The 3rd Unmukt Knowledge Series held in Hyderabad on November 15th, 2019 brought together over 100 participants from various industries to discuss how technology can drive growth in senior care. Key topics included integrating technology into senior care, the transformative impact of AI, and voice technology for independence. Panelists emphasized that technology can enhance quality of life for seniors by providing access to care. While technology is not meant to replace humans, it can improve efficiency and leverage smart solutions to support elder care. The event concluded that collaboration across sectors is needed to build an ecosystem for comprehensive senior support.
3. Inaugural Address
Shri Jayesh Ranjan, IAS - Principal Secretary to Government of Telangana
Industries & Commerce (I&C) and Information Technology (IT) Departments
Panel Discussion
Session Chair: Ajit Rangnekar - Director General, Research & Innovation Circle of Hyderabad
Dr. K R Gangadharan, Ph.D - Chairman, Heritage Foundation
Ravi Narayan - CEO, T-Hub
Monimita Sarkar - Founder Unmukt Festival
Integrating Technology into the Senior Care Roadmap
Panel Discussion
Session Chair - Mohit Nirula - CEO, Columbia Pacific Communities
Col. A Sridharan ,VSM - Founder, Covai Care
Sanjay Kadaveru - Founder and President, Action for India
Rajeshwar Devarkonda - Mission Head of Programmes, HelpAge India
Adarsh Narahari - MD, Primus Lifespaces Pvt. Ltd.
The Changing Face of Indian Seniors
Dr. Arthi Thapliyal - Innovation Lead, Health & Public Services, Accenture
Transformative Impact of AI on Senior Life
Ramu Muthangi - CEO, Founder , Apna Care
Voice Technology - Enabling Independence
Startup Presentations
Session Chair - Prateek Madhav - CEO, Assistive Technology Accelerator (ATA)
Aparna Thakkar - Founder & CEO, Empowerji
Rajeeb Das - CEO, Evexius Pvt Ltd
Lakshmi Narayanan R - Gold Coast IT
The How-to of Technology Implementation
Shailesh Mishra - Solutions Architect Amazon Web Services
Rajesh Vangari - Territory BD Manager, Amazon Internet Services Pvt. Ltd.
Enabling Accessibility & Affordability in Healthcare
Session Chair: Dr. Vikram Venkateswaran - Director, Founder and Managing Editor, Healthcare India
Dr. Mahesh Joshi - CEO Apollo Homecare
Bringing Back the Home Visit
Vikas Bhalla- Director (Ultrasound), Phillips India
Connected Care
Rajagopal G - Founder CEO, KITES Senior Care
Stopping Emergencies Before they Start
An Ocean of Data
Harnessing AI & Analytics to Maximise Efficacy
Session Chair - Ravi Narayan - CEO, T-Hub
Lewis R Shomer- Chairman, Abilites Expo
Varma Konala - Business Head - Smart Devices
Dr Vijay Raaghavan- Director Healthcare, PwC
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PROGRAMME
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The 3 Unmukt Knowledge Series held in Hyderabad on 15 November 2019
was a success bringing together over 100 participants across a wide range of
industries. The interdisciplinary conglomerate came together to discuss
Technology – Driving Growth in Senior Care.
Inaugural Address by Mr. Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary to Government of
Telangana, Industries & Commerce (I&C) and Information Technology (IT)
Departments
Mr. Jayesh Ranjan acknowledged in his inaugural address, that progress in the
elder care industry warranted the need for more platforms like Unmukt
Knowledge Series. Progress would be made only when stalwarts of the industry
come together to brainstorm and collaborate going forward. He mentioned that
there was no dearth of innovations, opportunities and ideas for action, but due
to aid constraints, a lot of these do not see the light of day. He stressed that to
develop and strengthen the senior support system, forums like these are
instrumental in helping smaller players showcase their innovations and also
gives them an opportunity to help test their ideas and bring them to scale. This
platform is also a link to connect them to government agencies. Assisting these
small players, would in turn, filter down all strata of society to create a more
inclusive solution for senior care.
