Fitness – Dutch Uncles

Offering a Personalised and Immersive Workout through Virtual Fitness

Shalmoli Sarkar — Mon, 17 Jan 2022 08:34:01 +0000

Gyms and fitness centres are the first ones to face the heat of lockdown whenever there is an emergence of a covid wave. These places are considered as the epicentre of the virus spread due to maximum human physical contact established from shared equipment, towels, jacuzzi, restrooms, and heavy breathing.

In the past two years, the lockdowns have been a doomsday resulting in mammoth losses causing the shutting down of gyms and fitness centres, impacting the livelihood of gym trainers and now with emerging cases of Omicron and a third covid wave lurking, the new lockdown measures are set to crumble India’s fitness industry further.

Recently, in Kolkata, a group of gym owners, staff, and patrons have led a peaceful protest against the government’s decision to keep gyms shut.

Although gyms are being closed, people’s love for virtual fitness has piqued in the Covid-19 due to a sedentary lifestyle arising from a remote working model. According to a website by Market Research Future, the global online or virtual workout fitness market is expected to register a CAGR of 30.1% by 2026.

In addition to this, an article published on the World Economic Forum website has found that there has been a 46 percent increase in the downloads of health and fitness apps across the world, with India witnessing the highest increase in the downloads by 156%.

With a whopping increase in the downloads of fitness apps in the pandemic, it seems apparent for gyms and fitness centres to revamp their business model to provide virtual fitness.

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According to a website by Market Research Future, the global online or virtual fitness market is expected to register a CAGR of 30.1% by 2026.

Virtual fitness: Fitness apps, virtual coaches, DIY videos, and more

Being confined to their homes did not deter fitness enthusiasts from working out. The home workout apps in the lockdown witnessed huge downloads and the video streaming platform YouTube was flooded with instructional or DIY workout videos from several fitness influencers for beginners, intermediates, and experts.

The Indian health and fitness app HealthifyMe saw an increase of 5 million users during the pandemic, contributing nearly a quarter of its user base of 21 million. Besides, workout videos there is also a rise in acceptance of virtual coaching apps, that caters to an individual’s holistic health and nutritional well-being by offering personalised and sustainable nutrition plans based on health goals such as losing weight, gaining muscle, and increasing strength and cardio, etc., grandma recipes, recommends accurate food portion and natural homemade remedies with proven outcomes and most importantly addressing immunity building. Apps on mental wellness such as practicing mindfulness and meditation are also on the rise. Classes that traditionally offered on-site yoga, pilates, and Zumba classes have pivoted online by live-streaming the sessions through digital tools.

Moreover, the demand for at-home equipment will rise as some individuals prefer working out with machines. Realising this to be an opportunity, fitness and wellness startup Cult.fit in Dec 2021 has acquired at-home cardio equipment brands — RPM fitness, Fitkit, Onefitplus, and Urban Terrain. Earlier in 2021, it had acquired Tread, a Bengaluru-based smart fitness-bike startup.

These brands will provide smart at-home workout equipment that can be connected with smartphones to track performances, compete with friends, and workout in virtual game mode.

What lies ahead for virtual fitness in 2022?

The start of 2022 has already begun with a rise in covid cases, which speaks of lockdowns and more losses for the gyms. The livelihood of gym trainers has also been impacted. Therefore, it is the need of the hour for gym chains and fitness centres to launch their apps offering personalised fitness and nutrition catering to unique requirements, live streaming sessions, and hybrid fitness options.

Also, AR and VR-based technologies are expected to foray into the virtual fitness market offering movement-based cardio exercises, music-based workouts, and game-based fitness activities such as boxing, sword fighting, and dancing thereby, offering an immersive and interactive workout. Also, working out in the metaverse will allow users to work out in groups, cycle racing and running, and compete with friends and peer globally.

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CureFit: Redecorating the Idea of Fitness

Aishly Sadana — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 12:35:04 +0000

Ever since the pandemic forced them to stay in their homes, people from all walks of life have realised different things. While some say they would have spent more time with their friends and acquaintances had they known that they would not be able to do so for well over a year, others are re-looking at their lifestyle in the pre-pandemic world, realising that it was not anywhere near an adequately ‘fit’ one.

Now, the things that many people despised earlier, like exercising, meditating and eating healthy, have become necessary as life-saving activities amidst the chaos of the pandemic. But, the realisation of ‘self-care’ has come at an odd time for many as the traditional hubs for fitness – gyms, parks or dietary clinics – are out of reach and closed down under COVID-restrictions.

While there is not much that people can do at home to stay entertained (except perhaps for ‘Netflix and chill’), one thing that certainly can be done is adopting a healthy and fit lifestyle, a lifestyle to stay healthy – physically, mentally and spiritually. And this is where CureFit comes into play.

