Mental Health Expert | Dr. Amit Malik | Global Indian

Global IndianstoryPeace of mind at a click: Dr Amit Malik’s mental health app clocks 3 million downloads

Peace of mind at a click: Dr Amit Malik’s mental health app clocks 3 million downloads

Written by: Global Indian

(March 1, 2022) In February 2021, mental health platform InnerHour raised $5.2 million led by Lightbox. The app, a digital self-help platform gives users access to a range of services – methods to manage stress, anxiety, consultations with licensed therapists, etc. Life has come full circle for its Mumbai-based co-founder and mental health expert Dr Amit Malik, who had returned to India with the intention of bringing mental healthcare to a society where the very idea of seeking external help remains taboo. The app is now clocking three million downloads highlighting the need for calm amidst the storm – pandemic or otherwise.

Dr. Amit Malik, founder and CEO, InnerHour

In Mumbai, as he navigated one of the most high-stress environments in the world, he only realised the growing need for adequate mental health services. India accounts for a third of the global burden of depression, addictions and suicides, while access to treatment remains either difficult, scarce or is outright shunned. Back in India, the mental health expert Dr Amit Malik took his two-decade-long career in psychiatry forward to tackle India’s mental health. Having worked with the NHS Foundation Trust in the UK, and serving as a member of the Council of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the European Board of Psychiatry, and the standing committees of the European Psychiatric Association, he had the tools to move forward. A prolific writer, Dr Malik has also co-authored six textbooks, been published in several international academic journals, and even done a stint as a member of the editorial board for two reputed publications – International Psychiatry and International Journal of Social Psychiatry.

Returning to his roots

“It was the urge to go to the grassroots, and solve mental health problems that brought me back to India,” says mental health expert Dr Malik, in an interview with Global Indian. “It’s not just that India is close to my heart, it’s also a country where the problem is very large. Some 190 million Indians suffer from mental health ailments and around 90 to 95 percent of these never get help,” he explains.

Dr Amit arrived in the UK in 2001 for postgraduate training in psychiatry at the University of Nottingham. He then went on to become a member at the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Raised into a family of engineers, Dr Amit was born in NCR, and did MBBS at Kasturba Medical College, Manipal. “My mother’s sister was a doctor, and we were very close. Looking back, I have wanted to be a doctor as far back as I can remember, and she was an inspiration,” recalls the mental health expert. After medicine, he went on to do a master’s in business administration from the London Business School, and also holds a diploma in geriatric medicine from the Royal College of Physicians in London.

‘Tech that’

“The situation in India intrigued me – I wanted to solve difficult problems in healthcare, working with issues like providing early access to people with mental health difficulties, how to break the stigma, and poor awareness barriers, and how to build large scale standardised services that could provide good quality treatment,” mental health expert Dr Malik explains.

Dr. Amit Malik

Technology provided just the breakthrough and the idea for InnerHour. The startup aimed at leveraging technology in combination with high quality scientific clinical practices to provide awareness and timely access. “We created a model that would cater to an entire spectrum of needs, from access to receiving help, support in difficult times and providing ongoing support as well.” says the mental health expert.

A changing landscape

Despite the taboos and challenges that India faces, InnerHour has been received with enthusiasm from clients and investors alike. What started out as an 18-member team grew to over 100 in the past year alone, Dr Malik says. “We do five times as many therapy sessions now than we did before. Our app is also nearing three million downloads, which is a threefold increase. We’re also generating six to seven times the revenue compared with 2021. In 2021, we have been able to help more people than we did in the four years before that,” smiles the mental health expert.

InnerHour Team

Awareness has grown tremendously. Explaining the exponential growth of his company, the mental health expert adds, “Celebrities like Deepika Padukone and Virat Kohli talking about mental health in public has worked, and the recent mental healthcare act has also gone a long way. I am happy to see that these problems are being given the spotlight. People are finally shunning the stigma, and accepting that mental health is as important as physical health. More than 60 percent of our clientele are from tier 2 and sub-tier 2 cities. We have a long way to go but the gap has narrowed,” says the founder-psychiatrist.

Looking to the future

Online counselling, revolutionary though it has been, cannot compensate for offline treatment. People between the ages of 18 and 45 are very tech-savvy but need to be reached out to in person. “Those with severe and acute needs cannot be addressed with online, so we are in the process of opening offline centres in Delhi and Bengaluru, in the next three months,” says the mental health expert.

The doctor’s wife works in the financial services sector. He enjoys playing basketball and table tennis with his son. The psychiatrist turned entrepreneur is a voracious reader devouring at least a couple of books every fortnight. With family and friends all living nearby, his social calendar, he says, is rarely empty!

