To take care of another person is work. This work has immense value not just for the individuals who are being cared for, but also for communities, societies, and nations at large. Despite this, those who engage in care work – caregivers – are often denied the compensation, rights, and protection they need. In this paper, I will investigate the status of caregivers under Indian law. Who is a caregiver, and who is not? As there is no law in India that specifically deals with caregivers, we turn to cases and statutes that mention caregivers anecdotally and define the term. An analysis of this legal material reveals a range of contradictory images. In particular, two conceptual constructions seem to emerge: ‘responsibility-based accounts’ and ‘action-based accounts’. I argue that a conceptual account of caregivers – broadly of the latter type – must be incorporated in any future law (or range of laws) that confers rights, benefits, and protections upon caregivers. I hope to show, more generally, that such laws for caregivers are very much the need of the hour