The global elderly population is growing rapidly. As per the reports, about 703 million people are aged 65 or older worldwide. This number is projected to reach 1.5 billion by 2050. By then, 1 in 6 people globally will be over 65, compared to 1 in 11 in 2020. Due to aging, they need to depend on others for various reasons, including activities of daily living.  The use of smartphones by the elderly is also increasing in developed and developing countries. Studies have reported that mobile phones will support and improve the quality of life of the elderly. In this regard, the Manipal College of Nursing (MCON), Welcomegroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration (WGSHA), and Manipal Institute of Technology, with the support of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), have initiated a project on the Gerontechnology Empowerment Programme (GEP).

As part of this project, from July 20 to 24, 2024, the program was conducted at the Udupi Senior Citizen Association. The program was inaugurated by the chief guest, Smt. Rathna, District Disabled Welfare Officer, Department for the Empowerment of Differently Abled and Senior Citizens, Office of the Deputy Director, Rajatadri, Manipal, Udupi District, Mr K. Muralidhar, Secretary of Hiriya Nagarikara Samste, Dr Shashidhara YN, Professor and Head, Department of Community Health Nursing, Manipal College of Nursing ( PI, ICMR), Mr Raghavendra, Assistant Professor, WGSHA, MAHE, Manipal, and Dr Binil V, Additional Professor, Department of  Mental Health Nursing, MCON. During the inaugural program, the chief guest, Smt Rathna released the Gyan4Seniors mobile app and a handbook, "Mobile Apps for Independent Living.". Following the inaugural program, three half-day sessions were conducted on introduction to GEP, and instrumental activities of daily living, cyber security, app downloading, apps for communication, travel, food, purchase, finance, and housekeeping were discussed with hands-on demonstrations. About 40 senior citizens showed interest and were very happy, and enjoyed all the activities of the sessions. We acknowledge the support provided by the ICMR and heads of institutions for the successful implementation of Gerontechnology empowerment programmes. This program is aligned with SDG 4 quality education for the general public and SDG 5 Gender equality.