New Delhi, March 7 -- A recent news story in a prominent US daily reported that a number of non-profits in Washington DC are distributing robotic pets to residents aged 60 and older in some areas of the city to ease their loneliness and isolation. While in the US, about 28% of people aged 65 and older live by themselves, the number in that age group is projected to increase to 82 million by 2050, which will be 23% of the total population.

As the world witnesses a profound demographic transformation with a steadily growing proportion of older people, in 2020, for the first time, the number of people aged 60 years and older surpassed the number of children under five.

In Asia, Japan leads the way as the most aged society, with nearly 30% ...