There are 100 million cardiac patients in India with only 4000 cardiologists. This results in 1 cardiologist looking after a whopping 25,000 patients. To combat such gaps between doctors and patients, many have started ventures in telemedicine. In the West, this solution eliminated their problem. But one key problem persisted in India - Affordability.

To tackle this mammoth issue, the former executive of Tata Elxsi,  Anand Madanagopal, quit his job to start Cardiac Design Labs in 2011. This Bangalore-based startup wanted to provide monitoring with minimal on-site skill requirements. They did so in a quarter of the price their competitors charged, enabling them to solve the affordability gap that was common in rural and semi-urban India. AT that time they charged their product for Rs 1 lakh.  

Their offerings include Cardiac Diagnostics and Telemetry Patient Monitoring System. In the pandemic induced lockdown, their service could help doctors monitor many patients at once without coming in their contact. The idea was first presented to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. They provided the initial funds of Rs 60 lakhs as seed capital. Their clientele includes Narayana Health, Fortis Hospital, Cygnus and many more. 

They secured the second place in The Festival of Innovations at The Rashtrapati Bhavan, organised by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council) (BIRAC) and National Innovation Foundation (NIF). In 2016, they were a part of NASSCOM, “EMERGE 50 LEAGUE OF 10.” That same year, they won the Grand Jury Prize at Google’s Startup India Launchpad - 2016. 

Affordable healthcare is a basic human right that every Indian is entitled to. Yet we see a huge gap in both accessibility and affordability. The problem takes a nasty turn when it comes to rural areas. Will Cardiac Design Labs be able to bridge the doctor-patient gap affordably?