AN EXPO FOR THE ELDERLY IN HYDERABAD - Dignity

An expo for the elderly

BS Reporter / Chennai/ Hyderabad October 18, 2011, 0:22 IST

Hyderabad is set to host an exhibition of products and services that are specifically designed for senior citizens aged 50 and above. Organised by Dignity Foundation, a Mumbai-based non-governmental organisation, the Retirement India Expo-2011 will be held at Hotel Taj Deccan in the city on October 22 and 23.

The first-of-its-kind exhibition would have 30 stalls offering information on financial services, housing solutions, post-retirement job opportunities, utilities like wheelchairs and other aspects that are of interest to the senior citizens.

Announcing the event to the media on Monday, Dignity Foundation president Sheilu Sreenivasan said there were 97 million senior citizens in the country of whom around 60 million were poor while the rest have purchasing capacity. The event is meant for the latter group.

"Many of them want to continue to work even after retirement. They show interest in jobs like supervisor, accountants, managers etc. We have been able to find jobs for 114 people this year," she said.

The free expo had been organised at Chennai, Bangalore, Pune and Mumbai over successive weekends since September 10, and had attracted a total of 44,000 people. Organisers expect to see around 5,000 visitors to the Hyderabad round of the event.

The event's sponsor, Pune-based Paranjape Schemes (Construction) Ltd is scouting for land in Hyderabad to build housing units designed for the elderly.

"Hyderabad has a lot of people who have migrated abroad, and have shown interest in this kind of housing solutions," said the company director (projects & business development) Suresh Bhagwat.

It had already sold 1,500 units in Pune and 180 in Bangalore, and plans similar projects at Hyderabad and Chennai in the next one year, and later in Goa and Ahmedabad.

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/an-expo-forelderly/452831/

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V.RAGHAVENDRARAO,