculture, smart cities, and mobility as AI priorities, but does not explicitly address eldercare robotics.
Experts argue the need for culturally sensitive approaches in designing SARs tailored to Indian social and familial structures. State-run elderly care facilities are rare, and informal caregiving through extended families predominates. This unique ecosystem necessitates robots that not only perform functional tasks but also resonate emotionally and socially with elders. Researchers advocate for a dedicated “robo-ethics” framework, distinct from existing AI ethics, to address these nuances, ensuring that technology complements rather than disrupts traditional caregiving paradigms.
The implementation of SARs promises several tangible benefits. By reducing the workload on human caregivers — often family members juggling multiple responsibilities — robots can enable more efficient allocation of human resources. SARs can provide vigilant monitoring, detect health anomalies early, and assist in mobility, potentially reducing incidents of falls or medical emergencies. However, these benefits hinge critically on the robots’ design, encompassing ethical rigor from inception to deployment, and oversight through clinical ethics committees tasked with evaluating risks and safeguarding elder welfare.
The portrayal of AI and robots in media and popular culture heavily colors public perception, shaping expectations and fears in equal measure. Fiction often anthropomorphizes robots, attributing them human-like emotions, cognition, and moral agency. This simplification, intended to make the technology relatable, does not accurately reflect current scientific capabilities. Such portrayals can generate unrealistic hopes or apprehension, influencing social acceptance adversely or overly optimistic trust in robotic caregivers.
In India, although robots assisting with eldercare are not yet commonplace, cinematic works like “Android Kunjappan Version 5.25” and “Anukul” uniquely explore these futuristic scenarios, providing a cultural lens through which these technologies are examined. “Android Kunjappan Version 5.25” advocates for a balanced approach, emphasizing the indispensable role of human caregivers alongside robotic assistance. Conversely, “Anukul” adopts a more skeptical and dystopian tone, suggesting that the unchecked advancement of such technologies risks slipping beyond meaningful human control.
Both films converge on a critical point: the urgent necessity for regulatory frameworks and precautionary measures in deploying robots within sensitive domains such as healthcare and eldercare. The narratives underscore that technology, no matter how advanced, must coexist within ethical boundaries that ensure safety, dignity, and respect for the vulnerable elderly population. This cinematic discourse reflects broader societal anxieties and serves as a rallying call for proactive policy and ethical guidelines.
Current research underscores that successful SAR integration into eldercare requires a paradigm shift in design philosophy, where ethics are embedded intrinsically “by design.” This approach mandates multidisciplinary collaboration involving engineers, ethicists, healthcare professionals, and the elderly themselves throughout the development lifecycle. Clinical ethics committees should oversee pilot programs and real-world implementations, ensuring transparent evaluation of benefits versus harms, and addressing unforeseen dilemmas in real time.
Despite India’s technological strides, the regulatory landscape remains fragmented. Unlike some countries where robot ethics and AI governance frameworks are maturing, India’s policies are nascent, leaving critical questions around data privacy, autonomous decision-making, liability, and consent unsettled. Establishing clear standards, certification processes, and post-market surveillance will be vital to build trust among users and caregivers, and to avoid potential misuse or harm.
The Indian context adds further layers of complexity due to diverse socio-cultural values, disparities in technological literacy, and economic challenges faced by elderly individuals and their families. SARs must be adaptable and affordable while mindful of local languages, customs, and caregiving traditions. Without such cultural tailoring, adoption may falter, regardless of technological sophistication. Moreover, caregivers’ roles may evolve rather than disappear, requiring training and support to work synergistically with robotic aides.
Integrating SARs into existing eldercare frameworks presents opportunities for data-driven health insights, personalized interventions, and remote healthcare delivery, potentially transforming public health outcomes. However, ethical stewardship is vital to prevent breaches of privacy or autonomy under the guise of monitoring. Transparent communication, user control over data, and safeguards against bias or discrimination embedded in AI algorithms are non-negotiable elements of responsible deployment.
Ultimately, robot-mediated eldercare in India stands at a crossroads, shaped by a confluence of technological promise, ethical imperatives, cultural realities, and policy voids. The journey from experimental prototypes to trusted companions demands not only scientific innovation but also a robust societal dialogue encompassing all stakeholders. With the right frameworks, SARs could revolutionize eldercare, enabling seniors to lead dignified, independent lives supported by empathetic technology.
The narrative portrayed in Indian cinema, academic discourse, and policy analysis collectively point toward a future where robots and humans coalesce as collaborators rather than competitors. Yet this future must be carefully architected, with ethical vigilance and cultural sensitivity as cornerstones. Without them, the perils may overshadow the promises, deepening mistrust and widening care gaps rather than bridging them.
As research accelerates and real-world pilot projects emerge, India’s eldercare landscape could become a global case study in balancing innovation with humanity. The stakes are immense—not only for millions of aging individuals seeking autonomy and compassion but also for societies reevaluating the essence of caregiving in a technology-driven age. The time to act is now, before robotics transition from speculative fiction into everyday reality.
Subject of Research: Human-robot relationships in robot-mediated eldercare, including ethical, cultural, and regulatory challenges in developing social assistive robots in India.
Article Title: Promises and perils of robot-mediated elder care: human-robot relationship in Android Kunjappan Version 5.25 (2019) and Anukul (2017) – SDG -3.
Article References:
Biju Babjan, R., Kishore, S. Promises and perils of robot-mediated elder care: human-robot relationship in Android Kunjappan Version 5.25 (2019) and Anukul (2017)- SDG -3.
Humanit Soc Sci Commun 12, 1054 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05432-4
Image Credits: AI Generated
