New-age startups in Bengaluru are finding the pandemic an opportunity to create new business solutions through their technology and innovative service offerings.
Ever since the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic broke out three months ago in India, there has been havoc across the country. The oxygen crisis, shortage of bed, numerous deaths due to oxygen shortage etc have shown us the dire vulnerability of India’s healthcare system.
However, not only the darkness, there were light too. At a time when the government remained silent or lacked the effort expected from it, common people took things into their hands. Social media became the saviour platform. Young people across the country came forward keeping their fears and risk away to help others.
The business community and corporate world too were not behind in terms of initiating life-saving programs. So were the startups. Several startups took charge to come forward with helping measures during the pandemic that really helped the people through various ways.
A few startups in Bengaluru, took charge to bring uniquely innovative ways to help the people in need during the pandemic. They are not only finding ways of new business during the lull created by the pandemic but helping various stakeholders of the society through their tech-driven solutions.
One such startup is the 60 Plus India that claims itself a comprehensive Geriatric Age-Tech solution provider. The startup provides emotional, personal and healthcare requirements of senior citizens through its virtual caretaking program. It also claims to be the first and only company in India to offer product and service to senior citizens through its technology platforms.
Arasi Arul, CEO of 60 Plus India was saying that the startup is currently serving more than 500 senior citizens with its over 50 services through a team of seven people. Around 95% of its total service requests come from elderly Covid patients. In such a scenario, to ensure the safety of the caregivers and the customers, the startup is claimed to get the Covid test done for the caregivers before sending them to the clients’ houses.
Technology often becomes a challenge for elderly patients who opt to avail service that is based completely tech-based. However, Ansari claims that surprisingly many of the startup’s customers are direct senior citizens but well versed with platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook and can handle their smartphones. “For customers who use a landline, we manage all their needs via teleconsultations,” Ansari further added.
Another such startup is Corvid Systems, a telemetry technology provider incubated at the Women Startup Program of NSRCEL. The startup is providing IoT solution to the Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) suppliers to monitor and refill the hospital oxygen tanks efficiently. The software Corvid has developed is claimed to continuously analyze consumption data in real-time, forecasts time-to-refill and sends alerts to the LMO suppliers.
The technology helped the LMO suppliers during the severe oxygen crisis that emerged during the peak of the second wave of the pandemic in India. Besides the LMO suppliers, Corvid’s software also helped the hospital staffs to monitor their oxygen tanks even remotely.
Shikha Bhargava, Co-founder & Director, Corvid Systems said that while the sudden surge in demand for uninterrupted supplies of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) in hospitals had greatly stressed the gas manufacturers, Corvid remote monitoring solution helped the gas producer and suppliers’ logistics operation. Bhargava also said that during the crisis, demand for remote monitoring solution has increased exponentially among the hospitals and gas suppliers.
According to Corvid Systems, direct inquiry from hospitals for its IoT solution has increased from 0-20% during July 2020-May 2021. Gas suppliers’ orders for the startup’s IoT devices for LMO tank monitoring increased from 38% to 80% during the same period. The hospital staffs monitoring the tanks using Corvid’s IoT device too has increased to 40% during the same period from 20% registered before July 2020.
According to Bhargava, the crisis has opened up ways of new business opportunities bringing up space for innovation and the need for remote monitoring.
Overall, the new-age startups are bringing new tech-driven solutions to the country, which are helping the industry and businesses, but common people also. These startups are also creating tech-driven solutions that are encouraging new players to come forward with new R&D investments, new technologies.
Also Read: Humanistic smart cities of future India
