#Industrialist #RatanTata launched India’s companionship startup for #senior #citizens, #Goodfellows, in a bid to encourage intergenerational friendships.
28-year-old #ShantanuNaidu founded the Goodfellows startup. He is a General Manager at Mr Tata’s office and is the fifth generation of his family to work in the #TataGroup.
At the launch of Goodfellows, Ratan Tata said, “You do not know what it is like to be lonely, until you spend time alone wishing for companionship.”
With 15 million elderlies in India living alone, either due to the loss of a #partner, or #families moving away for unavoidable work reasons, many of them have caregivers but the issue of #loneliness or lack of company has been the primary reason for deteriorating #mental and #physical health.
Shantanu Naidu said, “The startup emphasises that companionship means different things to different people. To some, it may mean watching a movie, narrating stories from the past, going on a walk or having quiet company sitting around doing nothing together — and we are here to accommodate it all. In its beta phase, we discovered how organically the #The Grandpals bonded with the Goodfellows. Mr Tata’s investment in our venture further is a huge source of encouragement to our dedication to this concept.”