• Friday, March 29, 2024

Business

Ratan Tata invests in elderly companionship start-up: ‘You do not know what it is like to be lonely’

Ratan Tata (Photo by John Parra/Getty Images for Pritzker Architecture Prize)

By: Shubham Ghosh

Rata Tata, former chairman of the Tata Group who has been an active supporter of startups, has unveiled his decision to invest in startup Goodfellows that hires young people who have skills such as empathy and emotional intelligence to work as companions of senior citizens.

They also ease the senior citizens’ day or help them with any work. Goodfellows was founded by Shantanu Naidu.

The 25-year-old Naidu, who is educated in the west and is a general manager in Tata’s office and has been assisting the legendary industrialist since 2018, also shares the patriarch’s love for dogs.

Goodfellows hires youngsters who have the skills of empathy and emotional intelligence to work as the companions of senior citizens. They are also required to ease their day or help them with any task.

That the idea of Goodfellows has touched Tata became evident when he appreciated Naidu’s idea and said at the launch of the organisation, “You do not know what it is like to be lonely until you spend time alone wishing for companionship.”

The 84-year-old Tata, who has not married, said nobody cares about getting old until they actually get old.

Naidu, who called Tata a boss, mentor and friend, said there are 50 million old people who are either living by themselves or do not have anyone to share their lives with.

Goodfellows is currently working with 20 elderly people in Mumbai and is planning to expand its base to cities such as Pune, Chennai and Bengaluru.

Naidu said he aims to see the service grow across the country but doesn’t want to hurry and compromise on the quality of the companions.

Tata said he would be delighted if the service grows and brings a positive change in people’s lives.

[With agency inputs]

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