Past Entrepreneurial Experience

1) Ab kya karu (www.abkyakaru.com): It is an educational Initiative Project started in March 2012 by myself and one of my friend. We conceived the idea and formulated the web- based solution with a core philosophy of connection and collaboration among scholars and students in higher education and research. We visioned a platform where students/scholars will contribute to a knowledge/experience for collective growth and development in their respective career. Further, we also designed and developed with help of Global web Technologies LLP ( www.globalwebtechnologies) an online platform to provide career-related information, a discussion platform, a tool for online documentation, sharing/discussion over ideas in a closed group and medium to connect with peers and colleagues. Further, we developed a business plan around the above idea to make it a sustainable business. However, later we could not rope in enough researchers to get associated with our online service and mere dependency on crowdsourcing of knowledge and information for a running of the website did not work and we have to leave the project in midway. Much of such initiative has already been taken by researchgate and its running successfully. This was my 1st initiative to run an online business but it met with failure. However, I learned a lot during this journey about service-based businesses. 

2) Craft Your Career ( https://sites.google.com/site/craftyourcareer/): It is a  philanthropic educational initiative project started in August 2012 by friend and Myself. It aimed at promoting excellence and awareness towards career through motivation, inspiration, guidance, training & counseling sessions among school going students. We formulated the idea, designed and developed the website, conducted the market survey through online and offline mode, developed contents for the website and personally mentored few students. Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen financial and health situation, we have to terminate the online and offline services. However, I am still willing to mentor and guide students in an area of scientific research and development, entrepreneurship and about life. Any student willing to seek help/guidance can directly mail or message me, I would be more than happy to provide my experiences

3) IR diagnostics: It started with a thought of developing a medical device at hostel canteen in 2008 at IIT Kanpur. The idea aimed at design and development of non- invasive IR- based, early warning, a diagnostic device for myocardial infarction patients. This idea was judged in a bio-material project as the 2nd best idea among 6 ideas floated in the class of 40 students. Further, we developed a business plan around the idea and fortunately, it won 2nd prize in bio-business plan competition at Teckriti ( techno-managerial annual fest), 2009 @ IITK. Later, we revived the project after a gap of 4 years in 2013 when we submitted the business plan in  BEST- 2013 organized by ABLE & DBT, GOVT of India and the project was judged by one of the 20 finalist project invited for 4 days long entrepreneurial workshop and pitch the idea before the distinguished jury. Although we could not manage to secure to top 3 positions, however, we got into an eye of investors. Later, we were approached by a group of investors who were willing to pump initial seed fund of 30 lakhs for initial R & D and prototype development after an initial pitch  We pitched our idea to them and retained their interest in our B plan. Further, through an initial R & D, we managed to get our initial data as a proof-of-concept of the idea and, thereafter, filed an Indian provisional patent on 1st Jan 2015. However, during this long journey from Nov 2008, the number of people came in the project and left. Unfortunately, due to an unavailability of potential team members, we had to forgo the investor's money which we managed to secure earlier. Later, we submitted the business plan around IR Diagnostics to OneStart 2016, a global healthcare competition. There, we were selected as semifinalists ( among top 40 teams from 400 applications) and an only entry from India. We went to London, Great Britain to attend a 2-day entrepreneurial workshop and pitch our idea before distinguished Jury.  Unfortunately, we could not make up to top 10 finalists in that global competition. However, we received ample feedback from industry and technology leaders that the idea is very innovative from the scientific perspective but lacks the strong business merit. Finally, I transferred the project to one of my friend due to lack of business potential in it against other competitive products launched in the market in recent 2-3 years. It was indeed a fruitful journey in pursuit of healthcare startup.