Global IndianstoryPutting rural India first: These startups are making quality healthcare accessible to rural India

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Putting rural India first: These startups are making quality healthcare accessible to rural India

Written by: Global Indian

(October 6, 2021) Everything as easy as tap and go these days. From ordering groceries, funds transfer, knowledge transfer to even healthcare. All you need to do is pick up your phone, select a healthcare specialty, book diagnostic tests, consult an expert and get a diagnosis, all from the comfort of your home. But what of rural India, where digital connectivity and accessibility of smart devices remains at an abysmally low level? For that matter, what of the rural India where healthcare, or the lack of it, leaves a lot to be desired?

According to the National Health Profile that was released last year, the ratio of medical experts (allopathic) to patients stands at 1:11,000. An appallingly low figure. However, a clutch of new startups is turning their attention towards bridging this gap in Indian healthcare. From helping store medicines better to transport them to rural India, making top doctors available for remote consultations, helping expedite emergency medical care in areas with little or no healthcare facilities, to Covid care, these startups are ensuring that a healthcare needs across the spectrum are being met for the often-overlooked towns and villages.

Here, Global Indian turns the spotlight on a few such enterprises that are using innovation to bridge that last mile healthcare gap where it most matters.

Gramin Healthcare

Launched in 2016 in Gurugram by Ajoy Khandheria, Gramin Healthcare has been setting up healthcare centres in villages in Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh. Well-equipped and staffed with nurses, these centres are frequented by villagers as the company aims to institutionalize healthcare in such areas to help bring down costs of travel for patients. Doctors screen cases remotely and employ telemedicine to carry out diagnoses. With over 120 centres, Gramin Healthcare’s patients are given health cards and their medical history is digitized. The Gramin team has a 24×7 COVID-19 hotline and is in the process of setting up pharmacies for easier access to affordable medicines in the villages.

As it goes about revolutionizing the health care delivery mechanism, Gramin Healthcare also focuses on employment generation, bridging the gap between gender spaces and provide affordable and accessible healthcare to under-served communities.

Blackfrog Technologies

Founded in 2015 by Mayur Shetty and Donson Dsouza, Blackfrog Technologies was initially an engineering consultancy before transitioning into a product company to address the need for efficient vaccine storage and transportation. It’s aim now is to be the future of medical-grade refrigeration and launched its flagship product Emvólio, solar-powered vaccine carrier that can be worn like a backpack. It also features an IoT device to track the vaccine and the device maintains the pre-set temperature for up to 12 hours to facilitate last-mile transportation of vaccines, blood serums, breast milk, plasmas, medications, and specimens with minimal free-thaw cycles. This comes as a boon at a time when the need for vaccines is high. According to Ministry of Health and Welfare estimates, 25% of all vaccines get wasted due to temperature fluctuations. In an interview with Forbes, Shetty said, “Ice boxes usually end up freezing the vaccine, and one risks accidentally administering vaccines that have lost potency. Emvólio helps in reducing the economic burden of these vaccines and nullifies the chances of inefficacious vaccines being administered.”

Blackfrog currently has a production capacity of 1,500 units per month and Emvólio is being used in large numbers across North East India under the National Health Mission. Backed by the likes of BIRAC, Qualcomm and Social Alpha, Blackfrog is set to change the way immunization programs are conducted across the country.

AI Health Highway

Founded by Dr Satish S Jeevannavar, Dr Radhakrishna S Jamadagni, and Anuj Pandit in 2019, AI Health Highway is an IISC incubated startup that has been trying to reduce the burden on hospitals by developing a web app for COVID-19 self-screening to help identify low, mid and high-risk groups who could be prone to the coronavirus based on demography. Its COVID-19 pre-screen and triage tool is easily accessible on its website and it provides solutions based on risk-assessment scores of COVID-19; these are linked to clinical symptoms, comorbidities, and contact history. This is essentially aimed at the rural population which has limited access to quality healthcare facilities.

The tool is adapted with a nurse-led model for COVID-19 and other non-communicable diseases. People from rural areas can connect with their nurses over an IVR Helpline for medical aid. The startup uses telehealth intervention to help the rural population screen not just for coronavirus, but also for NCDs such as uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension and chronic heart and lung ailments. The tool is currently being used in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.