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Published on 01, Mar 2022

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The Asian God: Following the trail of Lord Ganesha

(August 31, 2022) Java 2019: He had almost finished ploughing half of his paddy field. The plan was to finish the rest of the land before breaking for lunch. But just as he moved ahead, the machine got stuck and refused to budge despite several attempts. What he initially thought to be a big rock turned out to be a 140 cm high and 120 wide Lord Ganesha statue which took four days and 300 men to be excavated. Made of andesite, this 700-year-old headless and armless statue is one of the largest in the world. [caption id="attachment_28745" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Ganesha statue unearthed in Java[/caption] This is one of the many incidents where archaeologists have excavated full or parts of Lord Ganesha's statues in various parts of the world. From far eastern Japan to Central America and South-East Asian island countries to Afghanistan - the trail of the elephant god can be traced back to about 2500 years. Interestingly, the god who is today revered before any auspicious event in Hindu households, first emerged only in the sixth century CE and was considered to be 'Vighnakarta' or the creator of obstacles. However, over time, he evolved into ‘Vighnaharta’ or the

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[caption id="attachment_28746" align="aligncenter" width="466"] Lord Ganesha | Global Indian Tibetan Ganpati[/caption]

Global Indian sheds light on some uncovered trails of the god, who symbolises the universal concepts of knowledge, strength, and reverence.

From India to the far eastern shores

Way before the Europeans began their sea explorations, several empires in the Indian subcontinent had already established sea routes to various far eastern countries. Many merchants and scholars from these countries arrived on the Indian shores in search of wealth and knowledge. One such person, who came to the Kalinga Empire (present-day Odisha) in 8th Century CE, was a Japanese scholar named Kukai, who was keen to learn the secrets of Tantric Buddhism.

[caption id="attachment_28748" align="aligncenter" width="548"] Lord Ganesha | Global Indian Japanese god, Kangiten[/caption]

During his stay in Kalinga, Kukai met the noted Gandharan Buddhist scholar Pranja, who introduced him to various Hindu deities, some of whom later became a part of Shingon Buddhism in Japan. While most of these deities disappeared over time, only one survived over centuries and is still worshipped in over 250 temples across Japan. Named Kangiten, this god is depicted to have a head of an elephant and is otherwise famous among the locals as Lord Ganabachi or Binayaka Ten.

[caption id="attachment_28749" align="aligncenter" width="488"] Lord Ganesha | Global Indian A 12th Century stone sculpture of Ganesha found in Cambodia[/caption]

It is no secret that Thailand, Myanmar, and Indonesia is home to several temples that are dedicated to various forms of Lord Ganesha, but very few know that China is home to one of the oldest Ganesha statues in the world. Tucked away in the lush green forests of Kung-sin province, inside a Buddha temple is a rock-cut statue of Lord Ganesha, with the inscription 531 - referring to the year it was made in.

Land of the Méxica

When world-renowned European anthropologist Alexander Von Humbolt first postulated that the Aztec people worshipped a human deity, whose head resembled an elephant, many thought it to be a whimsy of a brilliant mind. The theory of Aztec symbols having any connection with an Indian deity then seemed unlikely to many as first, there were no sea routes connecting the two worlds, and second, elephants are not common in Central America.

[caption id="attachment_28750" align="aligncenter" width="457"] Lord Ganesha | Global Indian The Aztec elephant god[/caption]

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The Roman connection

In the 18th century British philologist, Sir William Jones drew close comparisons between the two-headed ancient Roman god Janus, and a particular form of Lord Ganesha, known as Dwimukhi-Ganesha. Calling Lord Ganesh the "Janus of India", Sir Jones felt that there was a strong resemblance between the elephant god and the Roman god of beginnings.

[caption id="attachment_28751" align="aligncenter" width="577"] Lord Ganesha | Global Indian
Two-Faced Janus at the Vatican Museum[/caption]

Interestingly, the speculation was repeated by Volney in his 1791 publication, Meditation on the Revolutions of Empires, in which he pointed out the phonetic similarity between the names "Ganesha" and "Janus". Later in his 1810 published book The Hindu Pantheon, Moor too expanded the claims of an association noting that Janus, just like Lord Ganesha, was invoked at the beginning of any undertakings.

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vileged vantage point at L1, it will deploy four specialised payloads that cast a direct gaze upon the Sun, capturing unprecedented data and imagery. Meanwhile, the remaining three payloads are dedicated to conducting in-situ studies of particles and fields, strategically positioned at the Lagrange point L1. This unique positioning enables Aditya-L1 to offer vital insights into the intricate dance of solar dynamics as they propagate through the vast interplanetary medium. With every orbit, Aditya-L1 paves the way for monumental strides in solar science, pushing the boundaries of our knowledge about the radiant heart of our solar system.