CureFit: The Genesis

When Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori decided to quit Flipkart, they did so with the aim of starting a ‘holistic healthcare company’. They wanted to start a company that would make health and fitness important parts of daily life. It was evident to them from the beginning that their healthcare start-up had to be an innovative, never-before-seen company that could revolutionise the healthcare stream in India.

But first, they had to see if such a theory had a possible audience or not; they began slowly yet passionately. They started with a small place in Bangalore’s Hosur-Sarjapur Layout, a famous hub for start-ups. Their journey began in 2016 by occupying Rishabh Telang and Deepak Poduval’s (co-founders of CultFit ) workout studio, with no equipment to test the minimal yet dedicated workout theory. They mastered the approach of group classes which was rare and unorganised back then.

Bansal and Nagori looked into three aspects of health – preventive, curative and diagnostic. The preventive aspect at CureFit included fitness via Cult.Fit, food via Eat.Fit and mental well being through Mind.Fit. Under the curative and diagnostic wing, they had Care.Fit, which provided personalised healthcare solutions.

Receiving a positive response from the audience, they started setting up centres or workout stations. After they successfully started three workout stations, they launched the website first, followed by the app, a massive gamechanger for the company. They began with just three workout stations in Bangalore in 2016, but after receiving a lot of positive feedback and with impressive marketing strategies, they have since expanded into over 200 Cult.Fit centres in areas like Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Jaipur and many more. CureFit aims to reach 100 million users in the next ten years.

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CureFit's aim is not just to exercise at home. It is oriented towards a holistic approach to overall mental, physical and spiritual health within one's home.

What is CureFit’s Aim?

Curefit is a health tech and fitness start-up founded by Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori on July 1, 2016. It offers digital as well as offline lessons on health, nutrition, fitness and mental well-being. The idea behind launching this start-up was to provide all kinds of facilities to live a healthy life on a single platform. It is intelligently designed with innovative technology that gives a satisfying experience to the customers and handles the daily tasks of algorithmic programming with much ease.

As per the founders, CureFit is about fitness and more of an approach to building a healthcare ecosystem. Well-being does not only mean physical health, but it also consists of mental and spiritual health – a person is not fit if s/he is not growing in any of these aspects. They all hold their own importance, and none of them can be neglected.

CureFit has four wings under it, namely, Mind.Fit, Cult.Fit, Eat.Fit and Care.Fit.

CureFit, as a platform, aims to help take care of people’s well being in all these aspects from the comfort of their homes while providing a rounded experience at not even half the price that is gnarly charged by gyms and other traditional channels.

The Business Model: Four Pillars of CureFit

CureFit’s business model is based on the subscription model. Its four top verticals are listed below:

CureFit Philosophy

This aspect of the platform is about ‘fitness fun’ with the finest trainers and group workouts that can be done at the Cult.Fit centres as group classes and at home with Do-it-yourself (DIY) workout routines. The exercise focuses on fitness elements that improve the body’s strength, flexibility and endurance. This is to provide a workout with fun that helps to energise the body and remove all the mental problems simultaneously.

MindFit: Fitness Solution

MindFit includes yoga, therapy and mediation. The offerings are designed with a scientific approach that mixes traditional practices with modern advancements. It focuses on exercising the body-mind, improving sleep, focus and stress reduction. It offers a format as per individual user’s needs to help them stay mentally fit. MindFit sessions can be accessed in both online and offline formats.

EatFit: Super Healthy

This branch of the CureFit platform is restricted only towards nutritious and preservative-free meals. It offers various cuisines from a menu that keeps changing regularly. The dishes comprise quality ingredients packed with flavours. Each meal has its nutritional information jotted down for the consumer.

CareFit: Providing Doctor

Consultation
CareFit’s doctor consultation is essentially a personal doctor service where the best paediatricians, general physicians and lifestyle coaches provide all-inclusive care. With zero wait time, it gives customers access to health centres with an in-house pharmacy and diagnostic facility, with a wide range of services like health checkups, diagnostic screening packs, etc. It provides a one-stop fitness destination for those who want to take steps towards better health and pure nutrition.

Curefit: Carving out Space in the Market

CureFit, as a start-up, had a very exceptional journey in terms of investment. It was very well funded during both the early opening and the expansion stage, unlike many other start-ups in the country. With all their experiments to find an audience, CureFit founders had already created a market even before they officially launched the platform.

Of course, being a second-time entrepreneur after successfully launching Myntra had its own perks and benefits.

During their early stages in 2016 and 2017, CureFit was backed by Accel and Kalaari Capital, with a $35 million funding. When the app was launched, it penetrated the market with a whole new kickstart and gained many new investors and profits.

