Episodes

  • Ep 14: Siddharth Kothari: At 19, he runs the Happy Folks Club for seniors

    Ep 14: Siddharth Kothari: At 19, he runs the Happy Folks Club for seniors
    May 15 2026
    After his 12th Boards, Siddharth Kothari decided to put together an event for senior citizens. That has now grown into the Happy Folks Club, a youth-led social enterprise with over 1400 active members in Bengaluru, and soon to launch in Chennai. The team, the 19-year-old founder & MD tells Gen Seasoned’s Anuradha Varma, comprises youngsters aged 16 to 22 years, with over 650 internships and 220 events organised since its inception in May 2024.

    Listen in as he talks about bridging the generation gap, familiarising seniors with Gen Z lingo, running the Suvidha helpline and the Dosti service, where seniors can book a walking buddy, companion for teatime, tech coach, and more. The young entrepreneur and BBA student, who believes in the power of delegation and having systems in place, also talks about plans for his future and the aim to impact one lakh senior citizens.

    Call the Happy Folks Suvidha helpline: +91 80504 54886
    Follow: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram

    Timestamps:
    01:12 About Happy Folks Club, run entirely by the youth
    02:50 The Swatantra School – seven Sundays, seven skills
    04:56 Team ranges from 16 to 22
    06:58 How Happy Folks Club started
    09:10 Age group of seniors involved
    11:43 What the generation gap looks like
    13:00 Teaching seniors Gen Z lingo
    14:30 “Hamaare zamane mein”; then and now
    17:08 Organisational structure of Happy Folks Club; quality assurance
    19:00 Started as a group of 10 friends
    21:50 The Suvidha helpline
    25:00 The Dosti service - walking buddies, teatime companions, etc
    29:00 Profile of seniors, what they’re looking for
    30:00 Siddharth’s aim to be portfolio entrepreneur; time for hobbies
    32:50 Services for brands
    34:43 Scope for agetech
    36:25 Aim to impact one lakh senior citizens through Happy Folks Club

    To get in touch, email genseasoned@gmail.com
    Disclaimer: Views are personal. Listener discretion is advised.
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    40 mins
  • Ep 13: Dr. Saigita Chitturu: TISS Diploma in Gerontology is creating ‘agepreneurs’

    Ep 13: Dr. Saigita Chitturu: TISS Diploma in Gerontology is creating ‘agepreneurs’
    May 9 2026
    As we aim to live longer and better, there is immense scope for “agepreneurs” or “elderpreneurs”. Dr Saigita Chitturu, Assistant Professor,Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai talks to Gen Seasoned host Anuradha Varma about the one-year Diploma in Gerontology via its Centre for Lifelong Learning, focussing on interdisciplinary care for the elderly.

    Open to adults over 25, with special consideration for those over 55, the course provides a comprehensive understanding of ageing, blending perspectives from sociology, psychology, anthropology, social work, education, and economics.

    Listen in as she talks about the diverse group of learners, including 80-year-olds, the need for sensitivity as we transition into the senior years, avenues post-retirement, and celebrating ageing. She also talks about the immense scope of the silver economy, which can cater to healthcare, disability, companionships, second marriages, infrastructure, community living, AI training, financial literacy, and more.

    Follow Dr Saigita Chitturu: LinkedIn
    Check out: TISS Diploma in Gerontology

    Timestamps:
    02:00 About TISS and the diploma in Gerontology
    05:47 Debunk notion that adults can’t learn
    06;40 Students up to 80 years of age; every batch has a student over 60 and below 80
    08:43 We discuss changes during adolescence but not not what happens after 50
    11:35 What the course covers
    14:03 Mandatory field work component in the course
    16:46 Longevity conversations in focus
    17:55 Ageing needs a lifespan approach
    19:41 Feminisation of ageing
    22:45 Socialisation is important for seniors
    24:53 “What do I do now?” Learning to accept ageing
    27:26 Course is helpful for entrepreneurs
    29:32 Scope in gerontology - healthcare to AI training and financial literacy
    32:34 Contribute in society to do away with loneliness
    34:40 Policy implementation
    36:00 Graduates of the course

    Get in touch at genseasoned@gmail.com
    Disclaimer: Views are personal. Listener discretion is advised.
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    41 mins
  • Ep 12: Sailesh Mishra, Founder President, Silver Innings: Ageing is an opportunity, start planning in your 40s

    Ep 12: Sailesh Mishra, Founder President, Silver Innings: Ageing is an opportunity, start planning in your 40s
    Apr 30 2026
    Ageing is an opportunity to find new purpose, says Sailesh Mishra, Founder President of Silver Innings Group, Dementia Master Trainer and Social Gerontologist. Active in the field of senior care for almost two decades, he also runs A1 Snehanjali, Mumbai’s first 24x7 assisted living elder care home located in Nalasopara.