A dream come true

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[caption id="attachment_44403" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Aditya L1 | ISRO | Global Indian The Aditya-L1 spacecraft[/caption]

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Mission goals

Aditya-L1 is set to explore a special orbit around a point called L1, located about 1.5 million kilometers (930,000 miles) away from Earth. In this unique orbit, the spacecraft will stay for its entire mission, making slight adjustments in its speed between 0.2 to 4 meters per second each year to stay on track. This 1,500-kilogram satellite carries seven scientific instruments with various goals, like studying the Sun's heat, solar wind, magnetic fields, and the impact of solar radiation on Earth's upper atmosphere and climate.

One of the main aims of Aditya-L1 is to observe different layers of the Sun's atmosphere, including the photosphere, chromosphere, and corona, all at the same time. This will help scientists understand how energy moves between these layers, providing insights into the Sun's behavior. "The suits of Aditya-L1 payloads are expected to provide the most crucial information to understand the problem of coronal heating, coronal mass ejection, pre-flare and flare activities and their characteristics, dynamics of space weather, propagation of particles and fields," Dr. S. Somanath, the chairman of ISRO said in a press statement.

[caption id="attachment_44412" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Aditya L1 | ISRO | Global Indian The spacecraft will dwell at a point called L1, located about 1.5 million kilometers away from Earth[/caption]

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Meet Dr. Shyam Bishen: The Indian-origin executive heading the Global Health and Healthcare arena at the World Economic Forum

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I was working with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as their regional director of partnerships in the global health arena. My focus was to ensure that COVID treatment drugs were accessible in India and other developing countries as soon as possible. Back then anti-viral medicines were being developed by Merck, Pfizer, Gilead, and other big US pharma companies. Even though these drugs were patented, I worked on establishing a partnership that can bring licensing to Indian pharma companies such as Dr. Reddy's and Cipla. I am glad that it was a successful initiative," shares the healthcare industry expert as he connects with me from Geneva, Switzerland.

Currently heading the global health and healthcare arena at the World Economic Forum, Dr. Bishen is working on establishing a public-private partnership. "I am invested in bringing private players in the healthcare industry and governments from across the globe so that we can look into and find sustainable solutions for the major health-related issues people are facing. I am engaging political, cultural, and industrial leaders from various countries to overall shape the global health and healthcare agenda," Dr. Bishen tells Global Indian in an exclusive interview.

Spreading his wings

Born to an affluent family in the small town of Deoria, Uttar Pradesh, Dr. Bishen grew up on a farm in the village. "I spent several years of my childhood in the village, where my family owned a farm. I remember, when I was in the eighth standard, I received a merit scholarship. So we subsequently moved to the city for my education," shares the healthcare executive, adding, "Even though I come from a family of lawyers, I was always interested in building a career in sciences. My father was very ambitious for me and always emphasised the importance of education. He would often tell me that if I worked hard and was focussed there is no reason why I couldn't win a Nobel Prize one day. My parents were so invested in my education that my mother even learned a little English so that she can teach me," he smiles.

Healthcare | Shyam Bishen | Global Indian

An ambitious student himself, Dr. Bishen secured the first rank in his Bachelor of Science class and went to Lucknow University on a National Scholarship to complete his master’s in chemistry with a gold medal. "I was very happy with my accomplishments. I wanted to study further, so after my master's I joined IIT Delhi as a Ph.D. student," he shares. However, his destiny was somewhere else. About 18 months into his course, Dr. Bishen got an offer to join the University of Newcastle, Australia as a Ph.D. scholar, in 1984.

"That opportunity proved to be a turning point in my life. For a small city boy, going to Delhi itself was a big adjustment for me. But when I decided to move to Australia, even though I prepared for it by watching several Hollywood movies," he laughs, before adding, "It was a bit of a culture shock for me. I came from a place where no one spoke English to a land where English was the only language I could use to communicate. During my initial days there, I did struggle to adjust." After finishing his Ph.D., Dr. Bishen did a short post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, post which he left for the USA and joined academia as an assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina.

The world of healthcare

After working on anti-cancer research at the Medical University of South Carolina for four years, Dr. Bishen decided to join the biopharma industry in 1992. In his 35-long-long career, he has worked with several leading pharma companies, including Pfizer and Merck. While in the biopharma industry, the healthcare expert has discovered many drug candidates in cancer and HIV areas and is listed as the primary inventor on several US and world patents. During his stint at Pfizer, Dr. Bishen also earned an MBA degree from Washington University in St. Louis. He was also trained in a yearlong leadership programme at Harvard University.

[caption id="attachment_33409" align="aligncenter" width="565"] Healthcare | Shyam Bishen | Global Indian Dr. Bishen with Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of Health and Family Welfare of India[/caption]

"While working for the big pharma companies, I got quite interested in the business side of how the drugs are developed and manufactured. I discovered that people in developed nations have good access to medicines, whereas the same is not the case with people in developing nations. Patients in developing nations have to wait for the medicines to be made in their countries until the patent registered in a developing nation expires. I wanted to explore a business model," he shares.

