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| MANN KI BAAT - SPL. ISSUE - SECTION 6: INDUSTRY & ACADEMIA COLLABORATION |
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| Year : 2023 | Volume
: 7
| Issue : 5 | Page : 60-63 |
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Impact of Mann Ki Baat on Ayush Start-Ups
Raghavendra Naik1, Rabinarayan Acharya2, Ashish Kumar Tripathi3, Dhiraj Singh Rajput4
1 Research Officer (Ay.) BIS, New Delhi, India
2 Director General, CCRAS, New Delhi, India
3 Domain Expert (Botany), New Delhi, India
4 Research Officer (Ayurveda), CCRAS, New Delhi, India
| Date of Submission | 16-Apr-2023 |
| Date of Acceptance | 18-Apr-2023 |
| Date of Web Publication | 28-Apr-2023 |
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Raghavendra Naik
BIS, New Delhi
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None
DOI: 10.4103/jras.jras_101_23
How to cite this article:
Naik R, Acharya R, Tripathi AK, Rajput DS. Impact of Mann Ki Baat on Ayush Start-Ups. J Res Ayurvedic Sci 2023;7, Suppl S1:60-3 |
| Background | |  |
Ayurveda, Yoga, and other traditional Indian medical systems are increasingly in demand due to the growing global acceptance of traditional medicine. At the same time, the pressure to perform is also rising along with the worldwide demand for traditional Indian remedies. Ayush start-up have the potential to develop a viable solution to many challenges faced by various stakeholders in the promotion of traditional Indian medicine. Start-up have an impact on the socioeconomic structure of the community in which they operate and enhance employment by creating new jobs. As the start-up in the Ayush sector are growing rapidly, a strong push could aid this sector’s expansion. The Ministry of Ayush has also taken several initiatives to encourage a startup culture in traditional medicines. Start-up India is a flagship initiative to catalyze startup culture and build a solid and inclusive ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship in India. The start-up India Initiative, which was established on January 16th 2016, has undertaken a number of projects to support business owners and build a strong start-up ecosystem[1] The country is seeing a new influx of start-up and aspiring business owners in the Ayush sector.
The Hon’ble Prime Ministers’ radio show “Mann Ki Baat” is known for conveying the Prime Minister’s voice to people in general and voicing the masses’ issues and problems. This programme is a fascinating practice of the Prime Minister to connect with the country’s commoners via radio. The Prime Minister, via this forum, intends to communicate with the common person on standard premises, appraise them about ongoing Government activities, advise them to avail the benefits offered through various schemes and seek their support and cooperation for effecting good administration in the country.[2] In multiple instances, Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi mentioned about Ayush related subjects like Covid 19, Yoga etc. In a similar context, the Acknowledgement of Ayush start-ups like Kapiva, Nirog Street, Atreya Innovations and Ixoreal Biomed by the Hon’ble Prime Minister during his 87th ““Mann Ki Baat”“ speech boosted the confidence of many innovators. [3]
This article intends to document the post-impact assessment of the “Mann Ki Baat” programme on the Ayush start-up sector through a qualitative interview of four start-ups (Kapiva, Nirog Street, Atreya innovations and Ixoreal biomed). A questionnaire with seven questions focused on a brief description of the start-up’s journey, motivation to launch the start-up, initial challenges, changes in the industry, particularly after Ayush start-up was mentioned in the “Mann Ki Baat” programme and the start-ups standing and reputation following the recognition was provided via email. The information gathered via email is given in the paper with a focus on the evaluation of “Mann Ki Baat”’s impact.
| 1. Kapiva | | |
Kapiva was founded six years ago with the mission of making Ayurveda and its techniques more accessible to younger generations.[4] The brand has made a commitment to establishing its reputation through a range of channels, including information supported by R&D, technology, digital resources, research and learning, and market analysis. With a primary objective to educate millennial’s about Ayurveda, the start-up developed an innovative approach to make Ayurvedic products more accessible and effective for this generation. During our initial days, one of the major obstacles that the company encountered was the dearth of awareness among consumers regarding the benefits of Ayurveda. Convincing people that Ayurveda offers comprehensive solutions with enduring effects was a daunting task. In these puzzling times, the company decided to take advantage of digital platforms to educate a wider audience about Ayurveda. Commenting on the Impact of “Mann Ki Baat”, it was opined that the Honorable Prime Minister has been at the forefront of spreading awareness and education about Ayush and Ayurveda through the “Mann Ki Baat” program. Mentioning the name in the “Mann Ki Baat” programme has enabled the startup to showcase India’s rich heritage and Ayurvedic traditions globally, as per the leaders of initiative. Kapiva, a leader in the Ayurvedic Startup sector, expressed great pride when the Honourable Prime Minister featured them in an edition of “Mann Ki Baat”. As per the Startup leaders, the Ministry of Ayush has been a great source of motivation for the company to promote education and research regarding Ayurveda. Mentioning in the “Mann Ki Baat” programme has motivated the start-up to accelerate the mission of tapping newer audiences. The recognition has been instrumental in helping the startup to reach out to a much broader consumer base. The company also expanded its operations to the United States (US) and United Arab Emirates (UAE) with even bigger ambitions.