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Vinod Kalathil and Margaret Pak: Crafting Onam Sadya magic in Chicago

(Aug 29, 2023) “The feast will be served traditional style on fresh banana leaves and everything should be eaten by hand - no utensils!” say Vinod Kalathil and Chef Margaret, as they share their much-awaited Onam Sadya schedule. The husband-wife duo co-own Thattu, a restaurant that serves authentic Kerala food in Chicago – one of the largest cities in the US. “We will also be featuring some traditional flower carpets - pookkalam - and you can participate in creating it too. The Thattu team will be available to answer all your questions about Onam and Sadya,” they add. The couple had been busy making Thattu’s Onam Sadya (feast) an unforgettable experience in Chicago, for customers who love to explore the rich food legacy of South India through Vinod and Margaret. Thattu offered a traditional Onam Sadya to its customers for three days and tickets to the event sold like hot cakes. [caption id="attachment_44324" align="aligncenter" width="626"] Vinod and Margaret | Photo Credit: Thattu[/caption] Located in the beautiful Chicago neighbourhood of Avondale, Thattu is born of Chef Margaret Pak’s love for the southwest Indian coastal cuisine of Kerala – the native place of her husband, Vinod. Thattu’s menu brings out the traditions of

o its customers for three days and tickets to the event sold like hot cakes.

[caption id="attachment_44324" align="aligncenter" width="626"] Indian cuisine | Onam | Global Indian Vinod and Margaret | Photo Credit: Thattu[/caption]

Located in the beautiful Chicago neighbourhood of Avondale, Thattu is born of Chef Margaret Pak’s love for the southwest Indian coastal cuisine of Kerala – the native place of her husband, Vinod.

Thattu’s menu brings out the traditions of Kerala along with some interesting twists from its culinary team. Rich with aromatic spices, coconut and curry leaves, it is a celebration of the bounty of the land and the sea that Kerala is so popular for.

From corporate world to food entrepreneurship

Margaret and Vinod had backgrounds in the corporate sector prior to launching Thattu. Margaret worked as a data analyst while Vinod was a computer science engineer and CPA. In a shift from her data analyst role, Margaret ventured into food sales and later honed her culinary talents by working in the kitchen of the street food joint, Kimski, in Bridgeport. Her career path took another turn when her talent for cooking authentic Kerala cuisine, influenced by Vinod and his mother's recipes, caught the attention of her colleagues at Kimski. This is when she decided to foray into the world of food business on her own.

After gaining recognition through some successful pop-up events, Margaret and Vinod secured a contract with Politan Row, a hospitality operator in the food hall industry. This milestone marked a pivotal moment, leading Vinod to leave his corporate job and join Margaret on their culinary journey full-time. Soon, their Kerala street food stall, which they named Thattu, became a favourite for the Politan Row’s visitors.

[caption id="attachment_44325" align="aligncenter" width="603"] Indian cuisine | Onam | Global Indian Vinod and Margaret | Photo Credit: Thattu[/caption]

In January 2022, Thattu found a permanent home at Avondale. “We did not have a professional culinary background,” say the food entrepreneurs, who went by their instincts and ended up being successful in their endeavour.

Serving proper Sadya in Chicago

Sadya, a traditional feast or meal is an integral part of the Kerala cuisine. It is usually served during festivals, celebrations, and special occasions, and is known for its elaborate spread of various vegetarian dishes served on a banana leaf.

The highlight of a Sadya is the variety of dishes that are served, typically including rice served with a variety of curries, side dishes, pickles, and desserts. “A proper Kerala meal is difficult to find in the US and a proper Sadya is even more difficult to find here,” says Vinod.

Even those who are preparing it at home, struggle to meet all the requirements like finding banana leaf to serve. “Most of the times they use paper banana leaf for the purpose.” However, the duo has found a place that flies in the banana leaves from India.

[caption id="attachment_44327" align="aligncenter" width="830"] Indian cuisine | Onam | Global Indian Onam Sadya at Thattu | Photo Credit: Thattu[/caption]

Introducing Kerala cuisine to people in Chicago

Vinod is from the city of Kozhikode in Kerala and continues to maintain deep ties to his home state’s food and culture. Both he and Margaret wanted to introduce the state’s authentic food to the people in Chicago, the place they now call home.

“Kerala’s food is relatively lesser known in the United States,” People associate Indian food with the North Indian cuisine - naan and butter chicken being popular choices but they are not very conversant with the authentic South Indian meal, and the traditional feast like Sadya is a totally new concept.

