India, Nov. 14 -- Every day, millions of Indian women and men perform the invisible work that keeps families, economies, and societies functioning - yet this care economy remains largely unaccounted for. Care work encompasses tasks such as cooking, cleaning, washing utensils and clothes, dusting, ironing, and caring for children, the elderly, the ill, and persons with disabilities. Some tasks, like cooking, are daily tasks; others, like ironing, occur less frequently. Caring for someone with a chronic illness or disability requires continuous attention throughout the day, often involving quick responses to unexpected needs.

While the nature and extent of care dependence differs with age, health, and circumstance, most people need care at...