KOCHI:
Ayurveda is often seen as traditional, family-centred sector. But today first- generation entrepreneurs are coming up with innovative and disruptive ideas with the help of technology to realise the potential of this ancient system of medicine.
Sensing the change, CII Kerala has focussed on Start-ups and Branding for the current edition of the Global Ayurveda Summit, being held at Le Meridian, Kochi from Nov 21-23, 2018. Ayurstart – the first ever Ayurveda Start-ups Competition in India – was the highlight of the Summit. The competition saw enthusiastic participation from students and young working professionals across the country, with more than 200 teams sending in their projects.
The entries were from a wide range of fields such as technology, diagnostics, geriatrics, IT/ITES, agriculture, education and genomics. 10 teams, who came up with out-of-the-box ideas in the Ayurveda sector were shortlisted from the entries. The shortlisted teams got the opportunity to present their ideas at the Start-up Conclave, held as part of the Summit.
Ekavaidya Knowledge Services Private Limited, adjudged the winner of the contest, received a cash prize of Rs 50,000/-. Doc@Door that aims to provide ayurvedic healthcare at home came second. CII hopes to create 250 start-ups that collectively have a revenue of Rs.50 crores in the next 5 years. Ideas presented at AyurStart
1. Ekavaidya Knowledge Services Private Limited
Digitising Ayurveda
The ingredients and products of Ayurveda are voluminous, scattered and difficult to access. At the same time, the market for Ayurvedic ingredients are isolated and stagnant. Ekavaidya, started by four Ayurvedic Doctors – Dr Nimin Sreedhar, Dr Vani Balakrishnan, Dr Rahul VJ, and Dr Geethu M – has come up with a solution. Over the last 6 years they have collated the knowledge residing in the core texts of Ayurveda, into a single repository.
They have made the database of ayurvedic ingredients and preparations, searchable and accessible online on the web and through the mobile app- Dravya. The mobile app became the Top Trending App in the sector on the second day of its release, and garnered 5000 users within a month. The app is aimed at students and professionals and is a must have one for anyone interested in Ayurveda.
Ekavaidya plans to grow into a digital marketplace for Ayurveda products in the future.
2. Doc@Door
Quality Ayurvedic healthcare at home
Doc@Door is a startup that aims to provide ‘wellness at your doorstep’. Started by Dr. Animesh Mohan, Dr. Srikrishna S – two PG students at the SDM College of Ayurveda, Hassan, it espouses the “Take home healthcare model”. The start-up aims to provide traditional ayurvedic treatments at home. Many people are interested in and can benefit from traditional ayurvedic treatments such as Panchakarma. But such treatments often extend for days and many people cannot stay away for such a long time due to many reasons. Moreover, setting up a hospital is an expensive proposition today, adding to the cost of the treatments.
Doc@Door aims to cater to such people, by providing ayurvedic treatments at their homes. The doctors will visit the patients at their homes, and decide on the treatment. The medicines will be home-delivered. Ayurvedic treatments will be provided through facilities such as “mobile panchakarma units” set up for the purpose. The start-up plans to start its operations in the major metros.
3. Wioo Pikings
Salad Box – Sustainability in a box
Wioo Pikings a start-up floated by Pramod S Das, Pramod P and Shani S has come up with the idea of a “Salad Box”, which aims to help households grow their own, safe vegetables. The start-up aims to build a ‘farm in each home’ using Internet of Things and precision farming techniques. The customer does not have to bother about the maintenance of plants because they are remotely monitored by the start-up. The unit will be a climate-controlled facility and irrigation and fertilisation will be managed remotely. The only activity that the customer will have to undertake is the harvesting of the produce.
Any type of vegetable can be grown in the unit as the environment in it can be customised accordingly, but the team plans to focus on salad vegetables. The company plans to sell the unit to households, hotels, vegetable vendors and the like. The firm incubated in Maker Village, Kalamassery, is in the process of developing the prototype.
4. EnSparks Systems Pvt Ltd
Artificial Intelligence in Ayurvedic Healthcare
Started by two Electronics Engineers – K.K. Vijayan and Vishnu Prasad – EnSparks Systems Pvt Ltd is a start-up that aims to blend Artificial Intelligence and Ayurveda. Skilled Ayruveda practitioners can identify many of the problems faced by their patients, just by reading their pulse. The start-up aims to develop an electronic device to read the pulse of the patient. A chat bot will be used to collect details about other symptoms of patient.
The data so collected would be captured through a smartphone app and sent to a central server, where it would be analysed with the help of Artificial Intelligence to come up with a prescription. The prescription would be then sent to a registered doctor, who would validate it. The medicine would then be delivered directly to the doorstep of the patient. EnSparks Systems Pvt Ltd is presently incubated in Maker Village, Trivandrum.
5. HealtheKare.com
Stay Healthy, Stay fit
HealtheKare.com aims to help people stay healthy during their senior years. The aged population in the society is increasing today and many of them stay alone, without the help of their children. This affects their motivation and ability to follow fitness regimens.
HealtheKare started by Neil Philip and Anupama Hegde, aims to address this issue. It provides subscription-based preventive healthcare to senior citizens, based on Ayurveda and Yoga.
It arranges a consultation with a doctor who prescribes a lifestyle and fitness regimen. A wellness coach then follows up regularly with the users to encourage them to follow the regimen. HealtheKare.com envisages a hyperlocal business model, enabling seniors a
personalised service and a community that acts as a support system. The health records of the users are managed electronically and can be made accessible to the doctors in case of hospital visits. The firm has started a pilot project in Bangalore.
6. Prajaatha
Caring for expectant mothers
Prajaatha’ literally means ‘one who has delivered’. It is a start-up that concentrates of the area of woman’s health, especially on pregnancy related issues. Started by Dr. Rishi Vandhiyaa and Dr. Kiran, PG students at SDM College of Ayurveda, Hassan, the start-up targets the young population, who are concerned about their health and that of their offspring.
Ayurveda has a host of practices related to the care of pregnant women. Studies show that such practices have a huge impact on the well-being of the new born children, says the team behind Prajaatha. It aims to provide services such as Panchakarma treatment for pregnant women, yoga and music therapy. Prajaatha aims to make these available to women, who are constrained by their busy schedules.
7. Ayurrekha
Taking Ayurveda global
Ayurrekha is a start-up based in Thiruvananthapuram that aims to help players take Ayurveda global. The start-up is founded by professionals – Mr Harsichandran S, Mr Ramoo Shankar and Ms Sayana PS – who have experience in testing and quality control of both Ayurvedic and Allopathic medicines.
It aims to provide consulting services to Ayurvedic firms that face technical or regulatory issues while exporting products to regulated markets across the world. The firm aims to grow into one stop solution, by setting up a certification lab with international accreditation, an invitro testing facility and a full-fledged clinical trial facility.
8. Ayurbhojyam
Food is Medicine
Dr. Krishnapriya G and Dr Vijay Bhasker S, House surgeons at the Amrita School of Ayurvedic Medicine, have started Ayurbhojyam, a start-up that aims to put the principle “Food is Medicine” into practice. It plans to provide a personalised menu based on Ayurveda to its customers based on their ‘prakriti’.
The ‘prakriti’ of the customer would be identified by consulting a doctor who analyses their characteristics. Then they would be provided a personalised menu that suits their body type. The menu would take care of the lifestyle issues that the customers have. The menu will also change according to the seasons.
The founders plan to launch the service by starting a centralised kitchen and tying up with hospitals and resorts to provide catering services based on Ayurvedic principles to their clients. In the later stages, a full-fledged restaurant will be set up.