In 2018 alone, they were provided with over $130 Million that helped them open the workout centres in different cities. The platform was valued at a whopping $10 Million in 2018 itself when they entered the series C funding round, which was a huge milestone.

By the end of 2019, they already entered the Series D funding round with the financing of over $120 Million, and their revenue grew around five times. CureFit raised $110 Million in its second Series D funding round, which Temasek Holdings led in 2020. The existing investors like Accel Partners invested $14.2 million, while Chiratae Ventures and Unilever Swiss Holdings invested $1.8 million and $2.8 million, respectively.

Its valuation is set to cross $800 million by the year-end. With all the hype and the support, they have set a very high aim to tenfold their annual revenue to $1 Billion by 2022. They also recently acquired the US-based fitness company Onyx as a part of their international expansion plans. Some other companies acquired by them previously are Fritternity, Rejoov, Tribe Fitness Club etc. Fair to say, in terms of competition, CureFit is crushing the market.

CureFit’s Approach to Success

One of the significant reasons CureFIt entered the market quickly was its previous offline presence and brilliant marketing strategy. Brand awareness shows the result of delivering messages to the right audience. CureFit makes use of a new fitness wave in the country that identifies its target audience among those working within millennials and corporates and provides unique workout formats made by fitness idols like Prowl (Tiger Shroff) and HRX (designed by Hritik Roshan). CureFit is also capitalising on social media to improve its reach, making it a truly modern and current platform.

Every class at Cult.Fit ends with a huddle where the trainer provides an inspirational speech, and all members shout out loud – WE ARE CULT! The noise of the roar of 25 odds is so intense that it inspires individuals throughout the day and motivates them to come strong the following days.

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CureFit as a concept has become a modern necessity with the pandemic raging on, which puts this brand on the path to success.

How CureFit Is Outshining the Competition

Ideas can not be stolen but can be taken reference from. Many start-ups and companies have come out with similar schemes like CireFit’s in the market, which forms competition. Some of these companies are HealthifyMe which also offers fitness training, daily diets and calls with dieticians. Myflixipass is another company that focuses more on the physical aspects like gym, yoga and dance, while other companies like Frowfit and Foodgasm trail more on healthy eating habits.

Despite such aggressive competition, CureFit maintains its uniqueness. It has different physical exercise choices like dance, yoga, cardio, etc., from which the audience can choose. The same goes for the Eat.Fit and Mind.Fit category. People can select various options from their taste which makes it more user friendly. They have a well-working customer service system and the changes are implemented according to customer reviews. The use of minimal requirements remains one of its best features due to which the customers are attracted towards it.

Despite similar strategies, brands have not been able to reach up to the mark that Cure.Fit has made for itself. For example, HealthifyMe crossed a revenue of $25 million in 2021, while Curefit has crossed $42 Million over time. The gains of Growfit remain at $1.13 million as of 2021. CureFit has the highest audience base with the most significant ownership of gyms and workout centres, while the others are yet to open their offline branches. Due to its unique and innovative strategies, CureFit remains one of India’s best health tech companies and with its ownership of Onyx, it might leave a mark in the US too.

Integrated Healthcare: CureFit’s Future

Today, the Indian healthcare industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the country. Earlier, the health industry was only limited to the physical aspect; if a person can carry weight or work for longer hours, they were considered healthy. But with the times changing, the definition of health changed as well. It now includes mental and spiritual health aspects, which were new concepts just a few years ago.

Since we are keeping up with the trends of the time, we need to update ourselves with new healthcare ways. Instead of going to meditation classes for an hour followed by working out in the gym, many people prefer to be a part of an integrated program that keeps them healthy but takes care of their well-being as well. This is especially the case now that the world is ridden with a pandemic that has pushed health to the forefront of everyone’s minds.

So, for all the beginners out there and even the healthcare obsessives, this platform perfectly bridges the gap between fitness and healthcare in a holistic way. For the future, CureFit is shaping up to be a much-needed entity in modern India’s lifestyle segment.
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To read more of such inspiring stories, check out the Inspire section.

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Jidoka Disrupting Quality Check in Manufacturing Vertical

Shalmoli Sarkar — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 13:35:04 +0000

In the manufacturing space, stringent quality control measures form the backbone behind the successful working of products. Any compromise in the quality control process of finished products can cause harm to the consumer which can be life-threatening or if not can result in heavy returns, low sales hence maligning the image of the company due to its inferior quality. According to a report from AT Kearney, India’s contribution to the world’s manufacturing output is a meagre 2 percent which is a tenth of what China contributes. Several Indian manufacturers have not invested in product development or quality control capabilities that result in product rework and returns thus harming productivity.