The couple wanted to introduce people to the diversity of India by offering them a cuisine which is new to their taste buds. This novelty is Thattu’s USP.

The restaurant’s menu highlights the essence of Kerala's traditions, complemented by some innovative ideas added to the cuisine. “But whatever is served, the root of it is ingrained in the Kerala cuisine,” Vinod shares.

[caption id="attachment_44331" align="aligncenter" width="776"] Indian cuisine | Onam | Global Indian The Thattu Team | Photo Credit: Thattu[/caption]

Showing guests, the right way

During their Sadya events, Vinod and Margaret demonstrate how to eat every dish with hand to their western customers.

Every diner receives an illustrated card that has an explanation of each dish, detailing the optional six accompaniments that enhance flavour and texture, and how to eat them. The entrepreneurs have also published a 24-page cooking zine outlining the recipes for a traditional Sadya with vibrant pictures. Interested people can purchase it to learn how to make over a dozen of their favourite Sadya dishes.

With their USP of novelty and authenticity, Vinod and Margaret have captured the hearts of the people in Chicago through Thattu’s delightful offerings.

[caption id="attachment_44332" align="aligncenter" width="573"] Indian cuisine | Onam | Global Indian Vinod and Margaret[/caption]

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To know more about Thattu, visit its website

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Romesh Wadhwani: The Indian American force to reckon with in the world of tech startups

(November 10, 2021) When Romesh Wadhwani completed his PhD in electrical engineering and began considering career prospects, he was clear on one thing: a 9-to-5 job simply didn’t interest him. He never wanted to work for someone else, which is why he decided to stay back in the US and start his own company instead. Given that this was in the 1970s and entrepreneurship was still in its nascent stages in America, and the fact that Wadhwani was not an American citizen, threw up several challenges. Yet, this Global Indian was determined to make it work. And he did. Today, the California-based Wadhwani is considered to be one of the most influential and powerful people in the world of tech startups. The founder of Symphony Technology Group (STG), who has a net worth of over $3.5 billion and is on the Forbes 400 list, is an active philanthropist and runs the Wadhwani Foundation for economic development in emerging economies. He beat polio to take on the world Born in a Sindhi family in 1947 in British India’s Karachi, Wadhwani moved to India with his family after the Partition. When he was two-years-old he contracted polio, which made it rather difficult for him to get admissions in school. Not one to

n emerging economies.

Global Indian Romesh Wadhwani

He beat polio to take on the world

Born in a Sindhi family in 1947 in British India’s Karachi, Wadhwani moved to India with his family after the Partition. When he was two-years-old he contracted polio, which made it rather difficult for him to get admissions in school. Not one to give up, Wadhwani persevered and went on to graduate from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay. While at hostel in IIT, he even set up a canteen. Talking about their childhood, when Wadhwani required a series of surgical procedures for polio, his brother Sunil told Forbes, “Sometimes he would run a high fever, but always topped his class. He has an amazing level of drive and focus, which he also brings to philanthropy. He is very clear about what he wants to achieve.”

After graduating from IIT, Wadhwani went to the US to do his Masters and PhD in electrical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. After he graduated, Wadhwani decided to start his own company, but was plagued with various problems. The fact that he had no background in business, he was not an American citizen, and the startup scene in Pittsburg at the time was almost unheard of, all threw up several road blocks. But Wadhwani was not one to be deterred.

Global Indian Romesh Wadhwani

On the path to entrepreneurship

He founded his first company Compuguard Corporation in Pittsburgh in 1972 to develop and commercialise software for energy management and security in commercial buildings. This was immediately after he completed his PhD. However, he found that nobody would give him any venture capital. In an interview he said, “I only needed $100K, but I had to call 125 different VC firms all over the US; the first 124 said No, the last one, Urban National Corp in Boston, said yes, and that led to my building Compuguard and the start of my business career.”

He ran Compuguard for 10 years and turned it into a $10 million business before selling it. According to him, it was a mediocre venture at best and he’d made a lot of mistakes such as not paying attention to basics like product quality, talent management, and customer relationship.

Global Indian Romesh Wadhwani

Wadhwani then took over American Robotics, a company that had been launched by the Rockefeller family. As he set about building it into a robotics technology leader, he raised over $40 million in venture capital. However, when Japanese manufacturers of robots started introducing their robots into the US market at below manufacturing costs, Wadhwani’s company suffered heavy losses. It was a trade war of sorts that Wadhwani couldn’t win. However, he felt a moral obligation to do the best for the venture capitalists who’d invested in the company and stuck with American Robotics for eight years to help them get back most of their money. He worked round the clock to transform the company into a computer integrated manufacturing software company.

