India is aging at a rapid pace. The elder’s (60+) work participation rate is decreasing over the years according to various rounds of census. In economic activity elderly men’s participation is declining whereas the elderly women’s participation is increasing both in rural and urban areas. Looking back at the low literacy level almost 50 years ago in India, one wonders what kind of occupation these women might be involved in. Periodical National Sample Surveys (NSSO) provide an ample opportunity to analyse elderly population’s work participation and why, how these elder’s are working. This paper is an attempt to explore the elderly person’s work participation over the decades and also explores the background characteristics of these elderly workers. It also finds some determinants which contribute to gender-specific work participation at this age.