[caption id="attachment_33408" align="aligncenter" width="599"] Healthcare | Shyam Bishen | Global Indian Dr. Bishen at the first World Bio Summit in Seoul, Korea[/caption]

Dr. Bishen joined the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2014 and worked to establish programmes like Tuberculosis (TB) Drug Development Collaborator to develop universal TB drugs. Passionate about treating and ending TB, as he has seen its ravaging effects on people’s lives and families in India, Dr. Bishen also participated in the End TB meeting hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi in 2018.

In 2022, Dr. Bishen joined the World Economic Forum and as the chief of the health and healthcare division, he is working on ensuring that the world is better prepared for any other global health crisis. Speaking about his work, he says, "We wouldn't have lost so many people if we had better access to medical facilities. We saw how the healthcare industry collapsed in various parts of the world when COVID first hit us, and we do not want that to happen again. I want to make sure that there is equitable access to diagnostics, medicines, vaccines, and treatments for everyone, irrespective of their country. So, for this, I am working with the G20 and G7 nations, and other countries in Africa to ensure that the world handles the next pandemic in a better way."

Extreme weather events like floods, hurricanes, heatwaves & droughts severely threaten global health systems.

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— UNOPS (@UNOPS) October 14, 2022

But a virus is not the only thing to be scared of in today's world. Dr. Bishen and his team are also looking to tackle various environmental crises across the globe, which are the root of many medical crises as well. "The World Economic Forum is treating climate change and its effects as an emergency. In my mind, environmental disbalance has caused many healthcare-related issues that the world is facing today. There is an increase in several diseases including malaria, dengue, asthma, COPD, and other cardiovascular problems around the world. If we do not take appropriate steps to look for a solution today, these problems will only manifold in the future," he shares.

Giving back to the society

The healthcare expert, who has dedicated over a three-and-a-half decade of his life to making basic medical facilities accessible in the developing nation, is also quite passionate about girl child education. Dr. Bishen is the Chairman of the Global Girls Scholarship Foundation (GGSF) - an organisation dedicated to educating underprivileged girls in developing countries by providing them with scholarships and other academic-related resources needed for success.

Healthcare | Shyam Bishen | Global Indian

Talking about the organisation, the healthcare expert, who still visits his hometown in UP quite often, says, "I feel that in the rural sectors of India, girls are at a disadvantage when it comes to education, as it is not prioritised by their parents. This issue has bothered me for a while and several years I wanted to do something to rectify the situation. GGSF is registered in the US but does most of its work in India and Africa. In the last four years that the foundation was established, we have been able to generate significant funds with major donations and sponsor over 35 girls' education. But, we don't want to stop at just getting them educated. We will also b collaborating with other organisations to help them find a job."

Follow Dr. Shyam Bishen on LinkedIn and Twitter

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Standing with the world: Major relief operations undertaken by the Indian agencies

(February 9, 2023) The world woke up to the dreadful news of a 7.8 magnitude earthquake striking the regions of Turkey and Syria in the wee hours of February 6. Claiming 8000 lives (and counting), it is one of the worst natural disasters hitting the country in the last decade. Rising to the occasion to help its friend, India has already sent an Army medical team, National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) personnel, and medical supplies as part of the relief operations in Turkey. Over four Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster III flew just hours after the announcement of the disaster, carrying a field hospital to establish 30 bedded medical facility and a 45-member medical team including critical care specialists and surgeons. “The medical team comprises critical care specialist teams to include orthopaedic surgical team, general surgical specialist team, medical specialist teams apart from other medical teams,” the Indian Army said in a statement, informing about its relief operations in Turkey and Syria. However, this is not the first time India has stood up to help a friend in need. Over the last two decades, teams of trained professionals from India have carried out several disaster relief operations and emerged as

this is not the first time India has stood up to help a friend in need. Over the last two decades, teams of trained professionals from India have carried out several disaster relief operations and emerged as saviours during such emergencies. Global Indian takes a look at some of the major humanitarian responses undertaken by the Indian military and National Disaster Response Force in various countries across the world.

Operation Maitri: 2015 Nepal earthquakes

Counted as one of the worst Himalayan disasters in the past few decades, the Nepal earthquake claimed over 9000 lives in the country. As soon as the news broke out, the Government of India and Indian armed forces immediately launched a rescue and relief Operation Maitri on April 25, 2015. A total of 450 personnel, along with several search and rescue dogs were dispatched to Nepal on the same day, besides ten Indian Air Force planes carrying 43 tons of relief material, including tents and food. Eight Mi-17 helicopters took on the skies of Nepal for air-dropping relief materials to the citizens.