How these Entrepreneurs are Providing Real-time Solutions to Existing Social Issues The telemedicine market in India which has been growing at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 20 per cent holds the potential to cross $32 million mark by 2020

Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, one of the biggest investment funds in the world said, "Society is demanding that companies, both public and private, serve a social purpose. To prosper over time, every company must not only deliver financial performance, but also show how it makes a positive contribution to the society. Without a sense of purpose, no company, either public or private, can achieve its full potential."

Worldwide businesses are facing the question "What part do we play in the society? How are you overseeing your impact on the environment? Are you creating a diverse workforce? In India, entrepreneurs like Bhindeswar Pathak, of Sulabh, and Arunachalam Muruganantham, of Jayaashree Industries, have already created history. However, many small players from different parts of India are also doing a commendable job as responsible entrepreneurs by providing innovation solutions to social issues. Entrepreneur India got in touch with some such change makers of the country who are creating tangible changes for the communities and transforming lives.

The Response to Scarcity of Doctors and Healthcare Gaps in Rural India

Doctor Insta is India's first video medicine platform spreading healthcare in rural India. The app has tied up with village level entrepreneurs to provide medical consultation and provides service even on 2G internet.

"The current 1:1,000 doctor-patient ratio is leading to a lack of proper healthcare primarily in the rural areas. We provide consultations at subsidised costs through our B2B2C model called Insta Wall. These kiosks have partnered with the Android tablets wherein patients are able to visit the doctor and get a basic consultation over a video call via the Doctor Insta app installed in the tablet. The consultation fee is 100-150 INR," shared Amit Munjal, Founder and CEO, Doctor Insta.

Doctor Insta has already covered over 30,000 Indian villages including 8000+ in Uttar Pradesh; 15000+ in Madhya Pradesh; 3000+ in Chattisgarh; 3000+ in Rajasthan to get the rural patients connected with mainstream health support.

India is home to about 600,000 villages, 70 per cent of India's population live in rural areas and a significant percentage of that population lack access to healthcare facilities. Inclining demand for cheap and quality healthcare services along with the limited access to doctors has been leading the growth in demand for telemedicine services in rural areas.

The telemedicine market in India which has been growing at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 20 per cent holds the potential to cross $32 million mark by 2020 from the current level of over $15 million.

"Telemedicine has the incredible potential to provide healthcare delivery in a more convenient way for patients, to reduce overall health care expenditures, increase patient engagement with a higher continuity of care. At the end of the day, this results in an overall increase in quality patient care," informed Munjal.

Sustained efforts from both the Government and private sector are helping to create uniformity in healthcare availability. "To capitalize on technology investments now and in the future, rural hospitals need an integrated IT network that helps diverse entities to collaborate and communicate effectively," he opined.

All-time parking on busy and jam-packed city streets

An all-time parking solution on hectic, jam-packed city roads, is something we city dwellers would die for. Doing just that is Park 24x7, founded by Avishek Tarafdar and Milind Shethia. The duo aspires to provide a cost-effective solution to the social crisis. The app developed by Tarafdar and Shethia provides real-time parking availability information to drivers and help them pre-book just the right space to park cars.

"Park 24x7 connects car drivers in search of parking with those having spare spaces, be it a private driveway or a parking garage. Chauffeurs can also park at vacant parking lots of hotels, hospitals, public parking spaces, pubs, stores, schools, or on-street parking zones through the app and save time," notified Tarafdar who has partnered with more than 600 parking spaces in Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore, Ranchi and Bhubaneswar.

"It's time-efficient and solves the endpoint connectivity. We get a commission from the space-owners as we add to their revenue from booking. The cost ranges from INR 20 for an hour up to INR 100 a day and can be paid through debit/credit cards, internet banking and wallet," shared Shethia.

The app is already operational in Bangalore and Mumbai and is all set to venture into 4 more metros, under the Smart City project. The duo informed that the app has already assisted in parking more than 5,000 cars, collecting parking charge of INR 16.7 lakh.

Saving Life, Time and Disaster

Chandra Sekhar Rout's car broke down while he was travelling with his family! After a lot of difficulty and perils, he reached his destination. That triggered the idea of building a devise which will alert about faults and help thwart adversities. Lokate OBD was the upshot of his musings.

"Lokate offers help real fast. It sends breakdown facts to nearby service station though live feed and seeks assistance. It also tracks signs like battery condition, coolant temperature, fuel usage and sends alert for inspections. Our OBD devices are manufactured in-house and at workstations of partner companies with highly scalable infrastructure," he put forth.

The globally connected car market is expected to garner $ 141 Billion by 2020. Growing customer demand, call for constant internet connection and increased reliance on tech further boost up the market. "Connectivity solutions are in high demand and we have a burgeoning market to cater to and aspire to be a leading player in-vehicle telematics with a strong focus on R&D," added Rout who is presently integrating latest tech advances including, machine intelligence and augmented reality in his project.