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Picture this: A healthcare provider in a Tier II Indian city is building healthtech solutions for the world. For Ashvini Danigond, Kolhapur-based Manorama Infosolutions is a passion transformed into entrepreneurship.

“Hailing from a small town brought its own set of challenges, but it was clear that I wanted to work and impact in a single domain – healthcare,” said the Founder and CEO.

Danigond shared her journey of transforming healthcare through technology at a virtual fireside chat titled ‘Empowering Global Health with Indian Ingenuity: Manorama Infosolutions’ Pioneering Spirit in Healthcare Technology’, hosted by AWS Bharat Innovators Series, in partnership with AMD and YourStory.

Sunil PP, India and South Asia Lead: Education, Space, NPO, Channels and Alliances, Amazon Web Services moderated the session.

Expansion and market strategy

Founded with an objective to simplify the hospitalisation experience using information technology, Manorama has grown to serve over 11 countries with a team of 220 technical resources. 

Talking about the initial idea of providing doctors with complete data sheets to improve treatment protocols, Danigond said that they launched their product in 2006 after four years of dedicated efforts. 

“Our initial focus was on Health Management Information System (HMIS), which then evolved into comprehensive digital solutions,” she said, highlighting how Amazon Web Services (AWS) is helping the company modernise its technology stack and manage large-scale data. 

Danigond emphasised the importance of being comfortable in their location and the strategic advantages it provides – a strong medical and engineering presence. On market penetration strategies, she said Manorama works with local partners for international markets. 

The company, which focuses on B2B solutions, has a large customer base in both the private and public health sectors, including major installations in various cities. It works with some large private corporates and the “Big Four” global consultancies—KPMG, EY, PwC, and Deloitte. Manorama’s public sector projects include automating 400 hospitals for Mumbai corporation, Coal India, and a few smart city projects.

Solutions and country automation projects

Recounting the first significant deal that Manorama closed, Danigond said, “The Lokmanya group in Pune involved integrating our solution into a hospital workflow. The deal was challenging but successfully completed in 25 days.”

Danigond shared an anecdote about securing a deal with the Kuwait Ministry of Health for a cardio-thoracic solution despite initial objections. Manorama’s solution delivery pattern and gap analysis helped the company overcome geographical challenges. 

Manorama completed its country-wide automation and enterprise HMIS implementation for the Ministry of Health, Seychelles and the Ministry of Health, Royal Government of Bhutan during the pandemic to provide digital solutions for the government-run hospitals in the countries. 

Sharing details, she said, “Bhutan’s technology subsidiary, Thimphu TechPark Limited, supported us largely in terms of the localisation, cultural changes, and deployment policy of the project.” 

The founder and CEO believes that the Bhutan project showcases Manorama’s ability to build customisable and scalable solutions for large-scale projects.

Future of healthcare and AI integration

Danigond credited COVID-19 for accelerating digitisation in the healthcare industry. She predicted that many emerging markets will move towards complete digital transformation by 2025. 

“Now is the time to help biomedical companies and pharmaceuticals take the next level of action, to go for real-time analytics, and help doctors give more accurate and fast services,” she said. “The real investors in healthcare are the ones who are thinking beyond the decade.”

Manorama is focusing on AI, machine learning, and clinical decision support systems to enhance healthcare services. The company has launched speech-to-text technology along with supporting multilingual facilities and is also working on health information exchange platforms.

The company aims to continue focusing on large e-health projects and national-level digitisation. “Our long-term goal is to make healthcare data accessible and useful for research and development, pharmaceutical companies, and disease management,” Danigond said. A nationwide health ID system for better data management and patient care is also on her mind.

Advising new startups in the healthcare industry, Danigond emphasised the importance of ground-level experience, understanding use cases, and building a sustainable technology platform. 

“Startups must focus on market opportunities, target for the focus market, and then be passionate about the product built,” she remarked, highlighting the importance of choosing the right technology platform.

The Bharat Innovator Series serves as a platform for founders, policymakers, and thought leaders to engage in meaningful discussions about technology opportunities. This initiative aims to foster dialogue, address challenges, and explore synergies for the future. The series features webinars, podcasts, and events that spotlight the exceptional work of Indian innovators spanning various domains.