Learning curve

“After 10 years of working 90 to 100-hour weeks, I came away from this grueling experience with just a few hundred thousand dollars as my equity reward but a wealth of experience in how to build a technology business in a tough market with large, aggressive, well-financed competitors,” said Wadhwani of this experience.

He eventually built his third company Aspect Development, a leader in enterprise software for supply chain management. This was when he resigned from multiple boards in Pittsburgh and moved to Silicon Valley with his family to start all over again with little to no network in this new state. Though starting out again was no easy feat, Wadhwani enjoyed every bit of it and ran Aspect from 1991 till its acquisition by i2Technologies in 1999. That was also the year, Wadhwani entered the coveted billionaires’ club.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU-F2F-ac1Q[/embed]

Wadhwani then went on to found Symphony Technology Group in 2002 in Palo Alto. Today, it is the parent company to many products such as Symphony Teleca Corporation, Symphony Health Solutions, Symphony Performance Health among others. Today, Wadhwani is considered to be one of the most influential and powerful people in the world of technology startups.

Giving Back

In 2000 he founded the Wadhwani Foundation to which he has now committed most of his wealth. The Foundation’s mission is economic acceleration in emerging economies through job creation and skill development. The Foundation has already launched five high-impact initiatives in India with the goal of creating 25 million jobs. One of its key initiatives is the National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN) that was co-founded in 2003 with IIT Bombay, IIM Ahmedabad, BITS Pilani, SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, and the Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology.

Global Indian Romesh Wadhwani

As the pandemic raged across the globe and brought about uncertainty regarding jobs and economic stability last year, Wadhwani went on to commit ₹200 crore towards launching the Sahayata Initiative to help distressed SMEs affected by the pandemic-induced economic crisis.

Wadhwani also founded the Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence with his brother Sunil at the University of Mumbai in 2018. Together, the brothers have committed over $30 million to use AI for social good to leverage the power of AI to improve public health, agriculture, skilling, infrastructure, and other social needs. “Our approach is to identify important areas of social need, develop AI-powered solutions, and then work with the central government, state governments, foundations, and other partners to validate these solutions in pilot programmes. If these pilots are successful, we then implement these solutions at a much larger scale,” he said.

Follow Romesh Wadhwani on LinkedIn.

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Nirnith Devireddy’s Ikiminds is transforming Healthcare and Life Sciences globally

(February 27, 2023) Having spent his formative years in the US, Nirnith Devireddy developed some fundamental life skills early in life. Making friends real quick, networking and learning about the world through others experiences and cultures — were the most rewarding experiences during his schooling days. An early headstart Business was always an area of interest for him. In ninth grade, he won the DECA Business Youth Leader award in 9th grade for a Marketing competition in Keller Middle school in Dallas, Texas. “The unique schooling curriculum and skills I picked up there contributed to my development as a global entrepreneur,” smiles Nirnith DeviReddy, Co-founder and Director of Ikiminds, a data-driven Bio-IT services firm, speaking to Global Indian. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Nirnith Devireddy, co-founder, Ikiminds[/caption] How does Ikiminds work? A subsidiary of US-based Adroitent Inc, Ikiminds transforms biological data into impactful insights and solutions in the healthcare, life sciences, pharmaceuticals and medtech sector. “Solving specific domain-centric industry challenges like the collection and analysis of large volumes of biological data, explainability of outliers and impurities in drug development life cycle, and data security is at the core of our work,” explains the 31 year old, who launched Ikiminds in 2021. The firm’s talent pool of data scientists, computational biologists, PhDs

c domain-centric industry challenges like the collection and analysis of large volumes of biological data, explainability of outliers and impurities in drug development life cycle, and data security is at the core of our work,” explains the 31 year old, who launched Ikiminds in 2021.

The firm’s talent pool of data scientists, computational biologists, PhDs and domain experts are spread across their offices in Hyderabad and USA, serving over 50 clients globally.

After the FDA Modernization Act 2.0 was passed by the US government in 2023, paving the way for the industry to transition away from animal testing in clinical trials to other alternative approaches like modelling and simulation and insilico clinical trials, Ikiminds saw tremendous growth.

