IIMK LIVE incubates eYogi.in – A new age mental wellness startup from Kerala
Kozhikode: eYogi.in, a startup based at NASSCOM 10,000 Startup Warehouse in Kochi, which tries to address the mental wellness area using the new technology solutions to address the lack of trained experts, lack of availability of these experts to the needy due to the limited infrastructure and the social stigma associated with mental health issues is being incubated by IIMK LIVE.
eYogi.in is founded by three IIM Kozhikode, Kochi campus Executive MBA graduates and is being incubated at IIMK LIVE Incubator. The firm started as an academic project has evolved into a full-fledged company with the assistance from IIMK LIVE and is operating from IIMK LIVE.
IIMK LIVE is the Business Incubator and Entrepreneurship Development Centre of IIM Kozhikode with the support of Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. Established in September 2016, the centre is envisioned to function as a business incubator with a purpose of creating a National Centre of Excellence that promotes innovation, new business venturing and entrepreneurship.
A high priority challenge for parents and teachers in Kerala these days is the lack of interest shown by children in their studies and the high interest and time spent by them on social media networks. The addiction to social media results in attention deficit disorders and the lack of enthusiasm and focus leads to learning disabilities. As per the 2015-16 National Mental Health Survey conducted by an eminent group led by NIMHANS doctors found that huge investment is required to address these issues and the use of new technology innovations and the need for private entrepreneurs is required to address this huge social challenge in the coming days.
The survey also points to the lack of trained experts and the infrastructure bottlenecks to deliver their services to the required parties. With the advent of artificial intelligence and digital revolution, new players have entered the field of medical innovation which resulted in reduced cost and higher quality and products in many fields of healthcare in the world. eYogi.in intends to use latest technology solutions such as Artificial intelligence, Machine Learning, Mobility, Wearable devices etc to augment the availability of trained experts and to make their services available to the nook and corner of the country.
eYogi.in has entered into a strategic alliance with SEDDAC, a multifaceted NGO operating from Kochi for more than a decade. They operate with the motto of ‘Helping People to help themselves’ in delivering social uplifting activities in the most backward and needy communities in Kerala. SEDDAC helps in liaising with the experts in this area and act as a motivator for anxious parents and students to take up the services from the firm. eYogi.in has raised about 25 Lakhs (INR) through seed funding from Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC).
Vinod Mathew, Co-founder, eYogi.in said,” eYogi.in is planning to make an indelible mark in the indian healthcare industry by fusing information technology innovations with mental health care techniques to improve the productivity, efficiency and wellness for millions in the country. Even though tele-consultation and counselling are around for a long time, the attempt to utilize new technologies such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, wearable and connected devices to improve the delivery of mental wellness support with limited practitioner interactions is new and opens up a huge leap of improvement. We are planning to establish research relationship with leading universities to implement the new finds in this area and provide the learnings from the practice to support further research in this domain.”
In their initial service offering, eYogi.in is bringing telephonic counseling to students and parents to address their issues. The first batch of counselors will undergo training in new technology uses, familiarising them with the platform, latest techniques and methods in the mental wellness counseling etc. at the eYogi.in office by end of March. The intense training session is attended by 20 experts from student and family counseling (centres) across the state. They will discuss the problems and challenges faced by the community, deliberate on the new tools and methods which can be adopted in the telephonic delivery of the counseling services, review the new findings from eYogi.in for developing into next phase of their solution set.
eYogi.in plans to introduce the new platform for mental wellness to the student community in Kerala from May 2018 and plans to apply for patent to the new innovative techniques they are planning to introduce into this niche area of development.