    Using his marketing experience, he used social media early on to craft a positive narrative around ageing. Listen in as he talks to Gen Seasoned host Anuradha Varma about how the conversation has shifted from merely care to seeking unique experiences for a free-spirited silver generation, the importance of upskilling and building lasting social connections as one ages. He also challenges all of us — young and old — to stop treating ageing as something that happens to us, and start preparing for it in our 40s, the way we would plan a financial SIP.

    He also highlights the urgent need for gerontology education in India, building a more age-inclusive society, and explains why the senior sector is poised to become the next big thing after the IT industry.

    Check out Sailesh Mishra on: LinkedIn | Website
    Book by Silver Innings: “Remember Me: You, Me & Dementia”

    For more info, email genseasoned@gmail.com
    Views are personal. Listener discretion is advised.
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Ep 11: Asheesh Gupta, Samarth: Do your parents need a care manager?

    Ep 11: Asheesh Gupta, Samarth: Do your parents need a care manager?
    Apr 15 2026
    “Don’t wait for an emergency to provide support for your elderly parents,” says Asheesh Gupta, Founder and Managing Director of Samarth Care, India’s leading eldercare organisation, serving over 30,000 senior citizens across the country and catering to the Indian diaspora across 33 countries.

    The Gurgaon-based founder talks about his 600-strong team of care managers who anchor teams that provide a bouquet of services to the designated seniors in their care, from paying bills to helping move houses, and coordinating emergency care. He also talks about the importance of community, creating purpose, and what seniors need, including healthcare and beyond, which is largely “people to talk to, places to go to, and be needed.”

    Website: https://samarth.community/

    Timestamps:
    01:52 A decade of Samarth, still feels like a startup
    05:27 Samarth’s services - community, engagement, care, clinics for healthy ageing
    12:15 Building trust with the senior community; care managers
    13:53 Care managers across 350 cities
    17:46 Requests handled by care managers, from checking paying bills to moving houses
    19:11 Six key pillars, from emergency support to healthcare, safety and security, concierge and companionship
    23:10 Service demands across India
    26:28 From childcare to parent care for companies
    28:26 Mindset shift to caregiving
    30:05 Don’t expect parents to ask for support
    34:05 Great time to be in the agetech, longevity industry
    39:00 Misconceptions around seniors
    43:20 What elderly parents need; act early, don’t wait for an emergency


    Views are personal. Listener discretion is advised.

    For more, email genseasoned@gmail.com
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    50 mins
  • Ep 10: Healthspan vs lifespan & Longevity India’s BHARAT Study: Prof. Deepak Saini, IISc

    Ep 10: Healthspan vs lifespan & Longevity India’s BHARAT Study: Prof. Deepak Saini, IISc
    Mar 20 2026
    Dr Deepak Saini, Professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, and Convenor, Longevity India describes Longevity India’s ambitious BHARAT Study, which stands for Biomarkers for Healthy Aging, Resilience, Adversity and Transitions, collecting blood samples from Indians aged 18 to beyond 100.

    Listen in as he talks to Gen Seasoned co-founder Anuradha Varma about why it’s important to build India's first comprehensive ageing database to understand ageing patterns unique to our population, ICMR collaboration for specific organ-level studies, work on the “G-protein” at the SAInI lab, and trends in longevity.

    Follow Dr Saini: LinkedIn | Longevity India’s BHARAT Study

    Timestamps:
    02:00 The BHARAT study
    04:40 Example of Western vs Indian physiology
    07:03 Status of the BHARAT study
    10:05 ICMR collaboration and organ-specific ageing models
    12:51 Do multivitamins work? No clear answers
    13:55 Where Western data stands
    15:32 The G-protein and the Saini Lab
    18:57 Why we need to talk about longevity
    20:12 About Longevity India
    23:08 What’s needed at the policy level
    24:35 trends in the longevity space
    27:15 Longevity industry is at an inflection point

    Views are personal. Listener discretion is advised.

    For more, email genseasoned@gmail.com
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    31 mins
  • Ep 9: This Tech Coach, 33, is teaching seniors AI: Mahima Bhalotia, The Social Paathshala

    Ep 9: This Tech Coach, 33, is teaching seniors AI: Mahima Bhalotia, The Social Paathshala
    Mar 14 2026
    Mahima Bhalotia, 33, Tech Coach for seniors, pivoted from a career in hospitality to set up The Social Paathshala during the pandemic. She talks to Gen Seasoned co-founder Anuradha Varma about her enthusiastic students, numbering over 5,000 so far, some of them in their 80s who are mastering AI prompts to enhance family photographs, even creating lookbooks and smart travel itineraries, while learning about the risks of cyber fraud.

