Sarthak Manchanda, who holds a Masters in Computer Science with specialisation in Artificial Intelligence from University College Dublin, Ireland, and BTech in Computer Science from IP University, was working with companies like Intel Research and Autodesk Inc., in Ireland, before switching over to a key role — to launching and building Smart Diet Planner.
He always, as he put it, carried a dream in his mind: to creating a software that could impact millions of people for and to leading a better life. His vision, also reverie, became a reality when he aligned his passion with his hands-on skillsets in AI software to launch Smart Diet Planner — a one-of-its-kind App.
Manchanda insists that his life’s perspective is inspired by Michael Jordan, “I can accept failure but I can’t accept not trying.” This holds the swivel for his leaving a comfortable and well-settled job in Dublin at the start of his career and jumping onto what was, at that time, a nascent, yet-to start[-up] bandwagon. He admits that this was not a stress-free decision, but that he’s more than confident and determined to achieving his elevated vision and goal, come what may, for his healthcare tech start-up that is already making waves in India and elsewhere.
Sarthak MANCHANDA, Co-Founder & COO, Smart Diet Planner, unwraps the Smart Diet Planner App start-up’s exciting journey, from the ground up, its strategy and future outlook, among other things — in this freewheeling conversation.
TW360: Where did you get the primal idea for Smart Diet Planner?
SM: The idea of Smart Diet Planner started with the transformational journey of Mr Puneet Manchanda, our Founder & CEO. He was able to lose more than 15+kg weight and stop the use of medication for hypertension and high cholesterol. His experience of creating large-scale applications, like YONO by SBI, a US$40 billion project, triggered a fascinating idea. It led to the fusion of his own transformation and experience of creating another large-scale app — the roseate idea being the creation of Smart Diet Planner.
TW360: Do you think Smart Diet Planner was your eureka moment? And, why?
SM: Yes, and this I’ve referred to in my response to your first question. We are now on the verge of creating an AI-based dietitian. Our vision is to reach out to millions of people in India through it. As you know, more than 230 million people suffer from lifestyle disorders. Most of their health issues could be managed with the help of appropriate diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes — not just medicines alone. The primary solutions available are really expensive. There are also compliance issues that may be detrimental to treatment. Our plan is to reach them at low cost without frills, or fuss — making them adhere to our guidelines with relative comfort, also acceptance, and not rigidity.
TW360: Yours is a unique smart diet planning and healthy weight loss platform? Do you think this is the way to go, and reach the next level, based on the valuable experience you’ve had, aside from a large number of patients’ positive feedback?
SM: Yes, certainly. This is, in my perimeter of thought, the way forward. We are keyed to tech-based solutions. Well, the access to smartphones and understanding mobile technology has been growing immensely in India. This will propel the reach and acceptance of AI-based diet planning solutions exponentially. We manage more than 2,300+ paid customers today with just a handful of dietitians. This translates into a potential area with all the ingredients for expansive growth. What is already heartening to us is the positive feedback of people who are losing weight and resolving their underlying health conditions by following the right diet with our App.
TW360: What’s your background?
SM: I hold a Masters in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence from University College Dublin, Ireland. I was working with Intel and AutoDesk in Ireland, after my post-grad. I gave up my job, fifteen months ago. I returned to India to work on our healthcare technology start-up.
TW360: Who’s on your leadership team and what’s their background?
SM: Puneet Manchanda is our Founder & CEO. He’s 16+ years of experience in IBM-Project Delivery Tech-Leadership Roles. Sarthak Manchanda, who’s yours truly, is Co-Founder & COO, with MS in CS & AI-Intel-Autodesk.
TW360: What health problems are you trying to help your clients with through your App?
SM: Obesity, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and PCOS.
TW360: What exactly is your forte?
SM: Technology and AI expertise.
TW360: How fast are you growing?
SM: We’ve been able to reach 3.5L downloads, in just a year’s time. We’ve 2.5L registered users, 2,300+ paid users. This converts approximately to loan-to-value [LTV] of INR1,100 in B2C. As far as B2B is concerned, we have two good contracts with us.
TW360: Who are your main competitors?
SM: HealthifyMe
TW360: How are you different from the competition?
SM: We have a unique tech-based solution for lifestyle disorders. We’ve also launched Smart Diet Planner in the US, Canada, and Australia. Our B2B integrations with organisations have exposed APIs.
TW360: What are the most special, or unique, services you offer?
SM: We offer a personalised AI-based diet planner App that works just like a human dietitian. Our diet plan is aimed at all treatable disorders, BMI, the preferred, or ‘bespoke,’ tastes of the individual, and the community. The best part is simple, also profound — we offer a host of options for individuals/clients to eat from. Our motto? Don’t be intransigent to one’s palate, or taste buds. Be the change that they ought to be, while providing the right, acceptable, or happy options. One that would delight the individual. It’s a win-win — a formula that is engineered to work.
TW360: Going forward, what other products, or services, do you have in mind, or planned?
SM: We have plans to launch specific disease management programmes in the future — one that leverages on our technology. We also have plans to launch a nutraceutical product in the market. This is not all. We have plans to spread our wings in multiple countries and have validated our software for seamless expansion too.
