Abstract
The Indian health care industry has a history of dealing with poor doctor-patient ratio, shortage of medical professionals, poor health infrastructure, and low expenditure on healthcare information technology; steep out of pocket spending (OOP), low health insurance coverage, inadequate government spending, poor access to health care facilities and social stigma related to diseases. The unique mindset and ability for frugality has successfully been applied in offering low cost healthcare of uncompromised quality. While this has been achieved by few innovative entrepreneurs, it is imperative to help the new entrants with the collective experience in dealing with the rural market.
 A qualitative study was undertaken. Five Indian organizations, that have earned accolades and awards for successfully innovating for the poor were studied in-depth. The research looked into the challenges faced by the entrepreneurs. The methods and measures that evolved from their operation were analyzed. In order to help marketers learn from the pioneers, the paper has simplified the measures and steps in marketing to the familiar P’s of the marketing mix. In healthcare, the product is tied with service and the need is to work on all the 7P’s is useful. Keywords: frugal, innovation, entrepreneurship, marketing mix, healthcare.
Highlights
World over the healthcare sector is witnessing a change in investment, innovation and intervention
The Indian health care industry has a history of dealing with poor doctor-patient ratio, shortage of medical professionals, poor health infrastructure, and low expenditure on healthcare
Information technology; steep out of pocket spending (OOP), low health insurance coverage, inadequate government spending, poor access to health care facilities and social stigma related to diseases
Summary
World over the healthcare sector is witnessing a change in investment, innovation and intervention. India currently faces ‘Triple burden of diseases’ – Unfinished agenda of communicable diseases, Emerging Non-communicable diseases related to life style and Emerging infectious diseases, NHP (2015) The unique mindset and ability for frugality has successfully been applied in offering low cost healthcare of uncompromised quality While this has been achieved by few innovative entrepreneurs, the gap is still wide in meeting the requirements of the poor and the rural population of India. Availability is in ensuring that the poor are not forced to defer consumption as they live on a day to day basis and rarely hoard the goods the package size and prize should allow them the avail of the product at any given time In response to these challenges, Govindrajan and Ramamurti (2013) offered the model to reach the poor in healthcare based on the successful case studies. By cutting down the excessive comfort and service, safely reusing equipment’s, innovating low cost products, paying fixed salaries instead of fee-forservice model and reducing the customer touch points, the hospitals can offer quality service at much lower cost
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