Divya Delhi:  Caregivers in India are a vital yet undervalued economic force. The International Labour Organization defines care work as activities and interactions that address the physical, mental, and emotional needs of people—children, the elderly, and those with disabilities. Both paid and unpaid care work are essential for sustainable development and human, social, and economic well-being. The 2024 Time Use Survey found that women in India conduct most unpaid caring. The survey found that women spend 7.1 hours per day on childcare, eldercare, and home duties, while males spend 2.7 hours. Despite this massive time commitment, India devotes only 1% to care infrastructure and services like pre-primary education, maternity benefits, disability support, and long-term care. This underinvestment hinders women's workforce participation, worsening gender inequality. Women's unpaid carework may cost $270 billion yearly. India must address this mismatch to achieve gender equity in the workforce because women spend seven hours a day on unpaid care work. Though undetectable in traditional economic measurements, unpaid and underpaid care work contributes 15-17% to India's  Care labor, especially childcare, is generally considered as a family duty rather than a public utility. Without strong governmental investment, parents and extended families must manage childcare and funding. James Heckman found that high-quality early childhood care returns $4 to $16 for $1 invested. Care labor should be a public good that benefits society and future generations, not a commodity or personal choice. Investing in the care economy gives everyone a more egalitarian and sustainable future. The Time Use Survey also shows that one in five Indian children (ages 6-17) provide unpaid care, with girls doing a disproportionate share (32.9% vs 9.1%). Early caregiving might diminish educational participation and make it hard to enter the workforce.