In the Arctic’s cold, dark waters, the Greenland shark quietly lives for centuries. Scientists estimate its lifespan to be between 250 and 500 years, largely due to its slow metabolism and low-stress environment. Humans, on the other hand, age while navigating pollution, pandemics, economic uncertainty, loneliness, and constant digital overload. At a time when the world feels increasingly unstable, the global obsession with longevity, living longer and ageing more slowly, has become more than a health trend. It is a response to fear.
Post-pandemic, this anxiety has intensified. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), global life expectancy dropped by nearly two years between 2019 and 2021, the sharpest decline in decades. At the same time, Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, biotech companies, and wellness corporations are promising control over ageing, disease, and even death. The question is: who really benefits from this longevity revolution?
For India, where public healthcare remains fragile and inequality is deep, the longevity conversation cannot be imported blindly. It must be rooted in Indian realities, economic stress, early disease onset, family-based ageing, and limited access to preventive care.
Why Longevity Suddenly Matters To The World?
Longevity has emerged as a global priority because the world is ageing faster than ever. The United Nations estimates that by 2050, the global population aged 60 and above will reach 2.1 billion, nearly double what it was in 2020. At the same time, fertility rates are falling across continents.
India is no exception. According to India’s Sample Registration System (SRS), states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Delhi are seeing fertility decline at nearly twice the national average. By 2067, India is expected to have the largest elderly population in the world, as highlighted in the 2025 report “Longevity: A New Way of Understanding Ageing” by Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, Dalberg, and Ashoka.
Economist Andrew Scott, co-author of The 100-Year Life, argues that longer lives are not a burden if societies redesign work, healthcare, and retirement. Without these changes, ageing populations risk becoming economically vulnerable and socially isolated, a scenario India is unprepared for.
How Long Can Humans Actually Live?
The longest verified human lifespan belongs to Jeanne Calment of France, who lived 122 years and 164 days. This record, documented by demographers and ageing researchers, still stands decades later. For men, the longest confirmed lifespan is 116 years, achieved by Japan’s Jiroemon Kimura.
These cases help scientists define what is called the maximum human lifespan, not how long most people live, but the outer biological edge of human survival.
Many scientists believe there may be a natural biological ceiling to human life. A landmark demographic study led by Dutch researcher Jan Vijg found that survival gains slow dramatically after the age of 110, suggesting a likely upper limit between 115 and 125 years under current biological conditions.
Supporting this, mortality risk after 110 remains extremely high, even with excellent healthcare. Some models estimate that the chance of any human living beyond 125–130 years this century is possible, but extremely rare.
Other longevity researchers caution against declaring a hard limit too soon. Dr. Alex Zhavoronkov, a leading longevity scientist, argues that ageing is a biological process that could theoretically be altered if cellular damage, inflammation, and metabolic decline are slowed or repaired. However, even optimistic experts agree on one thing: without major breakthroughs in ageing biology, not just better medicines, humans today are unlikely to live much beyond 120 years.
For most populations, including India, the more urgent challenge is not reaching extreme ages, but reducing the 10–15 years of illness and disability that often precede death.
The Booming Business Of Living Longer
Longevity is no longer just science; it is a massive industry. The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) estimates that the global wellness economy was worth $6.8 trillion in 2024 and is expected to reach $9.8 trillion by 2029, growing at over 7% annually. India alone contributes about $156 billion to this economy.
Longevity solutions today include diagnostics, supplements, IV therapies, wearable devices, and personalised health plans. However, most of these services remain accessible only to urban, affluent populations. In India, a single personalised longevity consultation can cost anywhere between ₹10,000 and ₹1 lakh, while IV NAD therapy may cost ₹30,000–₹50,000 per session.
Public health expert Dr. Srinivas Goli from the International Institute of Population Sciences warns that such models risk widening health inequality. “For most Indians, the real challenge is survival, stable income, affordable treatment, and basic elderly care, not elite biohacking,” he says.
Biohacking: Science, Hope, And Hype
Biohacking refers to making small, intentional changes to diet, lifestyle, or biology to improve health and slow ageing. It can be as simple as sleep regulation or as complex as genetic testing. While the term sounds futuristic, many practices, exercises, fasting, and dietary control are old wisdom with new branding.
At global wellness conferences, biohacking is often showcased through extreme transformations and high-tech interventions. But researchers caution against exaggeration. According to Harvard Medical School, most longevity gains still come from basics: physical activity, metabolic health, and mental well-being.