To watch the inaugural address given by Mr. Jayesh Ranjan please visit https://bit.ly/2SVFhk0
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3 Unmukt Knowledge Series, Technology Driving Growth in Senior Care
Technology will Play a Big Role in Improving Senior Care Services
Session Chair: Ajit Rangnekar - Director General, Research & Innovation Circle of Hyderabad
Panellists: Monimita Sarkar - Founder, Unmukt Festival & MD, KW Conferences
Dr. K R Gangadharan, Ph.D - Chairman, Heritage Foundation
Ravi Narayan - CEO, T-Hub
5. Technology is a great enabler of removing distances. It can create a sense of being together so that distances are
evaporated
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The growth of the senior demographic in the world and India presents several challenges. The rising incidence of
memory-related disorders in the country and the specific needs faced in both home and institutional care of seniors
affected by the same was addressed, along with some key learnings in this area from other countries. The consensus
was that the best way forward is to work together to build an ecosystem of support and innovation across academic
disciplines and industry verticals. The panel also emphasized the importance of technology in helping deal with some
of these and other issues related to ageing, with a few examples of work already being done.
Visit to watch the full discussionhttps://bit.ly/2tze3oy
Technology will Play a Big Role in Improving Senior Care Services (contd)
Session Chair: Mohit Nirula - CEO, Columbia Pacific Communities
Panellists: Col. A Sridharan -VSM - Founder, CovaiCare
Rajeshwar Devarakonda - Mission Head Livelihoods, HelpAge India
The idea of using technology for elderly care has been around for decades, but its relevance and urgency has become
increasingly apparent as the gap widens between medical and other needs of the aging population and the
availability of and access to appropriate services in their context. Unlike earlier generations, the currently ageing
population prefers to remain independent. The combination of these two factors makes it critical to develop strategies
and pathways that enable independent living, whether in a retirement community or in one's own home.
Integrating Technology into the Senior Care Roadmap
Visit to watch the full discussionhttps://bit.ly/2SUDETB
- Mohit Nirula
Session Chair: Mohit Nirula – CEO, Columbia Pacific Communities
Panellists: Adarsh Narahari - MD, Primus Lifespaces Pvt. Ltd.
Dr. Arthi Thapliyal, Innovation Lead, Health & Public Services at Accenture
Ramu Muthangi - CEO & Founder, ApnaCare
Besides growth in sheer numbers, seniors are also evolving as a customer segment and have needs and wants, which
are different from seniors in earlier times. As the professionals of India's global economy move toward retirement, the
face of the Indian senior is changing. A significant section of seniors today are independent, financially stable, well-
travelled, socially connected, and as a result ideas around 'retirement' have undergone a vast change
This rapidly changing age demographic also comes with an increase in chronic diseases, comorbidities and
polypharmacy requirements. With the need for quick diagnosis and properly supervised care juxtaposed with a
shortage of suitably qualified professionals, the business case for AI in the continuum of care is very powerful, and the
impact on health outcomes could be transformative.
Technology undoubtedly has the potential to greatly enhance quality of life for seniors. However, technology adoption
usually involves a steep learning curve, something that becomes increasingly difficult as one ages. The panel discussed
and showcased a few examples with voice, as there is no new medium or action to be learned. Voice enabled
technology has huge potential because anyone can speak naturally to an AI-enabled smart-speaker and expect an
appropriate response.
Visit to watch the full discussionhttps://bit.ly/39HNL4i
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Session Chair: Prateek Madhav - CEO, Assistive Technology Accelerator (ATA)
Start-ups: Aparna Thakkar - Founder & CEO, Empowerji
Rajib Das - CEO, Evexius Pvt Ltd
Lakshmi Narayan - Regional Head, Sales & Marketing,
Gold Coast IT
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The 3 Unmukt Knowledge Series had a designated display area for start-ups to
showcase their innovations. There was a unique opportunity given to select
innovators to present as well as discuss their ideas with the delegates at the meet.