“We are at the forefront of providing these advanced modeling and simulation solutions and have created a platform for implementing and adopting these services by bringing in the best-in-breed partners,” says Nirnith, pointing to the firm’s strong capabilities in the virtual clinical trial space.

The company has delivered insilico models in multiple therapeutic areas like Oncology, Diabetes, Neurology, Vaccines etc. that can be customized to meet the needs of Pharma customers. Recently, Nirnith gave a presentation on present Modeling & Simulation & AI transformation in Pharma at the BioAsia 2023 conference in Hyderabad.

Early life

Born in Hyderabad in May 1991, Nirnith’s family moved to the US where he studied in different schools including Keller Middle School, Bear Creek Intermediate School, Ellis Elementary School and Shady Grove Elementary School. It gave him a unique school curriculum, which shaped his personality.

The family moved back to India in 2006 and Nirnith graduated high-school from the International School of Hyderabad. His father Srinath Devireddy is an Entrepreneur, Investor, and the current IT Advisor to the Government of Andhra Pradesh, his mother Supriya Reddy is an Interior Designer and Entrepreneur.

While his parents are a huge inspiration for Nirnith, his grandfather, late CC Reddy, who was a Government advisor, film producer, a successful global entrepreneur and Nandi award winner, played a key role in shaping his personality.

Back to America

It was in 2009 that the determined youngster returned to America to pursue BBA at Babson College, the world’s top entrepreneurship school. He graduated with a dual major in Technology, Entrepreneurship and Design (TED) & Environmental Sustainability.

The school’s ground-breaking curriculum allowed students including Nirnith to be a part of a class called Foundations of Management and Entrepreneurship to pitch business ideas, have two best voted on, and then split the class into two companies, where the college would provide a seed fund of $3000 dollars and a full semester to set up the business in the real world and conduct sales.

“Our company WriteOn was a peel-and-stick dry erase board material that can be customized as per branding and logos. We had the highest sales out of all the FME companies that year generating revenue of $12,000USD,” says a beaming Nirnith. The profits were given to a charity, as is the norm.

In 2013, after college, Nirnith moved to San Diego, California and worked at Qualcomm as a project analyst for three years. “It was an excellent start to my career as I was introduced to the corporate world and was part of some very interesting projects as I worked in the Customer Engineering team which is responsible for supporting all of Qualcomm’s customers globally,” says the entrepreneur, whose wife Mounica holds a Master’s in Data Science from UC Berkeley.

While work experience was integral for him, his heart was in entrepreneurship. He left the organization to start something on his own even as he continued his Executive Education at Harvard with an online certification in Implementing AI Solutions in Healthcare. “This brought together a cohort of industry leaders who were working on implementing AI in Healthcare and Life Sciences,” says the winner of the IT Serve Alliance Startup Pitch Competition winner in the USA.

First venture

In 2016, he co-founded his first venture ‘Anipanion’ with his roommate from Babson College. “It was the world's leading next-gen, tele-health and pet-care marketplace platform that connects pet parents and veterinarians through virtual visits with the goal of making veterinary care more convenient and accessible for pet parents,” explains the entrepreneur.

His firm was recognised by the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) as a leading virtual care platform.

Anipanion helped many veterinary hospitals across the United States overcome operational challenges when the pandemic hit in 2019 and continues to be instrumental in veterinary practice workflows today. “We have integrated with many practice management systems within the veterinary care flow and are one of the top telemedicine providers in the United States,” says Nirnith. While he continues to serve as co-founder and board member, he stepped back from daily operations to give more time to his new venture, Ikiminds.

Challenges

Bringing in the first customer was the biggest challenge, a common problem for entrepreneurs. “The first one is always challenging but once you nail it - it is the leap spring which propels your venture forward,” he says.

Next came a phase of rejections. “Being aware of red flags and learning to pivot towards better things is a good practice. Allow rejections to bog you down is not,” he feels. Another hurdle was understanding the domain. Without an educational background in Biology, it took Nirnith many hours of study and online learning to bring himself up to speed with the scientific elements of the business.

Future plans

Growing his companies into multi-billion dollar organizations that change the world is Nirnith’s relentless goal. “We aim to become technology partners to many more pharma organisations globally to offer end-to-end modelling and simulation services to accelerate the drug development cycle.”