For India, where lifestyle diseases appear 10–15 years earlier than in Western populations, according to Dr. Mukesh Thakur of Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital, preventive care is not optional. “Healthspan must be the goal, not cosmetic youth,” he says.
What Centenarians Teach Us About Ageing Well
In contrast to high-tech longevity solutions, real-life centenarians offer simpler lessons. India has thousands of people living beyond 100, especially in Kerala, which has strong public health indicators. According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), Kerala consistently ranks highest in life expectancy and elderly health outcomes.
Most centenarians share common traits: regular physical activity, social engagement, simple diets, and low stress. These factors are repeatedly supported by epidemiological studies, including long-term research on ageing by the WHO.
Geriatric researchers emphasise that social connection alone can reduce mortality risk by up to 50%, comparable to quitting smoking. Longevity, it turns out, is not built in laboratories alone; it is sustained in everyday life.
The Science Of Healthspan, Not Lifespan
Modern longevity science increasingly focuses on healthspan, the number of years a person lives without chronic illness, rather than total lifespan. According to The Lancet, Indians spend an average of 9–12 years of their later life battling disease and disability.
GLP-1 drugs, originally developed for diabetes, are now being studied for their potential to improve metabolic health and reduce age-related disease risk. However, endocrinologists warn against non-clinical usage driven by cosmetic goals.
Longevity researcher Alex Zhavoronkov notes that extending life without improving quality only increases suffering. For India, where non-communicable diseases account for over 60% of deaths, healthspan-focused interventions are far more urgent than lifespan extension.
Also Read: Breakfast Babble: What Made Me Believe ‘Health Is Wealth’
India’s Unique Longevity Challenge
India’s biggest obstacle to longevity is not technology, but access. According to the National Health Accounts, over 55% of healthcare expenditure in India is still out-of-pocket, pushing millions into poverty each year.
Dr. Deepak Saini from IISc’s Longevity India initiative stresses the need for India-specific ageing science. Western biomarkers and risk scores often fail to capture Indian genetic diversity, nutrition patterns, and environmental stressors.
Without strong public systems for early diagnosis, elderly care, and chronic disease management, longevity will remain a privilege, not a public good.
The Illusion Of Immortality
Human cultures have always dreamt of immortality, from mythological figures to modern tech entrepreneurs. Today’s longevity movement sometimes borders on denial of death, rather than acceptance of ageing.
Palliative care specialists argue that quality of life at the end matters as much as longevity itself. According to the Indian Journal of Palliative Care, fewer than 2% of Indians who need palliative services actually receive them.
Ignoring the terminally ill while glorifying extreme longevity creates a moral imbalance. A humane longevity framework must include dignity in dying, not just the delay of death.
Redesigning Work, Ageing, And Dignity
Longevity will reshape how Indians work and retire. By 2035, one in five Indians will be over 60, according to UN projections. Yet retirement systems, pensions, and age-friendly workplaces remain underdeveloped.
Economists argue that flexible careers, lifelong learning, and age-inclusive employment can convert longevity into a dividend rather than a burden. Countries that fail to adapt risk increased dependency and healthcare strain.
In India, informal workers, nearly 90% of the workforce, face old age without social security. Longevity policies must begin with financial and social protection, not luxury wellness.
What Actually Works For Most Indians
For the majority of Indians, the most effective longevity interventions are also the simplest: regular movement, balanced diets, social connection, and preventive check-ups. These principles are supported by decades of public health research.
According to the WHO, physical inactivity alone contributes to over 5 million deaths annually worldwide. Meanwhile, community-based health programmes have shown measurable improvements in elderly well-being at a fraction of the cost of high-end interventions.
Longevity does not need to be aspirational or intimidating. It needs to be accessible.
Longevity As A Life Philosophy, Not A Race
Longevity is not about defeating death or extending life endlessly. It is about reducing suffering, preserving dignity, and enabling people to live fully for as long as they can. For India, this means shifting focus from elite biohacking to public health, from anti-ageing to pro-living.
As societies age, the real measure of progress will not be how long people live, but how meaningfully they age, with purpose, connection, and care. In that sense, longevity is not a scientific miracle waiting to happen. It is a social choice we must make now.
Images: Google Images
Sources: The Hindu, The Indian Express, WION
Find the blogger: Katyayani Joshi
This post is tagged under: longevity, healthy ageing, ageing in india, public health india, healthspan not lifespan, preventive healthcare, ageing population, wellness economy, geroscience, biohacking debate, indian healthcare, elderly care india, population ageing, health inequality, longevity science, ageing gracefully, healthcare policy india, future of ageing, wellness culture, living well
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