With the onset of the pandemic, healthcare in India evolved to greater extents. With this, there also has been a great involvement of technology in medicine and birthed the new era of telemedicine. Given the importance of telemedicine in everyday lives, new age medical devices have been made and are today transforming the face of Indian healthcare.
Featuring for the Cover Story of The Business Fame’s this issue of Most Promising Medical Devices Companies to Watch in 2022 is AVANA Medical Devices Pvt. Ltd., a company dedicated to preserving health with their unparalleled quality.
The Company-
Incorporated in 2009 in Chennai with channel partners in all major cities, AVANA proudly unites best and direct industry talent of 70 and an indirect team of over 250 individuals dedicated to achieving their mission.
AVANA’s mission ‘Preserving Health’ comes from the concept of ancient Sanskrit definition of AVANA as Preservation. Since its inception, AVANA’s strategy has always been to sustain a customer-centric culture by their focus and dedication.
“AVANA is establishing a legacy of excellence creating a healthcare ecosystem, with responsibility, ethics, and commitment towards innovative technologies.”
AVANA has well established three pillars of excellence, which are – Partnering with Orthopaedic Surgeons in their pursuit of medical education with excellence; Attracting Best in Industry Talent with continuous development of skills and knowledge; and Customer Centricity driven by building relationships within the orthopaedic and surgical communities, and also focussing on reach of innovative therapies which have proven success in patient outcomes.
What Makes AVANA the Most Promising Medical Device Organization in India?
“Since inception, AVANA’s strategy has always been to sustain a customer-centric culture by their focus and dedication.”
AVANA is building on a strong history of success to enhance the value it provides to healthcare providers and their patients.
The company shares a commitment with healthcare providers to partner in providing the best and the most innovative technologies, treatments, and solutions to deliver high quality, cost-effective patient care. Each member of their team is absolutely committed in providing the very best medical devices available today at a realistic and competitive cost.
AVANA is the first organization in India to introduce Global leader Arthrex’s Adjustable Loop TightRope Technology and ‘Bone Conserving ACL Repair Solutions’ as GraftLink Technique, in shoulder, Knotless Technology for dislocations and rotator cuff repairs which have redefined early mobility and has significantly improved outcomes for patients with a reduced pain.
Recently AVANA has introduced an Arthrex’s Innovative Technology as FiberStitch, which is a revolutionary All Suture, All Inside Meniscal Repair device. This is a unique device which minimizes risk of damage to the patient’s tissue anatomy.
AVANA also introduced a Next Generation Implant Technology called TightRope II, which has a proprietary Five Point Locking Mechanism, that resists cyclic displacement, which ensures a much better knee stability post the procedure. TightRope II also comes with a variant with an Internal Bracing option, which provides an unobtrusive support which allows accelerated recovery. The Internal Bracing prevents postoperative ligament laxity, loosening and graft failure resulting in painless and fast recovery.
As a Leader in Innovation, AVANA has introduced an Arthrex’s Innovative Technology as NanoScope. The Nanoscope System provides a precision which leads to improved patient outcomes and a much higher satisfaction. The experience of the patients is improved with a far better and one of a kind patient-surgeon interaction using this technology, which leads to, a) Faster Recovery, b) Lesser Pain and Swelling, and c) Higher Patient Satisfaction.
AVANA’s partnership with RIWOSPINE, the successful Spine Endoscopy manufacturer, has helped many patients’ early mobilization with less pain after their surgery with special instruments. Herniated discs can be effectively removed and bone parts of spinal stenoses can be resected under a full-endoscopic view.
The company is successfully establishing a legacy of excellence, creating a healthcare ecosystem, with responsibility, ethics, and commitment towards innovative technologies, so that patients can get back to their active lives, early and better.
AVANA’s Dedication to Helping Surgeons Treat Their Patients Better!-
“We have one fundamental goal, and that is Helping Surgeons Treat Their Patients Better. Every initiative we undertake, is pointed to the direction of our goal”
These include-
Introduction of Innovative Technologies :
ANANA has been proactive in introducing Innovative technologies which enables faster and stronger restoration of mobility for injuries.
AVANA had introduced technologies like GraftLink All Inside ACL Reconstruction , which is bone preserving technique of ACL reconstruction and enables faster mobility back.
AVANA had introduced and distributed the concept of Internal bracing to the surgeons in India gives a seat belt effect and offers better stability.
Technologies like Knotless Tensionable technology for Shoulder Instability reduces Post-Op Pain , and a faster and stronger rehabilitation.
For people who play a lot of hand sports like badminton, tennis, basketball etc. , SpeedBridge Double Row Repair Technology helps a faster return to sports with a pre op quality return rate and a reduced post op pain.
These technologies not only help in surgeons treat patients better, but also enables them to restore early and better mobilization to the patients, and helps them return back to their sports and livelihoods faster. This also impacts the overall National GDP and productivity per capita positively.
Extensive Medical Education to train Surgeons on Innovative Technologies and Next Generation Products:
AVANA , unlike the commonly practiced approach by all other companies, has a strong strategic approach on “Custom and Need Based Medical Education”.
AVANA trains surgeons on the New and Innovative Technologies , Some of the ways of doing so are by way of “Signature Programs” training through best surgeons who are the subject matter experts across the world , State of Art – ArthroLab, extensive cadaver courses, Visitations to the key designer surgeons of the technology.
Every surgeon has a different level of, therapy understanding, understanding of technique, and approaches to the surgical treatment, AVANA basis the need assessment of the individual surgeons, recommends and crafts out the custom training programs for the surgeons which enables the respective surgeons to better their learning , developing on from how much they know the subject. Unlike the mass and generic programs, which are organized , which lead to a lot of waste of productive time of surgeons, and ends up in not much of value additions, Custom programs enables the surgeons the best productivity out of the training, and hence enabling the surgeons in better patient treatment.
AVANA is setting up India’s First, and Exclusive State of Art Surgical Skills Development Center very soon this year.
Digitalization of connect and reach to Surgeons:
AVANA has established digital reach to the surgeons , opening up as one of the major channels of two-way communication for product, requirement support, technical assistance etc. This enables surgeons at far end of geographies connect and learn about newer technologies, and solutions.
Digital Channels for Patient Education:
As almost more than 80% patients have done a digital research before visiting doctors, