Company: Indus Health Plus Pvt. Ltd., Pune, Maharashtra, India
Company Description: Company is a pioneer in India to work exclusively on preventive healthcare. Founded in 2000 by our MD Kanchan Naikawadi, Indus Health Plus employs more than 300 people. Given the scenario of the rising incidence of non-communicable diseases and expensive healthcare costs related to it, Indus Health Plus has reached more than 4.5 million people with more than 320,000 plus preventive screenings.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Female Entrepreneur of the Year – Consumer Services –11 to 2,500 Employees

Nomination Title: Kanchan Naikawadi, Director

Describe for the judges the activities and accomplishments of the nominated entrepreneur since the beginning of July last year (up to 500 words):

Shaping an idea to realize its full power and potential is something that has been driving Mrs. Kanchan Naikawadi, Director of Indus Health Plus, since the tragedy that changed her life forever. Her father’s untimely death while he was in his 50s, as a result of cancer, was indeed the genesis of the movement she decided to launch, to fight for the cause of preventive healthcare.

In India there is an increasing incidence of death and disability from chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among people aged 35 to 60. WHO estimated that NCDs (heart diseases, cancers, diabetes, etc.) claimed more than 52 lakh lives in 2008. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) accounted for 24% of all deaths caused by NCDs. WHO indicates that at least 80% of premature deaths from CVDs and type 2 diabetes, and 40% of cancers are preventable.

WHO along with the Institute of Human Development (IHD, New Delhi) found that in India, 3.2 crore people went below the poverty line by spending on healthcare out of their own pockets during 1999-2000. More than 70% of the total expenditure on healthcare goes out of the patient’s pocket. Also, according to a 2007 report by PricewaterhouseCoopers, India has 1.5 hospital beds (world average for developing nations defined by WHO is at least 3 beds/1000 population), 0.5 doctors and 0.9 nurses per 1000 population (world average is 3), indicating a wide gap in healthcare resources.

In this context, her battle for the cause of prevention has been noteworthy, to say the least. Under the wings of her leadership, Indus Health Plus has grown in leaps and bounds and has spread its operations in 25 cities across 45 delivery centres with mobile offices (est. - July 2011 till date), from a previous number of 17 cities and 34 delivery centres. Indus Health Plus also holds the distinction of making the CT technology (an expensive yet effective technology to detect NCD related abnormalities in a highly accurate way) available across a wider demography as the count of preventive health check-ups sold has increased from 270,000 to 330,000. In the process of selling the check-ups, Indus has reached out to about 5 million families. Our services have been extended to a further 84 cities throughout the country with the help of alliance partners, where we have relationship with hospitals to facilitate the check-ups (but no mobile offices).

In the past few months, after years of struggle, her crusade against NCDs began to be recognized by various prestigious organizations. WIL Forum of India awarded her with the ‘Women In Leadership’ award (October 2011). The same year, she also won the “Leading Woman in Healthcare” at the Women Leaders in India Awards 2011 (December), and was nominated as a finalist in the 2011 Stevie Awards for ‘Best Asian Entrepreneur’. This year she has been the proud recipient of the 2012 IWEC Awards (International Women’s Entrepreneurial Challenge), organized by Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, FICCI-FLO and Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, to be held on September 2012 in Barcelona, Spain.

Provide a brief biography of the nominated entrepreneur (up to 100 words):

Kanchan's is an incredible story of transformation from homemaker to a successful businesswoman. A graduate in Commerce, she never imagined she would be one of the pillars of a Rs 100 crore company one day. She happens to be the Director-of-Operations for the organization. Born on August 6, 1972 in Mumbai , she completed her schooling from The Blue Mountains, Ooty and graduated in Commerce from the Mumbai University. She began her career in 1993 as a counsellor with Trade Wings. Her uncle, an excellent entrepreneur himself, played an influential role in moulding her personality.