Building a Premium Women's Healthcare Company in India
A conversation with Achitha Jacob, Founder & CEO of Proactive For Her
If you pitch a venture investor in India on building a brick-and-mortar outpatient healthcare startup, you may never hear back. At best, you’ll be warned about the challenges of scaling and painfully low margins.
Yet the success of Proactive for Her offers a different narrative. Founder Achitha Jacob, fueled by a clear vision and empathy for women's needs, dared to create a healthcare company that defies the mold. Forget sterile environments and rushed consultations. Proactive prioritizes personalized care, open communication, and a holistic approach to women's well-being. This isn't just a new healthcare company; it's a new business model proving that patients are willing to pay for a more comprehensive, high quality healthcare experience.
I had a fantastic discussion with Achitha on how they’ve built the company and their vision for the future. Below, you’ll find the key highlights from our conversation.
How it all started
AS: “What prompted the idea of Proactive For Her and what’s missing in India’s healthcare system today?”
Achitha: “It was actually personal experiences and frustrations that ignited the spark. Growing up in India as a sexually active woman in my twenties, I faced the harsh reality of limited, often judgmental healthcare options. My experiences in sterile, intimidating hospitals with long wait times and little focus on preventive care or open communication were just the tip of the iceberg. I knew there were countless women like me looking for something better. That's how the vision for Proactive For Her was born: a safe space offering comprehensive, non-judgmental outpatient care that prioritizes women's holistic well-being, not just immediate medical needs.”
Proactive For Her is addressing unmet needs
AS: “Can you elaborate on the long tail of healthcare needs you're addressing that traditional setups often overlook?”
Achitha: “Absolutely. The traditional focus on tertiary care in women's health leaves a huge gap for everyday concerns like sexual health education, sexual dysfunction including vaginismus, menstrual health management, and routine checkups outside of pregnancy or major illnesses. If you look at your current setups, like Cloudnine, Motherhood or even Indira IVF, they have a very clear focus on certain procedures. Their entire machinery is geared towards high value treatment for inpatient customers.
We're filling that gap by building a primary-secondary care model that caters to the entire spectrum of a woman's health journey, from adolescence to menopause. We offer services like STI screenings, contraceptive counseling, PCOS management, and menopause consultations, all in a friendly, supportive environment that encourages longer relationships with the patient.”
Achitha also described how they were intentional about building the right clinic aesthetic to create a more comfortable experience for patients.
“When we were doing our first experimental clinic, I was speaking to the architect and they were like, oh, you're building a clinic? And then they showed me all of these blue and green designs, all very hospital-looking. And I was like, ‘no, we need something better. Think of a salon. Think of a cafe.’
Healthcare is scary as it is, so we have a huge focus on creating a very nice, bright aesthetic. We've meticulously designed our clinics to feel more inviting. Women care about the bathroom and the waiting area. These things really matter. So we focus on creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere with soft lighting, comfortable seating, and friendly staff who genuinely listen. It all ties back to making women feel heard, respected, and empowered.”
Building a sustainable business
AS: “Investors often cite high CACs in retail healthcare as a reason that startups will fail in this market. In a world where everyone is paying top dollar to acquire customers, how do you attract new members sustainably?”
Achitha: “If you are a healthcare startup competing online and people are choosing between one online player and another, it gets hard because a lot of those services are commoditized. But, if you have a unique offline offering it can be game changing.
I truly believe we have no direct competitor because we're not just providing a service, we're creating an experience. And we can see that in our organic growth. As far as acquiring customers, personal referrals from friends and family have been our strongest marketing channel. More than 50% of our members come through word-of-mouth and nearly 40% of our consultations today are returning patients.
Women connect with our story, resonate with our values, and trust the experiences of their friends who refer. We're actively fostering this organic growth by building communities, and we're also using social media to spread awareness about our services and educate women on proactive care.”
Measuring health outcomes and driving proactive care
AS: “The organic growth speaks volumes about the quality of the experience at Proactive For Her. But how do you measure health outcomes for patients?”
Achitha: “Right after every consultation we ask for the patient to provide a rating of their experience. So that's basically a customer saying, yes, you guys met my expectations, the doctor was good, the clinic was good, etc. This is a good proxy for if someone feels they're being given the right advice.”
Another fascinating thing Achitha mentioned was Proactive’s ability to change patient behavior by getting them to opt for preventive screenings more often.
Achitha: “One of the most striking examples is our Pap smear testing rates. We refer the highest number of samples in Bangalore, even more than the largest hospital chains, which is a significant feat. Consider that many women, especially unmarried ones, face stigma and hesitation in accessing these crucial screenings elsewhere. We've normalized these conversations, broken down barriers, and empowered women to actually prioritize preventive care. We're seeing a tangible shift in attitudes and behavior towards proactive health.”
The future of Proactive For Her
AS: “Looking ahead, what's your vision for the future of Proactive For Her?”
Achitha: “Our focus remains on expanding our offline presence. We believe that building meaningful relationships and trust with our patients requires a physical space where they can connect with our healthcare team face-to-face. We’re opening up three more clinics in Bangalore soon bringing our total clinics in the city to seven.
We are CM2 profitable at our earlier clinics. So it's much easier to scale now with confidence. We've literally gone through every single iteration, and what we've learned is to have a sustainable business we need to have an offline component. Playing the digital-only consult game is just too much smoke and mirrors.
While we'll continue leveraging online channels for education and outreach, our core strategy revolves around establishing accessible, high-quality outpatient clinics. We're also committed to expanding our services to cater to the evolving needs of women at every stage of their lives. Ultimately, our vision is to be a beacon of holistic women's healthcare, setting a new standard for patient-centric, inclusive care that empowers women to live their healthiest lives.”
In conclusion
From my conversation with Achitha it’s clear that Proactive For Her's success hinges on two key ingredients: patient-centric experience and a focus on brick-and-mortar clinics. Forget the digital-only chase for customers; it's the curated space and genuine, face-to-face interaction that sets them apart.
At Proactive, women don't just receive healthcare; they build relationships with a trusted team. This fosters loyalty, translating into word-of-mouth growth and sustainable profits. Patients are willing to pay a premium for the great outpatient care they receive. Proactive For Her isn't just changing the narrative around women’s healthcare; it's proving a viable business model in a traditionally low NPS and fragmented market.