In 2018, Sekar Udayamurthy, Krishna Iyengar, and Vinodh Venkatesan founded Jidoka Technologies to revolutionise the outdated quality control process by automating it with visual quality checks at high speed by leveraging Deep Learning, AI/ML, and Analytics in the manufacturing vertical. Jidoka is a Japanese word meaning automation with a human touch.

The Tech Magic in Jidoka

Jidoka’s hawk-eyed automated cognitive QC solutions enhance the efficiency in quality checks with a 98 percent accuracy by mirroring human reasoning in defect detection, thereby increasing throughput and reducing wastage by 30 percent. Jidoka’s QC solution has both hardware and software components. The hardware comprises of:

Huron: Performing quality checks for large volume complex products in a rotary table design.
Tigris: It is a twin linear conveyor system with a part flipping mechanism that is ideally suitable for flat and lightweight products.
Miyake: It is a standalone inspection station with manual loading and unloading with selective checking. It is an ideal machine for complex surface inspections where it is cumbersome for the human eye to inspect the anomalies.

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According to a report from AT Kearney, India’s contribution to the world’s manufacturing output is a meagre 2 percent which is a tenth of what China contributes.

The Core Tech Stack of Jidoka

Jidoka technology’s patented software platform Kompass is an AI-powered defect detection and analytics software that enables manufacturing companies to detect defects visually in real-time. It provides a turnkey solution that seamlessly fits into the production line delivering 200-220 decisions per minute. Jidoka’s core tech stack consists of:

Ubuntu-based platform
Docker as the main containerisation solution with C++/ZeroMQ/MERN stack for frontend and backend products
Core data science stack based on Python/Tensorflow/Nvidia CUDA technologies
In-house custom tools for MLOps
Developer tools such as VSCode and Jupyter Notebooks

Jidoka’s Road Ahead and Exploring New Business Verticals

Jidoka’s QC solutions have achieved the following within a short span of time:

5-10% Increase in defect detection accuracy
25-35% Decrease in excess Rejection
Automated identification of drifts in processes by analysing trends in defects
33% Increase in Throughput

It has recently received seed funding worth $340,000 from an anonymous technology entrepreneur. Apart from India, Jidoka is scaling its operations to new markets of North America and Southeast Asia. Currently, offering QC solutions to the automotive sector it aspires to foray into pharma, general manufacturing, electronics and printing, etc.

What is in it for the start-ups offering Quality Control Solutions?

The pandemic has catalysed manifold manufacturing in the health tech and pharma sector for medical devices and medicines respectively, thus stimulating the demand for quality control. As manufacturing will happen in bulk there lies a high probability of product defects whose consequences can be fatal. This is where an automated QC solution comes to the rescue. Efficient quality control will be able to detect defects such as the presence of foreign particles inside strips, missing tablets, colour differences, packaging verification, broken tablets, and surface inspections of medical devices, surgical needles, sutures. Besides the healthcare sector, PM Narendra Modi’s ambition to make India a $5 trillion economy would require best-in-class manufactured products for export in the verticals of automotive, textiles, general manufacturing, electrical components, etc, which signals the need for stringent quality control solutions.

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4 Products of Portl Will Allow You to Manage Fitness and Well-being at Home

Shalmoli Sarkar — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 09:35:02 +0000

The closed doors of gyms, fitness centres and a sedentary lifestyle have subdued the physical activities and has further added fat to the love handles of our body thus, nudging people to make a part of their dwelling a workout place.

Traditional gyms and dance fitness centres troubled with the ambiguities of reopening have sought refuge under YouTube or have launched apps containing videos of doable exercises for consumers but yet the workout videos seem to be a mundane one-way communication due to the absence of a trainer who is not available physically to guide whether the posture or form of the workout was appropriate. Consumers who are beginners seek guidance that is not fulfilled by most virtual fitness services. Purchasing fitness equipment is also expensive and consumes a lot of space.

Realising this gap, this Hyderabad-based health and wellness start-up Portl through its AI-powered smart mirrors and depth-sensing technology offers comprehensive fitness programmes, tracks body movements to provide real-time posture analysis and form correction feedback, telemedicine, and personalised health and wellness experience, thus replicating the presence of a trainer. Portl was launched in March 2021 by Indraneel Gupta and Vishal Chandapeta which is disrupting the fitness and wellness vertical by amalgamating fitness, technology, and media to offer holistic health wellness physically as well mentally.

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Portl was launched in March 2021 by Indraneel Gupta and Vishal Chandapeta which is disrupting the fitness and wellness vertical by amalgamating fitness, technology, and media to offer holistic health wellness physically as well mentally.

