Dialysis, one of the early revolutions in medicine, is said to increase a patient's life suffering from chronic kidney failure by 10-20 years. And yet, the availability and quality of this treatment in India is inadequate. Statistics suggest that in India, around 2,00,000 new patients suffer from chronic kidney failure every year. A large number of these patients for not have the resources to get access to a dialysis center. The ones who do, have to travel many kilometres once every 2-3 days for their treatment. 

Market Opportunity

The current estimated number of diabetic Indians is around 72 million, which is supposed to double by 2025. If we compare this demand with the current supply of 0.4 dialysis centers and 1.3 nephrologists per million Indians, it is undeniable that this gap is too huge. Furthermore, the dialysis facilities are primarily concentrated in large cities and most of them have 6-9 beds. These centers are farther from the residential areas, thereby adding to the patient's troubles by making them commute for around 50 km once every 2-3 days. And, the lack of dialysis centers in the rural areas has deprived the rural population a chance at extended life.

The Story

Mr. Shashank Moddhia, postgraduate with a master's degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Texas was the quality manager for the Asia-Pacific region for a kidney healthcare products company. During the course of his job, the increasing market gap in the dialysis sector was very evident to him. Soon after this realization, he left his cushy job in the US and returned to India with a hope of making a difference. Even in their early stage, The Renal Project could corroborate its existence. With a unique modus operandi of leasing dialysis machines, The Renal Project was keen on being the more affordable and effortless solution for millions.

When 100X.VC first met Shashank, the team was instantly drawn to his idea of revolutionizing the industry. With his concept of micro-centers, it was evident that he would be successful in achieving greater penetration and drastically improve the accessibility of dialysis therapy for masses.

What happened next?

Since its establishment in May 2019, The Renal Project has successfully opened six dialysis centers across Mumbai and Pune. They want to become an institution where patients will be able to get good quality dialysis at extremely affordable rates. Shashank believes that the opening of these centers is the first step towards building a chain of dialysis centers where the ailing and aging patients can come to with ease. Their initiative aims to reach the remotest areas by opening micro-dialysis centers on the outskirts of Tier-I and Tier-II cities.  

"The motive is not profits but service, because that is what the sector demands and is all about. We plan to open around 100 such centers in small pockets of districts such as Palghar, Dahanu, Buldhana, Canacona (in Goa), among others across the country. The goal is to reach the maximum number of people in need with the treatment at minimum rates," says the visionary. 

Since the inception of this partnership, 100x.vc is proud of the achievements of Shashank and team. Kudos!