<p>In the recent years, the population ageing has emerged as a serious concern for researchers, strategist and policymakers, as it significantly affects the demographic dividend, particularly in low and middle-income countries like India. Indian working population are majorly engaged in informal sector (contributing approximately 60% of country’s GDP); however, this brings challenges since they are characterized as unstable &amp; low earnings, limited job security, and the near absence of formal social protection for old age. This raises a serious concern about income insecurity in later life and it has important social policy implications for the nation as a whole. In this context, the current study aims to explore perception, behaviour, and preparedness towards retirement among informal sector workers in West Bengal. In-depth interviews were conducted with 63 participants between the ages of 18 and 60 years. The study identified three main themes, adaptive retirement mindset, participation enablers and motivational drivers. Their view of retirement was seen not as a clear life stage, but continued work as long as health allowed. Their preparation for old age involved few specific preparations and limited formal planning. For retirement planning, stable income was important for saving, while irregular income limited preparation. The role of family was very important, as they expected support from them and they had a strong influence on retirement thinking. The participants would manage later life by continuing work, through small savings, family support, which lead them to have confidence in coping. Overall, the findings indicate that retirement planning among informal workers is shaped by financial constraints as well as cultural expectations and everyday livelihood realities, pointing to the need for more context-sensitive social security policies.</p>