“We started iCliniq with a mission to provide accessibility to healthcare services through Telehealth irrespective of geographical disparities. Today, iCliniq is available in 196 countries with around userbase of 1.55 lakh patients and 2000+ doctors registered at the platform.”- Dhruv Suyamprakasam, Founder & CEO, iCliniq
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| Dhruv Suyamprakasam, Founder & CEO, iCliniq |
ST
Bureau: What motivated you to start a
venture in the area of Telehealth services?
Bureau: What motivated you to start a
venture in the area of Telehealth services?
Dhruv Suyamprakasam: It started as a personal need and I
used to consult a doctor over the phone. I was always interested in being an
entrepreneur, and when I was scouting for various ideas, this came to the
picture. There is evidently a huge gap in the healthcare provisions available
for the people. While the ratio might be better in the urban areas, it grows
wider in the rural areas where a majority of the population resides. Therefore, we started iCliniq with a mission
to provide accessibility to healthcare services through Telehealth irrespective
of geographical disparities. Today, iCliniq is available in 196 countries with
around userbase of 1.55 lakh patients and 2000+ doctors registered at the
platform.
used to consult a doctor over the phone. I was always interested in being an
entrepreneur, and when I was scouting for various ideas, this came to the
picture. There is evidently a huge gap in the healthcare provisions available
for the people. While the ratio might be better in the urban areas, it grows
wider in the rural areas where a majority of the population resides. Therefore, we started iCliniq with a mission
to provide accessibility to healthcare services through Telehealth irrespective
of geographical disparities. Today, iCliniq is available in 196 countries with
around userbase of 1.55 lakh patients and 2000+ doctors registered at the
platform.
ST
Bureau: Please tell us more about your
venture.
Bureau: Please tell us more about your
venture.
Dhruv Suyamprakasam: iCliniq, part of Orane Healthcare, is
an online doctor consultation platform that brings doctors and patients
together in real time. iCliniq is the first ever healthcare company to have a bot on Telegram, an instant messenger
app in the world. With the help of the iCliniq bot, users can send their health
issues with pictures and medical reports to doctors, any time. iCliniq is also
available on Slack, a team messaging platform for working professionals. We have been rated as 5th best in the world
by Health line and Investopedia and
Treato.
an online doctor consultation platform that brings doctors and patients
together in real time. iCliniq is the first ever healthcare company to have a bot on Telegram, an instant messenger
app in the world. With the help of the iCliniq bot, users can send their health
issues with pictures and medical reports to doctors, any time. iCliniq is also
available on Slack, a team messaging platform for working professionals. We have been rated as 5th best in the world
by Health line and Investopedia and
Treato.
ST
Bureau: Please give us an idea about the
system of Tele-health services?
Bureau: Please give us an idea about the
system of Tele-health services?
Dhruv Suyamprakasam: Tele-health is anything that connects
doctors and patients remotely. ISRO was the first major player that used
tele-health for the socially backward area. What is the size of the market in
India? We estimate the market to be a 400 million Dollar market in India alone.
doctors and patients remotely. ISRO was the first major player that used
tele-health for the socially backward area. What is the size of the market in
India? We estimate the market to be a 400 million Dollar market in India alone.
ST
Bureau: What challenges do the industry
face at present?
Bureau: What challenges do the industry
face at present?
Dhruv Suyamprakasam: Applying the marketing techniques of
other industries does not work in health tech industry. Health-tech’s biggest
problem is that it’s difficult to achieve word-of-mouth like how it happens in
other sectors. Marketing of the product has to be carefully planned and
executed to achieve growth. Constant ‘trust’ building with the customer is
important. Every customer, be it the doctor or a patient who uses the product
has to be taken into account. There are hundreds of good health-tech
services/products which failed because of not taking efforts to build ‘trust’
by the entrepreneur.
other industries does not work in health tech industry. Health-tech’s biggest
problem is that it’s difficult to achieve word-of-mouth like how it happens in
other sectors. Marketing of the product has to be carefully planned and
executed to achieve growth. Constant ‘trust’ building with the customer is
important. Every customer, be it the doctor or a patient who uses the product
has to be taken into account. There are hundreds of good health-tech
services/products which failed because of not taking efforts to build ‘trust’
by the entrepreneur.
ST
Bureau: Did you face any challenge in
your entrepreneurship journey?
Bureau: Did you face any challenge in
your entrepreneurship journey?
Dhruv Suyamprakasam: The most important challenge was to
onboard the doctors and to get the patients to trust the platform. Convincing
payment gateway about this concept was tough. Thanks to iCliniq’s technology,
now its easier for other people who want to get into tele-health, its easier to
get a payment gateway. We are proud of that fact.
onboard the doctors and to get the patients to trust the platform. Convincing
payment gateway about this concept was tough. Thanks to iCliniq’s technology,
now its easier for other people who want to get into tele-health, its easier to
get a payment gateway. We are proud of that fact.
ST
Bureau: What are your future plans?
Bureau: What are your future plans?
Dhruv Suyamprakasam: We are working on an AI product called
‘smart doctor’ to help doctors answer faster. When fully built, it will be the
first of its kind in the world. We are setting up an office in U.S. and look to
do it in the next six months.
‘smart doctor’ to help doctors answer faster. When fully built, it will be the
first of its kind in the world. We are setting up an office in U.S. and look to
do it in the next six months.
Interviewed by Startup Terminal Bureau