Here are the top products offered by Portl that are serving the wellness market differently:

Portl Mirror: Portl Mirror is a smart mirror with a multi-touch screen powered by AI of size 43’’ weighing 40 kg that delivers real-time fitness feedback and personalised fitness guidance across multiple workout formats. The smart mirror is additionally embedded with body tracking, biosensors HD Cameras, edge-AI Processing with Wifi, and Bluetooth connectivity to enable instant-form feedback and analysis of various workouts. The mirror can be mounted on a wall or floor-standing occupying minimum space.
Portl Lite: It is a mini version of Portl Mirror weighing 25kg and size 32’’ with a multi-touch screen display suitable for multi-user environments.
Portl Pro: Portl Pro is an AI-powered smart mirror specially designed for resistance workouts. It is equipped with an embedded digital weight mechanism workout thus eliminating the need for any equipment. Rest it has all the features of Portl Mirror and can deliver 100 kg of electronic resistance across both its cable arms enabling multiple resistance movements and strength training exercises.
Portl Bio-Tracker: It is an all-in-one health monitor that provides information on various health parameters such as multi-lead ECG, Blood Pressure, Blood Glucose, Body Temperature, Respiratory Rate, and Heart Rate tracking. Portl bio-tracker is beneficial for preventive healthcare and remote patient monitoring so that patients need to run to hospitals for frequent health check-ups.

What is in it for the AI-enabled wellness and fitness start-ups?

The acceptance of AI-enabled wellness and fitness start-ups is at a nascent stage in India but affordability can be a hurdle here since these tech-advanced products are expensive. Based on affordability factors such start-ups can face direct competition with health and wellness start-ups Cultfit that has recently acquired Tread, a Bengaluru-based fitness equipment start-up. By acquiring Tread Cultfit has forayed into the fitness hardware segment to offer an immersive workout experience to its users through its daily live classes with its 21.5 inches full HD, LCD rotatable touchscreen.

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If you are a Beauty, Health and Wellness Start-Up, This is how you can enter New Markets

Aakash Sharma — Fri, 26 Mar 2021 08:35:05 +0000

There is no doubt that beauty, health, and wellness is one of the world’s largest industries, with the sector’s estimated valuation at $4.2 trillion! And in 2020, India reached an impressive milestone as it became a $13.76 billion health and wellness market. The industry’s future is bright, and it is the right time to step into this business as a new entrepreneur.

Here we tell you how you can enter the new markets of this multi-billion dollar health and wellness industry.

The development of a healthcare business does not require significant capital investment. You just need to find a segment that suits your speciality and is less risky. These are some of the essential services that entrepreneurs can provide as a starting point in the beauty, health and wellness industry.

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With a new rush of budding entrepreneurs, it is possible for health and wellness industry to incorporate countless concepts and take the business to a new level.

Personal (Private) Training Business

Personal training is not just for those who want to gain muscles and abs. Many personal trainers work with people to improve their competitiveness in sports and work with people who want to protect their bones and prevent injuries. This gives a vast market to explore as a business.

Health Training

Health training is not limited to physical conditioning only. Coaches can advise and support people to improve their physical and mental health. Exercise and weight control can be part of a health coach’s strategy. Professional coaches can help stressed people to overcome common barriers by healthy and nutritious ways for their wellbeing.

Massage Therapist

Therapeutic massage is an attractive business area that can help people cope with stress, tension and pain. To protect customers and practitioners, it is a regulated industry with a curriculum and licensing requirements. By making a fundamental investment in equipment such as massage tables, workstations, and personal training, this field can become a good tool for newcomers in the health and wellness industry.

Yoga Teaching

Yoga is an art that needs to be taught and instructed safely. A lot of personal practice is the key to mastering this field. Renting out space in local areas for classes, or contracting with a gym or community centre to use their facilities are the popular options for starting a yoga teaching venture.

Selling Beauty, Health and Wellness Products

In the field of beauty and health, commodities like herbal products, supplements, clothing, organic foods, etc., can be sold viably. In industrial products, young entrepreneurs can decide which field to work in from the vast array of products and services. For example, a good chef with good nutrition knowledge can enter the business of nutritious meal planning and delivery.

Immense growth prospects with not much downside

Indians are increasingly becoming aware of the harmful consequences of modern lifestyles. The concept of healthy fitness has a bright future, as there is no age limit for the target audience.

Companies like VLCC, Truworth, Meta Wellness, Herbalife, Healthgenie and other brands are making great deals in this arguably untapped market. With a new rush of budding entrepreneurs, it is possible for this idea to incorporate countless concepts and take the business to a new level.

The potential in this area is immense. As a business owner, all you have to do is define your field and sell it to someone who needs or wants it.