Start-up Presentations
Session Chair: Dr. Vikram Venkateswaran - Founder & Managing Editor, Healthcare India
Panellists: Dr. Mahesh Joshi - CEO, Apollo Homecare
Vikas Bhalla - Director (Ultrasound), Philips India
Rajagopal G - Founder CEO, KITES Senior Care
Healthcare for the elderly focusses on preservation of functions and quality of life and encompasses social and
psychological issues along with age-related medical problems. As the burden on the healthcare system grows, it is
crucial learn from countries such as Japan to understand and utilize the advances in technology that benefit senior
patients. The efficacy of elder care is built on 360 degree care and full-time access to medical help - both of which can
be made more accessible and affordable through the use of technology applications, such as telemedicine or digital
therapeutic apps, that provide quicker and easier access to an expanded menu of hospital-quality consultations at
home or in a senior living facility.
The panel discussed Connected Care to seamlessly connect patients, caregivers and ultimately consumers both inside
and outside the hospital, enabling true networks of care. Connected Care builds on technical enablers, bringing
together monitoring and therapeutic devices, software and services to create smart solutions. Healthcare providers are
starting to offload certain parts of the care-pathways to artificial intelligence (AI) based automatization. AI can now be
found in every step of the care-pathway, starting from intelligent tracking of biometric information to early diagnosis of
diseases.
Visit to watch the full discussionhttps://bit.ly/2STrH0B
Enabling Accessibility & Affordability in Healthcare
7. Session Chair: Ravi Narayan - CEO, T-Hub
Panellists: Lewis R. Shomer - Chairman, Abilities Expo
Varma Konala – Business Head – Smart Devices, Intel Corporation
Dr. Vijay Raaghavan – Director Healthcare, PwC
The potential of AI and Analytics to deliver higher-quality, lower-cost, scalable and predictive health services is
immense, and is a step toward freeing caregivers to maintain the human connect in an increasingly technology driven
space. Further, the intersection of the profusion of data, IoT, internet security, healthcare, and senior living has
incredible potential, but along with it comes a complex set of challenges that warrant careful data handling and
vigilant compliance.
Visit to watch the full discussionhttps://bit.ly/2R2xfn5
In conclusion, the consensus was that senior care is not a distinct segment but cuts across businesses and industries. It is
at a very nascent stage in our country and if we want to create a senior care ecosystem, we cannot work in silos
anymore. Technology is everywhere and is seamlessly incorporated into our daily lives. The endeavour to integrate
technology into senior care is not to replace the human element but enhance efficiency. It is intelligently leveraging
smart solutions into elder support. The platform brought together the old and new approach finding a common ground
and talking to each other. Among the various benefits discussed about technology, the delegates acknowledged that it
not only reduces distance but also is a growing tool for social interaction. Panels discussed the transformative impact of
artificial intelligence and the potential of voice activated devices to enhance caregiving.
The unanimous consensus across the board was that if we want to build a genuine ecosystem of support for senior care,
it cannot be achieved in a one-time forum. It has to be a conscious effort to come together regularly to build pathways of
collaboration. It will be this synergy that would help efficiently penetrate through the senior demograph to provide
economically viable and inclusive solutions across this heterogeneous group.
An Ocean of Data
Harnessing AI & Analytics to Maximise Efficacy
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Testimonials
Happy to see the old approach and new approach talking
to each other and finding a common ground which is very
unique. The only way forward is collaboration.
Prateek Madhav
CEO, Assistive Technology Accelerator (ATA)
Watch the full interview at https://bit.ly/2FlXorm
Technology is invisible today. Its seamless. It's in our lives.
We need to leverage technology platforms to reach out to
seniors.
Dr. Arthi Thapliyal
Innovation Lead, Health & Public Services at Accenture
Watch the full interview at https://bit.ly/36zbEsY
It's great to be in these kinds of forums where you can get
a better idea of how to improve on what you are doing. At
the same time it is a very good place to network to see
where I could fit or the ideal place for my resource.
Lakshmi Narayanan R
Regional Head, Sales & Marketing, Gold Coast IT
Watch the full interview at https://bit.ly/2QpQpUG
There is a dearth of caregivers vis-a-vis the challenge
and technology fills in that gap.
Vikas Bhalla - Director (Ultrasound), Philips India
Watch the full interview at https://bit.ly/2rYkhy5