Harnessing Innovation: DMET Club’s Sunday Citadel Meeting Drives New Frontiers in Healthcare and Entrepreneurship
The latest edition of the DMET Club's Sunday Citadel Meeting brought together an impressive gathering of alumni and industry experts, all committed to driving innovation across healthcare, entrepreneurship, and ship management. The meeting served as a powerful reminder of the strength of collaboration within the DMET alumni network, sparking insightful discussions on technological advancements and the importance of supporting one another’s ventures.
Recording of Citadel Session
Here’s a closer look at some of the key takeaways from this enriching session.
A Strong Network: Connecting Industry Leaders
The meeting kicked off with Prateek, who extended a warm welcome to the diverse group of attendees. With notable figures like Anil, Utkarsh Mishra, and Shailesh Desai in the room, the stage was set for a lively exchange of ideas. Alumni from various batches introduced themselves, sharing their professional journeys. One such participant, Vaibhav Singh, now working with Marine Power International, reflected on the importance of staying connected through the DMET network.
The session's early focus was on the strength of this alumni community. As Anil pointed out, platforms like the DMET Club allow alumni to collaborate in much the same way as graduates from prestigious institutions like IITs and IIMs do. His remarks underscored the value of leveraging these connections to build stronger businesses and foster innovation across industries.
Transforming Healthcare: Anil’s Visionary Project
Healthcare innovation took center stage with Anil recounting his experience launching My Health Records, a platform designed to digitise personal medical records. Motivated by his family’s experiences in managing healthcare, Anil took on the challenge of creating a system that could efficiently store and retrieve medical records for patients and doctors alike. His collaboration with Microsoft Health Vault allowed his platform to grow, eventually serving over 400 hospitals in North India.
Anil’s project is a testament to the potential of digitisation in healthcare, particularly in rural areas where larger players often overlook smaller hospitals. His innovative solutions filled an essential gap, providing much-needed support to small healthcare facilities and patients.
Doctor Ring: Revolutionising Elderly Care
One of the most impactful discussions of the session revolved around Doctor Ring, a cutting-edge wearable device aimed at providing elderly users with round-the-clock health monitoring and emergency response services. Designed for simplicity, this wearable technology allows users to send alerts at the press of a button, ensuring timely assistance from family or emergency services.
The product was born out of a need for practical and affordable healthcare solutions for seniors, who often face mobility issues and struggle with modern gadgets. Anil, along with his co-founder Parag Agarwal, highlighted how Bluetooth-based BLE button systems were used to make the product as intuitive and user-friendly as possible.
The Future of Healthcare Technology
Taking the innovation a step further, Parag offered insights into the future of healthcare monitoring. The team is working on integrating IoT capabilities and artificial intelligence to further streamline healthcare services. Future versions of Doctor Ring will use remote health monitoring that doesn’t require the user to wear any device at all. Instead, the system will use radio waves to track vital signs such as heart rate, breathing, and sleep patterns, offering a new level of non-intrusive health surveillance.
Participants, including Karthik, suggested adding features like pre-recorded medical histories for quicker emergency responses. Anil acknowledged this suggestion, indicating that such improvements were already in the pipeline, signaling exciting advancements for healthcare technology.
Entrepreneurship: Forging New Paths
In addition to healthcare, the meeting emphasised entrepreneurship, with Shailesh Desai, a marine engineer from the 1983 batch, sharing his journey of transitioning into business. His company specialises in ship repairs, particularly in the hydraulics sector, and services auxiliary machinery across the globe.
The session also featured a call to action from Prateek, urging the DMET alumni to support entrepreneurial ventures within their network. By utilising products and services offered by alumni businesses, the community can collectively foster innovation and growth.
Overcoming Challenges in Healthcare Access
While success stories like My Health Records and Doctor Ring provided inspiring examples of healthcare innovation, the meeting also touched on the challenges faced by entrepreneurs trying to break into underserved markets. Henry Gregory Dsa, another key attendee, shared his efforts to establish telemedicine services in rural Uttarakhand. His attempts to bring healthcare to remote areas encountered resistance from local doctors and financial hurdles. However, this didn’t dampen his resolve to find ways to improve healthcare access.
Anil echoed Henry’s sentiments, highlighting that collaboration with informal healthcare providers, such as “Jhola Chhap” doctors, was sometimes necessary to expand healthcare access in rural communities. These local healthcare providers, though not formally trained, were trusted by the local population and could be valuable partners in delivering essential services.
Scaling for the Future: Expanding Doctor Ring
As the session drew to a close, Prateek provided an update on the current market availability of Doctor Ring. DMET alumni can now purchase the device at a discounted price of ₹3,500, making it more accessible for their families. Available on Amazon and the DMET Club website, Doctor Ring represents a significant step forward in elder care technology.
Looking ahead, the market for elderly healthcare solutions is expected to grow exponentially as India’s senior population is projected to increase by 2030. This presents a massive opportunity for devices like Doctor Ring, with the alumni community playing a pivotal role in its expansion.
Collaboration for Growth
The Sunday Citadel Meeting concluded on a high note, with participants expressing enthusiasm for further collaboration. Ashok Awasthi, a chief engineer from the 1970 batch, shared his experience working in Dubai and expressed interest in supporting the healthcare initiatives discussed.
In a particularly promising development, Anil and Henry agreed to explore new projects, such as reviving Henry’s digital stethoscope project, which had the potential to capture detailed heart and lung sounds for remote diagnosis. This collaboration is yet another example of how the DMET community continues to push boundaries in healthcare technology.
A Bright Future for the DMET Community
The DMET Club’s Sunday Citadel Meeting underscored the incredible potential within this alumni network. From healthcare innovations like Doctor Ring to entrepreneurial ventures in the maritime sector, the meeting showcased how alumni are transforming industries with creativity, technology, and a commitment to making a difference. As the DMET community continues to grow and collaborate, the future looks brighter than ever.