Cinema and politics

Outside of entrepreneurship, Nirnith is a big movie buff who loves acting and dancing. “I was a part of two high school plays as the lead and even took acting lessons in San Diego as a weekend hobby,” he says. He also played a cameo in a Telugu movie. “I also hope one day I can act or produce a feature film. I also am very interested in politics and feel I can be of value to help my home state of Andhra Pradesh through all my learnings and skills,” says Nirnith, who is the Regional Vice President of North American Telugu Association.

If you’re wondering why Nirnith seemed familiar, it’s because his wedding was covered in Netflix’s hit reality docu-series, The Big Day’. “Of course I was not acting in that. It was a series dedicated to unveiling the multi-billion dollar wedding industry,” says the huge Star Wars fan.

The fitness freak loves to spend time with his pet, Pico. When he is not doing anything else, he loves to travel around the globe.

Giving Back

Nirnith also volunteered at Blue Cross and Naandi Community Water Services. “Giving back to the planet provides me with a great sense of peace. In fact, Babson College had coined a philosophy to reshape business leaders of tomorrow called the “Triple P” bottom line, (People, Planet, and Profit) which I believe is how all businesses one day should be thinking about their bottom lines,” he adds.

Follow Nirnith on LinkedIn

Reading Time: 6 mins

The Startup Guy Vijay Anand – How this mentor-venture capitalist is shaping the Indian startup ecosystem

(January 12, 2022) When Vijay Anand returned to India in the early 2000s from Canada, he was taken aback by the stark difference in how startups and entrepreneurs were treated in the subcontinent. In Canada, it took a couple of hours to register a company, here it took 100 days. Or how entrepreneurs were considered to be smart in the West, yet back home, they were considered unemployed. As Anand set about working to change that, and create a startup ecosystem, he soon earned the moniker The Startup Guy. From helping set up IIT Madras’ Rural Technology and business incubator to holding events to help new product-based startups come to the fore, facilitating networking and creating a buzzing startup ecosystem that now sees hundreds of successful startups emerge from the subcontinent, Vijay has come a long way in realising his vision. Today, the Startup Guy works with several states across the country to create and promote a thriving ecosystem: right from writing new policies to weighing in on events conducted to promote startups. Startups Uniphore, Ather Energy, DesiCrew, etc have found solid ground thanks to Anand’s foresight. This experienced venture ecosystem builder, who believes that good capitalism is the way

apitalism is the way forward, was awarded the NASSCOM Ecosystem Evangelist Award in 2010 for his commitment.

The Startup Guy | Vijay Anand | The Startup Centre | IIT-M RTBI

The TN boy with a global outlook

Born and raised in Dubai, Vijay and his family moved back to their hometown near Tirunelveli when the Gulf War broke out in 1991. He would however continue to visit his father in Dubai, who worked with the Dubai airport for 36 long years. “Our time in Dubai gave us a very global outlook early on. A lot of our family friends were from the Philippines and Lebanon. That helped shaped my outlook very differently,” says Vijay, who graduated in software engineering from University of Ottawa, Canada.

“After I completed class X, my parents bought me a computer. Like typical Indian families, the price of the computer was a talking point. I decided to repay my parents for it. Around that time, many local banks had computers but not the software required. I built the software for Tamil Nadu Mercantile Bank, and created an inventory management system for a friend who owned a bike showroom. This helped me earn enough money to pay my parents back for the computer,” laughs Vijay, who worked two jobs to pay his tuition fees in Canada.

Quiz him on why he didn’t want to study in the US as is the norm, Vijay laughs. “There were just too many relatives in America. I would never have found myself if I’d gone there,” says The Startup Guy, who set up his first enterprise, a software company, as a student in Canada. “Back then I wanted to get a Canada PR and settle there. The ecosystem for startups was great and the government too lent great support to entrepreneurs,” he tells Global Indian.

The Startup Guy | Vijay Anand | The Startup Centre | IIT-M RTBI

Winds of change

But as luck would have it, Vijay came down to Chennai for his brother’s wedding when he met Prof Ashok Jhunjhunwala of IIT Madras. “I was telling him all about the startup ecosystem in Canada and the lack of it in India. And that’s when he said, ‘We have enough NRIs who come down and say all this. If you’re serious, why don’t you come and be the change.’” That lit a spark in Vijay, who decided to wind things up in Canada and move back to India in 2004.

He began collaborating with Prof Jhunjhunwala at IIT Madras and soon the duo launched RTBI which has since incubated several successful startups including DesiCrew, Uniphore, and Ather Energy. Parallelly, Vijay also began hosting Proto.in, a community driven event that was held every six months to help entrepreneurs convert ideas into prototypes. Soon Proto.in became a platform to showcase the best startups to exhibit products, and not mere ideas.