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Preventive Healthcare: A look at the $100 Billion market

Aakash Sharma — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 00:35:04 +0000

Preventive healthcare, or preventive medical care, includes measures to prevent exposure to diseases from everyday lifestyle activities. Illness and disability are influenced by numerous environmental factors, genetic predispositions, pathogens, and lifestyle choices. Dynamic processes occur in the human body that end up causing diseases before people even know that they hit them. Preventive healthcare is a medical route to avoid just that.

RedSeer Consulting is a research and consulting firm that specialises in healthcare research and industry analysis for clients. Its report on the healthcare market outlined the increasing needs in the preventive healthcare industry.

Primarily, the preventive healthcare industry is divided into the following parameters:

Healthy daily-use components,

Physical fitness,

Health condition and observation,

Rejuvenation, and

Wellbeing insurance.

A healthy individual’s record includes healthy and organic substances, nutraceuticals (food with added nutritional values) and organic beauty treatments in their routine life. It is this increasing dependence on healthy staples, which is leading to industry growth. But healthy food, a relatively new segment, is still catching up among the public.

Increasing disease affinity – a factor in Preventive Healthcare growth

As diseases arising out of weight gain, type-2 diabetes, heart complication and malnutrition are increasingly making people sick, people are moving towards healthier and preventative measures. Urban Indians are the ones currently using preventive healthcare, mostly in the affluent parts of the country. RedSeer’s report shows that consumers are very aware and interested in leading a healthy lifestyle in urban, posh and upper economic zones. A full reflection of this was witnessed in the online search trend provided by the Google report, in which India ranked 5th in the world for most searches about fitness applications.

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Healthcare sectors, including primary care, medical monitoring devices and medical tourism, that come into play when customers seek medicine or cure do not constitute preventive healthcare.

Statistical data showing the growth of Preventive Healthcare

The preventive healthcare mega-sector has become an important pillar and will continue to proliferate, especially in recreational sports, wellness treatments and diagnostics. The industry is expected to have an 18% CAGR growth rate by 2022 in consumer spending, more than the retail sector’s growth.

India’s preventive health market is projected to become a $100 billion industry by 2022. An unprecedented rise in health awareness and lifestyle management among an almost 130 million people big Indian market will actively adopt preventive measures to ensure a healthy life.

Moreover, global resource constraints are driving the industry to explore its privileged future to meet the growing demand for food with nutritional value. The fitness segment is expected to represent the $32 billion industry by 2022 due to the growth of recreational sports, fitness and sports retail.

Healthcare is not universal in India

It is hard to accept the reality of all that glitters is not gold. While trends show the increasingly widespread adoption of preventive healthcare in rich and urban India, this urban sector accounts for a tiny portion of the country’s billion-plus population. A majority of Indians do not even have access to basic medical facilities and healthcare services like clean water, flu shots, and doctor guided vitamin intake. A large section of Indian society is vulnerable to the most basic disease’s severe consequences due to the lack of an institutionalised health system.

India is the second worst-hit country by the COVID-19 pandemic after the US. Yet, the nation has had considerably fewer deaths given the vast population and is now witnessing a massive downward trend in reducing COVID cases and their spread. This phenomenon might have happened, to expert’s shock, due to the already worse living and health conditions in a pre-COVID India, and the population might have built immunity against foreign viruses.

This shows how flawed the majority of the Indian healthcare system is and that preventive healthcare is still a very reserved option, restricted to the Indian elite.

Technology is playing a pivotal role in Preventive Healthcare. What can upcoming businesses learn?

Technology plays a crucial role as an equaliser in taking preventive healthcare to the second and third demography wave across geography and class. As healthcare is still not available to a large chunk of the population, businesses can collaborate with health agencies and the government in making healthcare accessible.

Start-ups and new businesses can help solve participation and accessibility issues for which there are no traditional preventive health practices. For example, Fitbit, which can cut costs through a combination of start-up innovation and government funding, can encourage users to take more action today to lower the cost of treating obesity in the future. As a precautionary measure, a technological disruption of traditional healthcare is expected in the future. It is often more complex, costly, and requires a high level of consumer confidence.

The government’s role will be critical in shifting the investment approach from tertiary care to primary care. The healthcare industry, which includes electronic healthcare devices, home healthcare devices and diagnostics, is teeming with leaders as new technologies emerge from time to time as new entrants migrate to this industry. And now is the right time for innovation in businesses to prevail.

