Who We Are

palcare

The Jimmy S Bilimoria Foundation (TJSBF), and its PALCARE service, were established 10 Years back, in December 2015, to address a critical gap in access to palliative care for patients with chronic, life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses, particularly those battling cancer. Deeply distressed by her own first-hand experience, founder Pheroza Bilimoria recognized that palliative care is an essential part of medical treatment and should be available in India as it is elsewhere, and she launched a charity, supported by the Tata Trusts and the Mahindra Foundation, which was dedicated to home-based palliative care.

In 2015 the concept of palliative care was largely unfamiliar in India; despite more centers opening since then, palliative care remains severely neglected across the country.

The program emphasizes delivering care in the familiarity and comfort of patients’ homes, recognizing that many prefer to the comfort of their own home, however small, and prefer to avoid the sterile, clinical environment of hospitals, especially during the end-of-life stage. The service is 100% free and the service was specially set up to help the marginalised and vulnerable sections of society.

Since its inception and to date (June 2026), PALCARE has provided its care to over 4,500 patients, 95% of whom are cancer patients. In 2025–26 alone, dedicated PALCARE homecare teams looked after over 1000 patients and conducted 13,300 patient visits. PALCARE’s patients come from all socio-economic groups and all walks of life. And the service is 100% free.

Practically all PALCARE’s patients pass away (barring a handful who go into remission). 85% of those who pass away, do so peacefully at home, 10% in hospitals, and 5% in hospices. Patients come to PALCARE practically at end of life, which is borne out by the fact that as many as 50% die in the first 30 days of enrolment.