India's NCD Crisis: A Call to Innovate for the Many, Not the Few

Dr. Sabine is a healthcare professional with expertise in finance, data science, and the global healthcare industry, who brings a unique blend of skills and experience to the table. She consistently contributed to driving transformative change in the healthcare sector.

India is in the midst of a major health transformation. Once dominated by infectious diseases, the country is now facing a growing epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs)—chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disorders, respiratory illness, and cancers. These diseases account for nearly 65 percent of all deaths in India today, affecting people at younger ages and across rural and urban divides.

Despite national efforts, such as the NPCDCS (National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke), wide gaps persist in awareness, early detection, care continuity, and lifestyle modification. In this landscape, healthcare entrepreneurs have emerged as vital contributors to the next phase of India's public health journey.

A New Lens on Innovation in Healthcare
The past decade has witnessed a surge in healthtech startups in India. Many of them offer premium diagnostics, digital consultations, wearables, and AI-based tools. However, these innovations predominantly serve the top five percent—those who are digitally connected, health-aware, and financially capable.

This creates a paradox: while India’s disease burden lies in its villages, underserved cities, and informal workforce, its healthcare innovation is geared toward its affluent minority. What’s needed is a shift—from market-first to mission-first innovation. Public health must be viewed as a frontier for entrepreneurship, not just charity.

Purpose-Driven Entrepreneurship: Beyond Profits
A new wave of healthcare entrepreneurs is showing how social impact and business models can co-exist. These entrepreneurs are building scalable, frugal, and culturally relevant solutions that prioritize access, awareness, and long-term outcomes over immediate monetization.

By deploying digital tools through community health workers, organizing mass screenings in remote areas, and designing hyper-local care models, these innovators are decentralizing healthcare and making it people-centric. Importantly, such ventures also create local jobs, empower women, and build health capacity at the grassroots level.

Screening and Early Detection: The First Frontier
The first step in managing NCDs is finding them early. Yet, the vast majority of Indians—especially in rural areas—remain undiagnosed. Innovative entrepreneurs are deploying low-cost point-of-care (PoC) diagnostics, software as a medical device (SaMD) solutions, and AI-powered risk stratification tools to solve this.

From mobile vans to handheld diagnostics, screening is being brought to people’s homes, schools, and worksites. When integrated with government programs like Ayushman Bharat or the Health & Wellness Centres (HWCs), these tools can enable last-mile detection at scale.

Managing Chronic Illness: Moving Beyond Consultations
Once a diagnosis is made, the bigger challenge begins: how to manage NCDs continuously and effectively. Traditional models—hospital visits or even teleconsults—are not enough for long-term disease management. Chronic illnesses require behavioral change, medication adherence, lifestyle coaching, and data-driven monitoring.

This is where digital therapeutics (DTx) and care platforms come in. Entrepreneurs are creating mobile-first solutions that combine

tracking, nudges, education, and vitals integration. offer AI-powered coaching, dietary interventions, and predictive alerts. Others are integrating remote monitoring tools for blood sugar, pressure, or heart health. Together, these solutions offer a continuum of care, not just episodic support.

Bringing Innovation to the Community
India’s size and diversity require hyper-localized solutions. What works in Delhi may not work in Bundelkhand or Nagaland. Entrepreneurs are developing culturally sensitive and decentralized models—from WhatsApp-based health campaigns to solar-powered diagnostic kits.

These "frugal innovations" are often cheaper, faster, and more trusted by the community. For instance, community health volunteers armed with mobile diagnostic kits can screen, counsel, and even follow up on high-risk patients—bridging the gap between health systems and real people.

The future of India’s health lies not in big hospitals or expensive machines—but in the minds of those willing to innovate for the many, not just the few.

Policy and Public Partnerships as Catalysts
Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are proving essential to scale innovation. Several states have partnered with private startups for doorstep screening, diagnostics under public insurance schemes, or integration into HWCs. These partnerships multiply impact by combining entrepreneurial agility with public sector scale.

Policy support is also key. Regulatory sandboxes for healthtech pilots, startup integration with ABDM (Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission), and data protection frameworks can enhance trust and speed. Incentives for NCD-focused startups, healthtech incubators, and public health venture funds could unleash a new wave of innovation where it’s needed most.

Addressing the Root Causes: Lifestyle and Behaviour
NCDs are largely driven by modifiable lifestyle factors: diet, stress, physical inactivity, and substance use. Entrepreneurs are turning their focus here too—whether through affordable organic food delivery gamified wellness apps for corporate settings, or wearable-based challenges that reward fitness.

By reshaping habits early and providing ongoing nudges, these startups are helping reframe prevention as a lifestyle—accessible, engaging, and normalized.

Challenges to Scale, and the Road Ahead
Despite their promise, health entrepreneurs face hurdles: regulatory uncertainty, data access, inconsistent funding, and resistance from legacy systems. Many promising models struggle to scale without state support or local buy-in.

Also Read: Women Leaders Transforming the Financial Sector in India

But the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the power of rapid innovation. Entrepreneurs enabled telemedicine, remote triaging, and medicine delivery at record speed. That same urgency and support must now be channeled into preventing NCDs.

Conclusion: A Health Movement Led by Innovation
India’s NCD burden is a ticking time bomb—with social, economic, and generational consequences. But we are not without solutions. The country needs to invest not just in infrastructure or treatment, but in entrepreneurial thinking, community-first innovation, and technology-led public health.

Healthcare entrepreneurs with a social mission are proving that scalable, cost-effective, and inclusive solutions are possible. With the right ecosystem—policy support, funding, and collaboration—they can help India move from reactive treatment to preventive care, and from fragmented services to a continuum of care for all.

The future of India’s health lies not in big hospitals or expensive machines—but in the minds of those willing to innovate for the many, not just the few.