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Fitness Enthusiast Turns Entrepreneur: Story of Jyoti Dabas

Suresh Chouksey — Mon, 18 Jan 2021 13:31:15 +0000

It is 2010, Jyoti Sehrawat Dabas is at her desk at Yes Bank. Neither the arrangement of this branch’s infrastructure is proper nor is her interest in the job. There is stability, financial security and other perks with her at this moment. With that, there is also a clear indication that her potential is being left untapped in this corporate setup. We are in 2020 and it has been ten years since that phase in her life. CEO of Institute of Nutrition and Fitness Sciences (INFS) and having founded Fittr, an online health consultation platform, Jyoti turned the tables. Today, with the success of her start-up ventures, she is part of the small yet growing group of “successful women entrepreneurs in India.”

As I ask her, who Jyoti is, she replies with rumination, “She is passionate about the work she does. She is someone who connects well with people. She is someone who works on her self-development and growth a lot”. During schooling, many people dream of becoming a doctor, engineer, businessman and likewise. For Jyoti, excelling at who she is at the very moment is more important. “I wanted to become a good student. I wanted to do well in studies. Since I was decent in studies and my dad was in civil services, I thought maybe a shot at it was likely. Though, being the avid reader that I’m, I read business books. I got to know about how these things work.”

The quest to learn about business and grow in it did not take long. After her time at the University of Warwick, she got her first job at the CITIgroup where she worked at the equity derivative desk as a tech analyst. There Jyoti learnt about trading instruments and company stocks. Though, after a while, she came back to India for her MBA with the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIMC). While talking to Dutch Uncles she admits the experience at IIMC was a humbling one. with cutting edge competition, Jyoti had to find her bearings.

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You have to understand and assess your weaknesses. You have to accept the shortcomings. And this can’t be just learnt in business. It starts with everything you do. So, I don’t like to mix things up. It is better to be honest.

Accept the reality and move ahead

She opens up about this phase and it has a strong message for budding entrepreneurs. “It was a new world for me. It was my return to academic life, so it was fun that way. However, from day one I realised this place has a different level altogether. It has a competitive mindset and the success this institution has garnered is immense. I had to buckle up. It was really a realisation. There are so many brilliant minds out there. I had the best of schooling available in Delhi. I was sure, I’ll do well from the start. It wasn’t really the case. I had to give my best after a few semesters in order to match up.” While sharing this experience Jyoti shows exemplary honesty, in which she says, “See in entrepreneurship, or in anything, living inside a bubble will never help. You have to understand and assess your weaknesses. You have to accept the shortcomings. And this can’t be just learnt in business. It starts with everything you do. So, I don’t like to mix things up. It is better to be honest.”

Entrepreneurship is often not the first thing that might come to an individual who is interested in business. It can be a result of years of doing many different things which did not fruit into self-satisfaction. Jyoti’s journey and her insistence on patiently exploring the opportunities are an example of an entrepreneurial trail. “After IIMC, I got the job at Yes Bank. It was a hasty choice. I was cold calling people and doing things that weren’t really the art I’m capable of. I knew my skills could be better put to use somewhere else.” After Yes Bank’s role, Jyoti goes on to do her consultation job at Feedback Ventures. For years into professional life post her academic cycle at IIMC, she still wanted something different. As fate would have it, it was there in the making. “My time with the corporate circle as an employee ended after 2014. I got married. I gave time to myself to figure out something meaningful for my life. I focused on my fitness and read a lot about how fitness is perceived. I was disillusioned with the kind of wrong idea of fitness that there is.”

Jyoti converted the break she took into a remarkable opportunity to explore a new idea. Her exploration of the fitness-related businesses around Gurgaon led her to even more surprising revelations. “People had no idea how crucial health was. Some offices were trying to connect the dots of health but most were still clueless. Streamlining these services and talking to gyms in order to connect them with these corporates was the plan. This is coming after my liking towards fitness. It is quintessential to give yourself time instead of being caged in something that pays well and does well.”

As the entrepreneurial life goes, everything is a risk. Especially when you are leaving a stable, handsomely paying corporate job. On risks, Jyoti shares her thoughts with Dutch Uncles, “I don’t fear risks. But I would also not go stupid altogether. There is something called calculated risks. You have to understand what Plan B is. There are so many things you learn from these risks as well. The rigour that I went through during my corporate career, the ups and downs, the hierarchy of power in the company and similar learnings are all there with me, just because I went through these experiences. Like It or not, the lessons should keep on coming. For example, I was able to call these gyms, corporations with the full ‘cold calling’ feel to it. If Yes Bank experience had not been there, it would have been really difficult.”

The lonely ride of entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is like going on a solo trip. You are on your own. Being cautious in your steps is important. On this Jyoti remarks, “It is so true that entrepreneurs are on their own. This is a knife with sharp edges on both ends. With the independence that an entrepreneur enjoys, it also provides him or her with some freewheeling attitude. That should be balanced with a neutral perspective from the world outside of their close circles. It is essential to go to a neutral audience. Ones who would tell you if they really like your idea or not. And not to appeasers. Especially during a product launch.”

