Most of the times, we have to mellow down our tone only because we are strong, inspiring and, opinionated women: Rima Sunit
Rima Sunit is the Co-Founder of Healthnovo, a hybrid healthcare startup that primarily aims at helping people prioritize their health needs with the help of affordable, easily accessible, and extremely agile health care solutions. Rima is a Chartered Accountant with expertise in Accounting and Indian Indirect Taxes. She has worked with leading brands across industries such as Ernst and Young, Wockhardt, Otis Elevator, and Pidilite in the last 10 years.
Rima moved out of her mainstream career out of her aspiration of promoting affordable healthcare services in India. She co-founded Healthnovo and is responsible for the overall execution of the operations along with developing finance and marketing strategies.
Apeksha Sandesh had a conversation with Rima Sunit, about her healthcare startup Healthnovo, how can we best attain a more accepting gender-neutral society, some healthcare tips for our readers, and a lot more. Check out the excerpts!
Tell us something about how you laid the foundation of Healthnovo.
During the pandemic, I saw the hardships that people were going through and were not in a position to avail basic medical facilities. That is when Healthnovo started taking shape. I started brainstorming ideas with my friends and family and from there on, things slowly started falling in place. Fortunately, I ended up discussing my thoughts with my now co-founder Abhay Deshpande who was already doing some work in this field.
You are a Chartered Accountant with expertise in Accounting and Indian Indirect Taxes. Why did you move from moved from your mainstream career to healthcare?
I believe you can impact somebody’s life by ensuring the availability of good food, teaching them survival and life skills, and helping them keep their mental and physical wellbeing in good shape. When I was working with corporates, I felt I was not contributing enough to these causes.
There are innumerable healthcare solutions available in the market. What do you think Healthnovo has that stands it apart from the rest?
Healthnovo is a unique hybrid healthcare startup. We deploy our clinics to provide comfort and accessibility to healthcare consumers. They can avail these services in person and digitally too. People who are comfortable using smartphones can take benefit from our services from the comfort of their homes. Another unique feature is, we extensively use POCT solutions for indicative screening services. There are so many cost-effective options available so that users can constantly monitor their vital health parameters regularly. Healthnovo is attempting to create awareness around such solutions in the most appropriate way.
Healthcare today is considered a business. What your opinion on the same?
Our core team came together to make primary medical facilities affordable and accessible purely out of personal aspirations and not with the sole intention of making money. I believe, when you focus on your proposition and customer satisfaction, you automatically start earning money by becoming a sustainable venture.
How has been your journey so far as an entrepreneur?
It has definitely been a roller coaster ride. We started this venture when the pandemic was at its peak, therefore managing work from home had a different set of challenges, completely. Being an entrepreneur and working on your venture is like raising a baby. You end up doing whatever it takes to protect your child and raise him/her in a safe environment. Similarly, you explore all the ethical and innovative ways to create a success story for your venture. I personally felt that balancing work and household chores whilst being a mother to a 6 years old child was quite tiring.
Which is that one skill that is important for the success of any woman, from any field?
Self-belief! Most of the time we, women, underestimate our potential and end up taking the easy way out. However, in the last year, one thing I learned was that if we take that first bold step to break the shackles of our fear, we can create wonders.
‘Work from home’ and ‘flexible work schedule’ are new trends. However, most women find it more difficult in such a work environment. What is your take on it?
It is difficult. Life survival skills such as cooking, household chores, responsibilities of kids are naturally cast upon a woman. If there are no prioritization and delegation of work, women generally end-up getting exhausted in micro-managing the tasks. This may lead to being less productive professionally.
What barriers have you faced, as a woman, in becoming successful in your field? How did you overcome them?
I have faced situations where direct and frank opinions from women are not accepted very well. Most of the time, we have to mellow down our tone only because we are strong, inspiring and, opinionated women. In a leadership position, this may create a hurdle while giving feedback to the team/stakeholders. Having said that, it is best to stick to your guns and speak your mind, at all costs.
In your opinion, how can we best attain a more accepting gender-neutral society?
In my opinion, this can be accepted by hearing more success stories of gender neutrality. It is very helpful and inspiring to read stories regarding the benefits achieved in a gender-neutral environment
What do you believe will be the biggest challenge for the generation of women behind you?
I think the greatest challenge for women in the generation behind me will be achieving work-life balance. I hope they will be able to take full advantage of what has been accomplished by previous generations of women without sacrificing their personal lives. More women beginning their careers are going to have to make personal and professional decisions that are not always easy, particularly since the trade-offs become more difficult as you grow in your career.
Can you share some healthcare tips for our readers?
I would suggest everyone to use Point-of-Care Testing solutions and portable medical devices which are not only cost-effective but also helps in rapid testing and tracking your vital parameters. Secondly, we should not hesitate to ask doubts from the doctor as it helps in understanding the right cure and comprehend where precisely the attention is required.
In your opinion, should we have a dedicated International Women’s Day? Why?
Of course! It is a day to spread awareness among the people regarding women's rights and gender equality. This day celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. Also, to encourage the women out there that no hurdles can stop them from accomplishing their dream.
Apeksha Sandesh congratulates Rima Sunit for her contribution and commitment in the field of healthcare with her works, and wishes her all the best for her future endeavours!
