It is the right time for passionate founders to try and solve problems around fitness and health for a growing population
Mental and physical fitness are essential for enhancing productivity and reducing the burden of healthcare costs on the country. Sports can be a great enabler. As children we indulged in sports in school and in the neighbourhood. As we grew older, we lost access to parks or open spaces and not everyone could afford to be members of clubs where such facilities exist.
With the internet and media reaching different sections of the society, awareness, including that related to health, will only increase, driving more and more people towards physical well-being. An increase in disposable income in India will create new markets and expand existing ones in the health, nutrition, and sports segments.
Hence, startups trying to solve the problem of lack of sports and fitness infrastructure have the potential to scale up into good consumer businesses. Sportido, which leverages technology to help find a well-maintained sports facility and playing partners, and Fitso, which provides access to all-season high-quality swimming pools with booking convenience and expert-verified trainers, are cases in point. Live and on-demand streaming fitness classes is another upcoming trend and Bengaluru-based startup Qvady Technologies, which is developing a fitness platform that interactively connects users and trainers across the world, can be a game changer.
Recent studies by the Indian Council of Medical Research and similar institutes, have observed that more than half of India’s population is physically inactive. India has a large percentage of people suffering from diabetes, obesity, thyroid, hypertension and other health challenges. The problem is affecting the younger population also.
Thus, it is the right time for passionate founders to try and solve problems around fitness and health for a growing population.