After Jyoti found out her orientation towards health and fitness, the opportunities started coming her way. Destiny’s magic led Jyoti to an online fitness company, Fittr. Like a hand in glove, it was a perfect fit. This is evident from the fact that today, she went on to become the founding director of the Fittr company.

Jyoti connected with the Fittr group after one of their users told her about them. After going through the Facebook page of Fittr, which had a growing community, she told them about their shortcomings. Her zeal and experience of health-related topics eventually resulted in her joining the team full time. She actively took part in the hiring process of trainers as well. This resulted in the genesis of the sister concern of the Fittr group, INFS. There on, she went on to guide the Fittr group to success after success. In entrepreneurship, Jyoti preferred over moving from one challenge to another in a reluctant way. Though things have changed. “I was a reluctant entrepreneur back then. I used to think I wouldn’t overstay my welcome anywhere. I wanted the idea to come to a stage where it is sustainable and then it shall be given to some other leadership. However, I realised that is a wrong thinking process, as far as the company is concerned. Today, I think of the growth of the company. If it progresses under me and I’m required, I won’t just give blind eye “On being asked, if this kind of mindset hampers individual growth, she says, “No. It doesn’t. The commitment to the company and idea is also an entrepreneur’s job. Nobody asks you to stay forever. Although, leaving at the right moment at the cost of vision is an axe on the foot of the company and not you.”

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As the independence that an entrepreneur enjoys, does also provide him or her with some freewheeling attitude. That should be kept in check while launching a product. It is essential to go to a neutral public. Ones who would tell you if they really like it or not. And not to appeasers.

Lows, highs and representing your startup

Jyoti goes on to share when she has felt the lowest and how to come out of such lows, “Whenever my ego has been hurt. I have felt bad. When I feel someone is not giving attention to the idea or to a talk that it deserves. I have felt that I’m being edged towards, kind of dejection because of it. However, I talk to my husband about it. He gives his fresh perspective on it. That way, I become a witness to all that I’m going through. That gives me a wider look and helps solve such issues. So always open up to other people and get it analysed retrospectively.”

Entrepreneurship means owning up to success and failures both with equal heart. It is about being the face that is out there taking the brunt and applause, both. Marketing wise as well, a faceless company does not entail much trust either.

Today for Fittr, Jyoti is the face of the company. When it comes to interviews with fitness enthusiasts, talks with experts, discussing the company’s vision through posts, Jyoti is there. Being a public figure wasn’t the case for her a few years back. She, however, decided to turn things around for Fittr and INFS. “I realised, we needed to have a company face. The leadership that shows confidence in our work. The one that is out there, vulnerable. To take the criticism head on and communicate with people. I tried to gather confidence for doing all this and with all grace, it is working out well, what do you think? (chuckles)”.

On being quizzed about the turning point of her life, she preemptively replies back, “Leaving my corporate job. That was a much-needed decision. Comfort of the corporate could be a spiral that you can get stuck in but I think my decision played a pivotal role in my life. I could then freely go on to do what I wanted to.” Would she go on and change something back in life? “Oh yes, maybe choose a different company during IIMC placements. But then its okay learning was still there. Other than that, I would change nothing. All good. I’m satisfied.”

Today she jokes that she used to sleep better when she was in corporate given how busy an entrepreneur’s schedule gets. Though she adds, “My conscience is clean. I’m in a business which is doing good for the people around me. I like it. I sleep good 7 hours a day despite the responsibilities.”

Gender issues and the idea of merit

Jyoti is amongst the top women entrepreneurs of India. This is a big feat given the fact that as per a Bain and Company report, in India, only 31 percent of urban entrepreneurship is owned or led by women. “I understand that there are certain societal tendencies to create the wrong impression or to undervalue us but fortunately I have never faced it. Small incidents here or there still do happen but the solution for a woman in the business field is to put her foot down. She has to hold her ground. Don’t let anybody objectify you. Everything shall be decided on the basis of merit and that is it. If we all, by all I mean both men and women decide that it has to be just our work that shall be the deciding factor, then we can win. This is the penultimate solution to create an equitable society,” Jyoti remarks.

Her message to the entrepreneurs is that one should try to do a better job while thinking about finalising a product. “People are often launching products without even a proper discussion with the target customers. No that cannot happen. Also, employees, take care of them. Take good care of all who work with you. It is the holistic approach of working style. Don’t ignore their interests at all. That is defeating the purpose of changing lives. This simply translates to having a purpose in life. Just passion won’t do. Even if it does, its value to the society would be extremely limited,” she concludes.

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