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‘I won’t talk to a chatbot’: How this startup won over a sceptical 96-year-old veteran, redefined eldercare in Pune

A leading eldercare startup founded in 2021, Aashwast offers empathetic hourly, daily, and emergency care to senior citizens in Pune.

4 min readFeb 24, 2026 01:44 PM IST

Sheetal Vaidya and Preeti Damle (from left)

Like all distress messages, this one was urgent: “Can you send someone?” When Preeti Damle went to the address, she was met by a 90-year-old man and his wife, who was a few years younger. The latter complained: “I want him to take your service because he has not had a bath for eight days.” The man responded, “I don’t need to take a bath because I don’t go out. Am I smelling bad?”

It was a situation that Damle and Sheetal Vaidya, the founders of Aashwast, a startup dedicated to providing support services for the elderly in Pune, had become adept at handling. Aashwast was founded in 2021 to offer empathetic hourly, daily, and emergency care to senior citizens in Pune. “The elderly are the most vulnerable people who need support, and they are at home,” says Damle.

Eldercare in India is equated with caretakers for eight, 10, or 12 hours who come from the unorganised sector and are mostly uneducated and untrained. Aashwast is one of the leading players in India to offer trained staff and at-home care to seniors, in their comfort zones.

Though independent seniors are hesitant to book the service themselves, demand is high. The company, which started with five services, such as helping seniors do their bank work, taking them to hospitals or for fun activities, such as the Sawai Gandharva Music Festival, now has a portfolio of more than 40-45 services, including arranging and attending the funeral of a client. All the services are underlined by safety and reliability.

The most popular service is Swift Services, which takes two-four hours and includes grocery shopping, social visits to a nearby friend, and a walk in the park. The Shift Services cover longer hours, four-24 hours, and include day and night home care service, specialised home cleaning, home maintenance services, and long social visits. Emergency Services are present for medical and non-medical requirements, from ambulance service and hospitalisation to emergency social visits. Professional Services range from legal services, financial planning services, physiotherapy, home maintenance, and speciality nursing. Then, there’s ‘Happy Adda’, a social platform for seniors that meets once a week for fun-and-learn activities.

“We are very clear that we want our systems to be solid so that seniors are not afraid to trust us. There have been cases where people have cheated senior citizens. That fear was also on the rise among them,” says Vaidya.

A 96-year-old retired Air Force officer once took their interview and tested them thoroughly before signing on. “When we got to his home, he showed us a smartphone and said, “I am not going to download an app. I will call and I want you to answer. I will talk to a person, not to a chatbot,” recalls Damle.

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“He understood the process of how to get registered with us. In the days that followed, he started calling from different numbers. When I answered all his phone calls, after the fifth time, he said, ‘Come today, sign up and take your cheque’. He was ready to become our client,” she adds.

Loneliness, an invisible companion

Alongside a medical and nutrition boom, which allows people to live longer, there has been a growth in industries, such as IT, which has opened the doors for young people to settle in other cities and countries. “Technology, too, has contributed to the isolation of seniors. If you look at that whole picture, you want to ask if we are growing or lagging where senior care comes into play?” says Vaidya. She adds that it is mostly the children who approach the startup and sign up their parents.

The founders say that loneliness is an invisible companion among the elderly. The company is attempting to create more awareness, starting with corporates, about the changing emotional, psychological and physical needs of the elderly in their families. It is not right to assume that children know how to address the changing psychological, emotional and mental needs of their parents. “Until we start working from somewhere, there will never be a solution, and we will only be firefighting,” says Damle.

Dipanita Nath

Dipanita Nath is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. She is a versatile journalist with a deep interest in the intersection of culture, sustainability, and urban life. Professional Background Experience: Before joining The Indian Express, she worked with other major news organizations including Hindustan Times, The Times of India, and Mint. Core Specializations: She is widely recognized for her coverage of the climate crisis, theatre and performing arts, heritage conservation, and the startup ecosystem (often through her "Pune Inc" series). Storytelling Focus: Her work often unearths "hidden stories" of Pune—focusing on historical institutes, local traditions, and the personal journeys of social innovators. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) Her recent reporting highlights Pune’s cultural pulse and the environmental challenges facing the city during the winter season: 1. Climate & Environment "Pune shivers on coldest morning of the season; minimum temperature plunges to 6.9°C" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the record-breaking cold wave in Pune and the IMD's forecast for the week. "How a heritage tree-mapping event at Ganeshkhind Garden highlights rising interest in Pune’s green legacy" (Dec 20, 2025): Covering a citizen-led initiative where Gen Z and millennials gathered to document and protect ancient trees at a Biodiversity Heritage Site. "Right to breathe: Landmark NGT order directs PMC to frame norms for pollution from construction sites" (Dec 8, 2025): Reporting on a significant legal victory for residents fighting dust and air pollution in urban neighborhoods like Baner. 2. "Hidden Stories" & Heritage "Inside Pune library that’s nourished minds of entrepreneurs for 17 years" (Dec 21, 2025): A feature on the Venture Center Library, detailing how a collection of 3,500 specialized books helps tech startups navigate the product life cycle. "Before he died, Ram Sutar gave Pune a lasting gift" (Dec 18, 2025): A tribute to the legendary sculptor Ram Sutar (creator of the Statue of Unity), focusing on his local works like the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue at Pune airport. "The Pune institute where MA Jinnah was once chief guest" (Dec 6, 2025): An archival exploration of the College of Agriculture, established in 1907, and its historical role in India's freedom struggle. 3. Arts, Theatre & "Pune Inc" "Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak were not rivals but close friends, says veteran filmmaker" (Dec 17, 2025): A deep-dive interview ahead of the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) exploring the camaraderie between legends of Indian cinema. "Meet the Pune entrepreneur helping women build and scale businesses" (Dec 16, 2025): Part of her "Pune Inc" series, profiling Nikita Vora’s efforts to empower female-led startups. "How women drone pilots in rural Maharashtra are cultivating a green habit" (Dec 12, 2025): Exploring how technology is being used by women in agriculture to reduce chemical use and labor. Signature Style Dipanita Nath is known for intellectual curiosity and a narrative-driven approach. Whether she is writing about a 110-year-old eatery or the intricacies of the climate crisis, she focuses on the human element and the historical context. Her columns are often a blend of reportage and cultural commentary, making them a staple for readers interested in the "soul" of Pune. X (Twitter): @dipanitanath ... Read More

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