Around 2011, Vijay also launched The Startup Centre, a one-of-a-kind space in Chennai to help people come together to brainstorm new ideas, find funding, etc. Back then, there was barely an ecosystem to speak of in Tamil Nadu, and the road map ahead was pretty vague for startups. “Over the years, however, the ecosystem has evolved and today The Startup Centre is nothing like what it was when we started. Today we work remotely, there is no physical office anymore,” says Vijay, adding, “We now work with early stage companies and also do a bit of funding.”

Man with many hats

The Startup Centre – a five member team – currently works with companies and governments in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh among others. It hosts events, incubation programmes, etc in the capacity of a knowledge partner. “We made the shift in 2015 to differentiate ourselves from other players. It meant that we could now work with companies across the country,” says The Startup Guy, who is also an avid gardener. He finds planting trees – mulberry, custard apple, Jacaranda to name a few – therapeutic.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYVhPtr7BEE[/embed]

Incidentally, Vijay is also deeply involved with the CII and focuses on international linkages. “My work at CII began as a lot of foreign delegations visit Chennai, especially from African and Eastern European countries,” he says, adding, “I began working with the CII to showcase the city’s evolving ecosystem and the new age economy.”

Every city in the country, he says, has its own strengths when it comes to startups. If Chennai is good with SaaS, EVs and healthcare startups, Bengaluru is known for its IT, AI/ML and B2C startups. “Telangana, on the other hand, is good with biotech, Goa with cybersecurity, Delhi with logistics, and Pune with automobiles. Each city has its strengths and they play to it,” he says, adding that India is in a good space today. “Five years ago startups were in the imitation space, today they are in the adaptation and experimentation space. Startups like Postman, Ather and UPI are setting standards. The next decade will be for Asia, for better or for worse,” he signs off.

Follow Vijay Anand on LinkedIn

Reading Time: 8 mins

The Indian startups that are turning the spotlight on all things beauty

(July 15, 2021; 12.15 pm) Beauty is big business and everybody wants a share of the pie. Store fronts and e-commerce platforms are filled with perfectly made out models screaming the power of makeup. Lately, there’s also more spotlight on toxin-free products and clean beauty is fast turning into the buzzword. It’s no longer about buying only big, luxury brands anymore. Probably why, several Indian startups are finding the right audience both in India and overseas markets when it comes to offering clean, affordable beauty products. Here Global Indian looks at five of the most promising Indian beauty brand startups that are at par with any international label. Juicy Chemistry [caption id="attachment_4915" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Megha and Pritesh Asher; Photo Courtesy: The Weekend Leader[/caption] Launched in 2014 by husband-and-wife duo Megha and Pritesh Asher, Juicy Chemistry is all about clean beauty. The no-chemical, organic cosmetics company sells everything from soaps, scrubs, essential oils, shampoos to toners and dry shampoos. Set up in Coimbatore, the company fuses science with tradition. From starting off with experiments in their kitchen to now having a presence in 30 countries and retailing across several e-commerce platforms, Juicy Chemistry has come a long way. The idea for Juicy Chemistry came about when

cy Chemistry

[caption id="attachment_4915" align="aligncenter" width="480"] The Indian startups that are turning the spotlight on all things beauty Megha and Pritesh Asher; Photo Courtesy: The Weekend Leader[/caption]

Launched in 2014 by husband-and-wife duo Megha and Pritesh Asher, Juicy Chemistry is all about clean beauty. The no-chemical, organic cosmetics company sells everything from soaps, scrubs, essential oils, shampoos to toners and dry shampoos. Set up in Coimbatore, the company fuses science with tradition. From starting off with experiments in their kitchen to now having a presence in 30 countries and retailing across several e-commerce platforms, Juicy Chemistry has come a long way.

The idea for Juicy Chemistry came about when Pritesh happened upon an “all-natural” beauty product whose ingredients he realized are used as raw material in their petroleum products plant. The irony wasn’t lost on him: despite its natural label, it was filled with preservatives, parabens and mineral oils. Their hunt for pure and natural products too came to naught and that’s when they decided to launch their own clean beauty line. The couple leveraged on Pritesh’s knowledge of formulation and launched a skincare line that replaced mineral oils with butters and carrier oils, synthetic fragrances with essential oils, and plastic exfoliants with organic AHA rich sugars. All of their products also come in plastic-free packaging to a large extent.