    To know more about Mahima’s classes, send her a “Hi” on WhatsApp at +91-9930161538.

    Listen in!

    Follow Mahima on: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram

    Timestamps:
    01:36 Pivoting from hospitality to starting The Social Paathshala
    04:08 Her first client in Mumbai, then 68, who saw her newspaper ad in 2020
    07:33 Goal is to be tech-savvy, learn AI, smart travel assistance
    11:18 On cyber security, avoiding deepfakes and voice cloning scams
    16:20 Teaching seniors who are entrepreneurs
    19:30 Misconceptions around senior community
    22:15 How to learn with Mahima

    To get in touch, email genseasoned@gmail.com

    Disclaimer: Views are personal. Listener discretion is advised.
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    25 mins
  • Ep 8: Reverse mortgage your home for cash after 60: Babu Krishnamoorthy, Finsherpa

    Ep 8: Reverse mortgage your home for cash after 60: Babu Krishnamoorthy, Finsherpa
    Mar 2 2026
    Babu Krishnamoorthy, Chief Sherpa at Finsherpa Investment Services, talks about the option for reverse mortgage available for senior citizens in India, where they can earn monthly income from their property while still continuing to live in it. He talks to Anuradha Varma, Gen Seasoned co-founder, about its pros and cons, along with financial scenarios to anticipate a future income, even as he emphasises the need for prudent retirement planning.

    Krishnamoorthy comes with over 25 years of experience in wealth management, investment banking and retirement planning.

    Follow him on: LinkedIn

    Timestamps:
    01:10 What is a reverse mortgage?
    04:05 Who is it for?
    06:36 Requirements to qualify for a reverse mortgage
    10:04 An option while continuing to live in the same house
    11:38 How long can this sustain you?
    14:05 The cons of a reverse mortgage
    16:20 The Indian mindset of leaving property for kids
    18:40 Reverse mortgage should be the last option
    22:40 Move with caution, plan well for retirement

    Get in touch at genseasoned@gmail.com

    Disclaimer: Views are personal. Listener discretion is advised.
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    27 mins
  • Ep 7: Dr Suresh Rattan, biogerontologist: Old age begins at 45!

    Ep 7: Dr Suresh Rattan, biogerontologist: Old age begins at 45!
    Feb 26 2026
    In this chat, biogerontologist Dr Suresh Rattan delivers a masterclass in longevity, touching upon biology, longevity trends, even philosophy. The Indian-origin, Denmark-based scientist explains why humans enjoy an “essential lifespan” of 45 years, his interpretation of a “hormetic” and balanced way of life, and how the definition of health changes at different stages of life. He also tells Gen Seasoned co-founder Anuradha Varma why antioxidants have been considered as risks of causing cancer.A specialist in the biology of ageing and longevity, Dr Rattan is also Editor-in-Chief of the international peer reviewed journal Biogerontology, published by Springer Publishers. Listen in! Do share and subscribe!Follow Dr Rattan: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram Timestamps: Timestamps02:11 After 45, it’s all downhill biologically06:44 What makes us human? The bhajan “Vaishnav jan…” and quality of empathy16:36 Essential lifespan, warranty period or “best before” of a human being is 4524:15 How we can reach 100, as a society28:00 There is no “gerontogene” or enemy gene30:55 The problem with “anti-ageing”; ageing is just happening, not being done to us34:50 Why pills don’t work; on bio-hacker Bryan Johnson40:29 Antioxidants and the link to cancer43:21 Hormetins and health mechanisms for maintenance46:27 United Nations’ Intrinsic capacity to measure health & Dr Rattan’s concept of “homeodynamic space”48:00 Bryan Johnson and plasma transfer; similar successful experiment on rats54:00 UN definition of health; what health means at every stage of life57:00 Measurable markers of Activities of Daily Living — absolute independence vs adequate physical and mental independence01:03:49 The hormetic way of life01:08:24 Meditation and physical exercise exhibit the same stress markers01:12:19 His “Indus Valley Diet”01:22:29 Sustained pleasure is important for a hormetic way of life01:25:50 Nutrition, food and diet for longevity; we eat what we are01:45:17 We have multiple agesEmail: genseasoned@gmail.comDisclaimer: Views and opinions expressed are personal. Listener discretion is advised.
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    1 hr and 52 mins