| 2. Nirog Street | | |
Nirog Street was born out of a vision to brand Ayurveda as a standardized, evidence-based medical system.[5] Its mission is to bridge the gap between traditional Ayurvedic practitioners and modern technology, to provide physicians access to technology, quality learning, certifications and quality medicines. The founder of the start-up had an exciting reason for starting it. A few years ago, he was struggling with Hepatitis C and had tried every medicine available to him, yet he found no relief. Disheartened and desperate for a cure, he sought alternative ways to manage his condition. Then one day, his father heard about an Ayurvedic practitioner and decided to take his son for treatment. After six short months, he noticed a remarkable difference in his symptoms. To his surprise, he was completely cured within three months. This incident inspired him to spread this age-old healing system to a larger community. As a result, he started a venture to promote Ayurveda in modern Indian healthcare and succeeded in the journey. Initially, creating digital adoption among doctors was a major challenge. To address this, a new peer to peer learning model was introduced. Although, it took some time for doctors to become accustomed to the new model, it eventually gained popularity. Prime Minister’s endorsement has had a significant impact on this start-up also. Commenting on the impact of “Mann Ki Baat” on the startup sector, he opined that the trust and outreach of the sector have grown significantly in recent years, thanks to the Honourable Prime Minister’s mention in the “Mann Ki Baat” episode. When Prime Minister addressed the nation in his radio program, “Mann Ki Baat”, it immensely boosted the start-up’s morale. Suddenly, people began to take a closer look at Nirog Street as an organization deeply committed to the work of Ayurveda. The public became increasingly receptive to Ayurveda in general and Nirog Street in particular. As a result, over 15 startup founders visited Nirog Street office, met his team to discuss their ideas and gather valuable insights, he added.
| 3. Atreya innovations | | |
Atreya Innovations is an ambitious startup initiative founded by Dr Aniruddha Joshi, PhD from IIT Bombay.[6] The company’s main objective is to develop the world’s most personal and portable health monitor based on Ayurveda & data science, helping people globally get back to a healthy and balanced lifestyle. The startup’s mission is to focus on getting non-explicit inputs and speaking the consumer language, with a special emphasis on promoting the adoption of Ayurveda in every household for a healthier world. Nadi Tarangini is a revolutionary product developed by the company that provides an innovative and objective way to perform the ancient pulse diagnosis process, otherwise known as Nadi Pariksha. Approximately 600 of these devices have been sold so far, aiding in the diagnosis of approximately 225,000 patients.The company has also shown a deep commitment to research and development, signing 8 Memorandum of Understanding with esteemed research institutes and publishing a patent and more than 40 technical papers on their research work. This new technology has been patented in Europe and Indonesia and is pending in many other geographies. It has also been approved by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) for its in-house Research and Development of this indigenous value. Further, its safety and performance have been certified by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 60601-1 and ISO 13485, ensuring that the medical equipment produced is of the highest standard. The company has been awarded the National start-up Award 2021 for providing an accessible and affordable solution, making it the only Ayush awardee start-up. Furthermore, it was also presented with the Excellence in IT award from the Ministry of AYUSH in 2018-19. The story behind this innovation is an intriguing one. When the founder was pursuing his Engineering degree, his father, Padma-Bhushan Prof. J.B. Joshi, fell ill and sought treatment from Dr. Ashok Bhat from Pune. The doctor treated him using an Ayurvedic pulse-based diagnosis technique called Nadi Parikshan. As an engineer, he was amazed to see how the doctor could get so much information about the inner health of his patients simply by placing his fingers on their wrist. His father was particularly intrigued by the practice, believing that some fluid dynamics must be taking place at the wrist location. So, he began his PhD at IIT Bombay in the computer science department, focusing on developing the first-ever accurate pulse recording sensor. The first challenge in the journey was educating clients about the technology and its usefulness in making their clinics digital smart clinics. Despite the fact that it is based on the personal art of Ayurveda, the product had to prove its efficacy in terms of standardization. Another difficulty was reaching out to Ayurveda doctors across India. According to the founder, the Special Mention in “Mann Ki Baat” opened many opportunities for the start-up. In addition to increasing the trust of both customers and staff, the reach grew to include all Indian cities. As a result of those leads, the number of centres swiftly doubled. Recently, the company reached operational break-even. Invest India invited the company to the VivaTech conference in Europe, where the leaders first witnessed angel investors. The startup is raising a second round to build the product in more verticals. The founder, Dr. Aniruddha Joshi, was invited for a panel discussion at one of the premier investment conferences, Global Ayurveda Innovation and Investment Summit, held in Gandhinagar. During the summit, he had conversations with a German entrepreneur, which led to a commercial letter of intent (LOI), on which the company is currently working. To understand all the processes in a better way, three colleges (each with about 50 students) conducted technical visits to the workplace and manufacturing facility. They also had many inquiries on entrepreneurship, including how to find fresh ideas, how to persuade parents, various funding options, various government programmes, and the Indian startup ecosystem, among other things.
