ForMen is a discreet, non-judgemental platform that aims to encourage men to seek solutions that help improve the quality of their lives.
In an interview with G20, Dr Lalitha Reddy, founder, ForMen & ForKids, talks about ForMen which is a very discrete and non-judgemental platform for men that aims to encourage them to seek solutions that help improve the quality of their lives.
Q. Dr Lalitha, you are one of the most respected & felicitated doctors, who has been a trailblazer in your many fields & avatars including being the former vice president of IRIA, an association of more than 20,000 radiologists. You are HoD & Professor of Radiology at MIMS & have been vice president of Yashoda Group of Hospitals in Telangana. Please tell us about your illustrious journey.
A. The fantastic journey of being a doctor started with MBBS at JIPMER more than a couple of decades ago. This tough journey in the Medical world of grit, grind, happiness, grief, tears, joy, sickness, health, selfless service and satisfaction was extremely fulfilling. My passion for teaching and training resulted in penning multiple scientific articles in medical journals, delivering many lectures in India & abroad, authoring 2 books as well as winning a lot of medals and accolades along the way.
I found myself at a cross roads after a decade of practising Radiology, and decided to pursue something different and this subsequently led to my tenure as an administrator of a large quaternary care corporate hospital, like Yashoda. This experience has further broadened my outlook and understanding of the healthcare scenario, corporate & financial worlds. This interest was further fuelled by an MBA in Hospital Management and AMPH at Indian School of Business (ISB).
Yet again after another decade, I found myself at a cross roads asking myself, how I can contribute to the medical field and people’s health on a larger scale. As doctors, we are well aware that many diseases can be prevented by simple means and methods, which people often ignore in their busy lives.
The concept of Wellness & Preventive health – The concept of not falling sick is often ignored and this aspect was what I wanted to focus on. After having seen sickness, grief and death so closely for so many years, I now, wanted to focus on Wellness and Quality of life that allows more health & happiness to people.
So those thoughts were the ones which brought me and a few other like-minded doctor friends to the thinking board and that’s how the Wellness brand, ForMen took birth. As a practising doctor, I can maximum help 100 patients a day, but as an entrepreneur of a Wellness Company, I can reach out to the entire population of my country and be a part of their journey to wellness, health & happiness. My passion for academics and medicine drives me to also continue to teach and train medical students in the role of a Professor.
Q. You have brought your decades of experience as a doctor & now as an entrepreneur, focused on wellness & preventive health care. How did ForMen unfold?
A. Along with diagnosis illnesses, I have always been passionate about preventing sickness and promoting wellness. Preventing illness decreases a huge financial & emotional burden on the patient & family. I’ve mostly observed that a significant number of illness, including heart attacks, strokes, recurrent infections etc are caused due to poor lifestyle choices and nutrient deficient diets. Also I’ve seen over many years that men are usually reluctant to take healthcare advice unless it’s really necessary. They tend to ignore small health issues which may become bigger later. When it comes to reproductive health, the hesitation is even more, despite there being easy and effective solutions. ForMen is a very discreet and non-judgemental platform for men that aims to encourage them to seek solutions that help improve the quality of their lives. It’s a platform that they can trust as a good friend and feel free to discuss and explore.
Q. How have you managed funding.? How big has your reach been till date.? What products are available?
A. We have been funded by Hustle, the investing arm of Innopark Pvt Ltd. We have received excellent response from all across India from consumers, as evident in our reorder rates. The reviews from satisfied consumers have been very good and almost app products have helped more than 90% of the users.
We presently have products in the categories of Sexual wellness ( Supplements & Allopathy), Immunity, Sleep, Weight, Vitamins & Minerals, Gut and Skin. Category expansion is ongoing and we shall soon be launching new products.
Q. Extensive research & development go into this sector. Share with us this part of your business.
A. We believe in quality. As doctors we are very particular about quality, effectiveness, dosage and safety of all medicines and supplements. The very same principles have been followed at ForMen too. All ingredients are sourced from the highest quality suppliers and come with HPLC Lab reports. All formulations are specially made to deliver what they promise. Formulations happen in-house by our expert Doctor, Pharma & Scientists panel. Manufacturing happens only in the WHO GMP certified facilities. These stringent quality checks ensure maximum efficacy and safety. Despite high costs, our products are priced very competitively as we want to ensure goof health to all at affordable prices. Our team also minutely looks into various parameters like bio-availability, addition of activators etc in order to maximise the efficacy of the products and to make them as safe as possible for people with diabetes, high BP or other common medical problems.
Q. As an eminent & sought after doctor and now entrepreneur, in this Covid era. What advise can you give budding entrepreneurs in India. Six points please…
A. Advice that I would like to give to all the budding entrepreneurs out there whether they are 18 or 80 years is as follows:
Mindset – India is a country of opportunities. It is our mindset that allows us to look at new paths or dead ends. Look to newer horizons. Have a positive mindset.
Don’t give up- It’s not easy being an entrepreneur, especially a first generation one. Never give up, if you truly believe in your idea. Doors will open, sooner or later. People who get scared, don’t go far.
Be agile – To be quick and agile, to move from a strategy that doesn’t work to one that works should be swift. Indecisiveness must not have any place in your mind.
Get as much knowledge as possible – Its always good to know what we previously dint know. Even if you outsource a certain task, its always good to be adequately knowledgeable about it, so that can plug holes that drain finances. It’s never too late to learn and learning should be like breathing, a continuous life long process.