UnderControl: Improving diabetes experience in India
UnderControl: Get everything related to diabetes under one roof
With Diabetes Awareness month coming up in November, we are glad to talk to Manan Chowdhary, Founder of UnderControl about his new venture and how this helps T1Ds in India. Let us hear more from him about diabetes-related aids and how can this initiative make diabetes management better? In the words of David Karp, Tumblr Founder and CEO, “An entrepreneur is someone who has a vision for something and a want to create.” Well, that is what drew us towards our new interviewee – Manan Chowdhary at the story of souls.
Why this
With a vision and determination to transform the idea of making T1D management better into reality, this entrepreneur is a Type one diabetic caregiver. To improve the experience of day-to-day T1D management, Manan, who has been in the automobile industry for over a decade, has now started a new company in 2021. UnderControl is a boutique pharmacy that brings diabetes-related products from around the world to India.
In the words of Founder
“The entire crux of this idea is to bring the diabetic management products to the Indian medicine shelves, which make the lives of all the T1Ds easy. With this, we would be able to assist in the better day-to-day management and reduce the level of psychological stress among type one diabetics,” mentions Manan, Founder, UnderControl.
How did this begin
According to Manan, Type 1 diabetes, along with being a health condition, is also a very close-knitted community. All of us (T1Ds and their caregivers) play a role in this community to support each other. Each of them does what we are best at in terms of what they can do for each other. “I have been in the supply chain business for almost 12 years now. I became a T1D parent about 3.5 years ago. As we got more familiar with what T1D is and how to help our son deal with it better, I started getting diabetes management products from my friends and family living abroad.”
“In this course, I realised that not only inaccessibility, awareness is also an issue in India. Awareness about such products lacks in our country. When I researched more, I found that the market for T1D is very narrow, and even if a few products offer similar services, they are not up to the mark. That is how I determined my role in the community – to get these products in India and create awareness and availability.”
A social cause
These are not very basic products that a person needs. However, these products make everyday life easier for people living with diabetes. “Reducing the psychological impact of diabetes in the T1D community kind of became our mantra with everything that we did. The products we chose, the people we hired, the way we designed our website, the blogs, and everything else started revolving around this idea. That is how it began, with the idea to make diabetes easier for T1Ds in India.
The aim
The aim is to reduce the negative psychological impact of the daily management of diabetes. That, in essence, is what we have set out to achieve, and especially so for our younger T1Ds. We wish to see all the diabetic people becoming comfortable in their skin. As we want them to think better for themselves. We want them to realise that though there might be some terms & conditions to life, it still is life. The word ‘UnderControl’ embodies that sense for us, that strength for us. It hints at the idea that we can have our diabetes under control and maybe, that we can even have our life under control.
As of now, we aim to make these products & services available in India. We understand that some international products have higher prices. And everyone is willing to pay – the reason is simple saving life. Our team will target the affordability part later.
The business model of UnderControl
The business model is simple to explain. We intend to do anything and everything that can improve the “Lifestyle eco-system of a diabetic”. I think it is one of the areas outside of primary healthcare that requires our attention. What we are trying to say is: our doctors are excellent, our hospitals are outstanding. The care we give at home is improving every day. The schools are getting better at supporting kids with chronic conditions. The relatives, friends, and people, in general, are becoming more sensitive towards the needs of others.
It is time that we create the infrastructure that supports people with diabetes in their every day. No matter how small the consumer segment is, or how unprofitable the overall business may be. It is time that we change the perception of diabetics. “We have seen some families move abroad just because the ecosystem in India is not encouraging and adjusting for T1Ds. Therefore, here we feel that we have failed as a society to provide such people with normalcy.”
How did you create your market/audience
We did not create market demand for this. It was and is already there. It is an underserved market, and we are just catering to it. Diabetics do not form a majority of our countries population. That is partly the reason that society has not addressed their needs till now. UnderControl is a platform for all the T1Ds that has decided to look beyond the money and say it is high time that India became diabetes-friendly.
The challenges and hiccups
Just like any other new business, we are trying to get our name out in the open. On the front end, all our efforts are for people to find out about us. We believe that if what we are doing is truly beneficial to the community, then sales will come. UnderControl exists to serve. If people need that service, then we are here. If not, then we would not need to exist in this space. “I truly wish for that day, in my lifetime, when I shut down my business and put up a message on my website that says, ‘Diabetes is now curable. It is ‘under control’. We did it!!’ I’ will die a happy man if that happens,” says Manan.
Ongoing offers for T1Ds
Products on our website are already lower than your local pharmacy, but we do have exclusive offers for our ‘Email Subscribers’ only. All you need to do is go to our website or app and signup to receive our email offers, and you will be getting some exclusive discounts and access to new products.
Goals and the future ahead
Our short-term goal would be to reach 1000 customers. Thinking long-term, we would want to become the amazon of diabetes lifestyle.
A message for your audience/customers
“Do not let the world decide how you live your life. Live fearlessly!”
Are you a T1D who struggles to get his/her daily diabetes essentials and does not have access to International management products like CGMs, organisers, bags, etc? Visit them at undercontrol and check what they have in store for you.
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