Initially a bootstrapped company, Juicy Chemistry raised $6.3 million in series A funding led by Verlinvest earlier this year. Today the brand has over 100 products and is certified organic by Ecocert (France).

Mama Earth

[caption id="attachment_4919" align="aligncenter" width="558"] The Indian startups that are turning the spotlight on all things beauty Varun and Ghazal Alagh; Photo Courtesy: Forbes India[/caption]

When Ghazal and Varun Alagh were looking for toxin-free products for their baby boy, they were stumped at the lack of options in the country. They had to rely on bringing in products from abroad. That’s when the couple decided to bridge this gap by launching their own company and launched Mama Earth in 2016 with six baby care products. Today, the company, which is backed by Sequoia India and Fireside Ventures, is Asia’s first personal care brand with MadeSafe certified, toxin-free products for mothers and children.

They procure ingredients from around the world and ensure that they are ISO, GMP and Non-GMO compliant. Their product range includes skin and hair care products for men and women as well as products designed especially for expectant mothers.

The company is said to be in talks to raise around $100 million in funding from European investment Sofina.

Nykaa

[caption id="attachment_4921" align="aligncenter" width="499"] The Indian startups that are turning the spotlight on all things beauty Falguni Nayar; Photo Courtesy: Outlook Business[/caption]

Launched in 2012 by former banker Falguni Nayar, Nykaa was initially an e-commerce platform that curated a range of beauty and wellness products. The fact that it was a one-stop shop for all things beauty and also brought to India some luxury brands such as Charlotte Tilbury, Farsali, Chopard and Chloe, helped it cement its place in the sector. Soon after they diversified into fashion and also offline stores. More recently, Nykaa stepped in with its own labels such as Nykaa Cosmetics, Nykaa Naturals, and Kay Beauty that feature formulations hand-picked by actor Katrina Kaif. Their products range from skincare essentials to make-up products. In 2018 they also launched Nykaa Man for men’s grooming.

The company has raised several rounds of funding and counts Steadview Capital and Sharrp Ventures among investors. Currently valued at $3.5 billion, Nykaa gained unicorn status a couple of years ago and is now looking to go public. According to recent reports, Nykaa is in talks to raise anywhere between $50 million to $150 million through a secondary sale of shares.

SUGAR Cosmetics

[caption id="attachment_4923" align="aligncenter" width="453"] The Indian startups that are turning the spotlight on all things beauty Vineeta Singh and Kaushik Mukherjee[/caption]

Ever since its launch in 2015, SUGAR Cosmetics has been all about breaking the proverbial glass ceiling. Founded by IIM-Ahmedabad alumna Vineeta Singh and Kaushik Mukherjee, the makeup brand found popularity among customers with its signature Scarlett O’Hara lipsticks and foundations that catered to most Indian skin tones; a feature not offered by leading international brands. By 2020, the Mumbai-based brand had managed to clock in an annual revenue of $1 billion, something that took bigger brands like Revlon years to achieve. Today, the brand offers a host of makeup products such as primers, bronzers, lip colors, foundations, face palettes, eye makeup and even a skincare range.

In February 2021, the cruelty-free makeup brand raised $21 million in a series C round led by Elevation Capital with participation from existing investors A91 Partners and India Quotient.

Plum

[caption id="attachment_4925" align="aligncenter" width="454"] The Indian startups that are turning the spotlight on all things beauty Shankar Prasad[/caption]

Plum is India’s first 100% vegan beauty brand and was founded in 2014 in Thane by IIT-Bombay and ISB alumnus Shankar Prasad. The entrepreneur had earlier worked with companies such as Hindustan Unilever, Everstone Capital and McKinsey before he decided to branch out on his own and dive into the world of beauty. The idea came about when he found a list of cosmetics brands that were Peta-approved but the companies were under no such regulation in India. He decided to launch a truly cruelty-free brand and today Plum offers a range of 60 skincare and body and bath products that are made using plant-derived chemicals and are completely free from all sorts of animal products, even dairy and honey.

With a footprint across 6,000 retail stores in 200 cities, Plum is backed by investors such as Unilever Ventures and Trifecta Capital. In November last year, the company raised $1 billion in funding in a round led by Faering Capital and is expecting its annual revenue to touch $2 billion crore by this year.

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