| 4. Ixoreal Biomed | | |
Ixoreal Biomed, the start-up founded by Mr. Kartikeya Baldwa, has its product KSM-66 being the bestselling branded Ashwagandha ingredient, across the world. The start-up was launched outside India, primarily in the USA and Europe. Currently, KSM-66 is exported to more than 48 countries. It has a market share of more than 65 percent of all the Ashwagandha sold globally and is considered the first Ayurvedic Unicorn. Ten years ago, very few would have thought this possible because, at that time, only a tiny fraction of mainstream consumers in the USA and the West had even heard of Ashwagandha. Among the few who did, it had a reputation for being primitive. Ixoreal Biomed Company has been credited with creating a massive shift in these perceptions. Ixoreal Biomed began when its founder studied at Stanford University in California’s Silicon Valley in the late 2000s. He noticed a big consumer trend in the USA towards healthy living and natural products. After he returned to India, he encountered a unique Ashwagandha processing method that was 14 years in progress but still needed to be ready for marketability and production. This was the seed he personally nurtured and made into the successful venture Ixoreal is now. When Mr. Baldwa was in the USA, he noticed that consumers who were interested in natural products were being served significantly by companies from China and not from India, even though Ayurveda has a much older and more extensive body of offerings. This disturbed him greatly, and he resolved to change this. What motivated him also was the fact that modern medical care is rapidly increasing in cost and that health issues have a significant negative impact on the happiness and productivity of consumers worldwide. Hon’ble Prime Minister Modi’s mention of Ayush startups in his ‘Mann ki Baat’ broadcast made him an influential and significant champion in the cause of Ayurveda. His words in the ‘Mann ki Baat’ program significantly lifted entrepreneurs and investors working to create and promote Ayurvedic products and services. The Government’s support for Ayurveda start-ups through policies and initiatives can significantly help create a favorable environment for these businesses to thrive. The mention of Ayush start-ups in the broadcast also helped to increase awareness and interest in Ayurvedic practices and remedies among consumers and the general public. This ultimately would lead to greater adoption of Ayurvedic products and services, which has a significant positive impact on public health and well-being. He also talked about the importance of innovation in Ayurveda and how start-ups can play an essential role. He urged the youth of the country to come forward and take up entrepreneurship in the field of Ayurveda. The Prime Minister’s message was to encourage and support the growth of Ayurveda start-ups in India, as they can contribute significantly to the country’s health and wellness sector. The Prime Ministers recognition of various Ayurveda start-ups, including Ixoreal Biomed- the maker of World famous KSM-66 Ashwagandha, the entire team of KSM-66 felt greatly encouraged and motivated to continue their work toward excellence in Ashwagandha. Ixoreal Biomed has been seen as a role model for other ventures and often gets contacted by young entrepreneurs for inspiration, guidance, and advice since of the widespread recognition of the work on KSM-66 Ashwagandha. The company offers whatever it can to the new entrepreneurs visiting them with humility and pleasure.
| Conclusion | | |
Mentioning various innovations in start-up sector, the Prime Minister also touched on the Ayush start-up sector and praised the Innovators in Traditional Indian Medicine in his “Mann Ki Baat” Programme. In a nutshell, it can be concluded that recognition in Prime Minister “Mann Ki Baat” Programme boosted the standing and reputation of Ayush start-up’s. The two basic and expected impacts observed after the appreciation are an increase in trust among the public and a boost to the employees’ morale. Representation in the various international formats and expansion of many start-up to the global market illustrate India’s future in Ayush start-up Sector. Interaction of Students and new entrepreneurs with these Start-Up also shows the young generation’s interest in this sector.
Acknowledgement
The authors acknowledge the timely contributions from Dr. Aniruddha Joshi, founder and CEO of Atreya Innovations Pvt Ltd., Ameve Sharma, founder of Kapiva, Ram N. Kumar, founder of Nirogstreet and Mr. Kartikeya Baldwa founder of Ixoreal Biomed. The authors also appreciate the assistance from the staff of Kapiva, Nirogstreet, Ixoreal Biomed and Atreya Innovations in the documentation process.
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
| References | | |
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| 2. | Gurjeet Kaur & Ashutosh Mishra Multi-thematic Methodological Path for the Content Analysis of “Mann Ki Baat” Programme. International Journal of Mechanical Engineering. 2022: 7(1); 6459-71. |
| 3. | “Mann Ki Baat” Episode 87. Available from https://newsonair.gov.in/Mann-ki-Baat-Script/mann-ki-baat-87th-Episode-english.pdf [Last accessed 14th April 2023] at 10.24 PM |
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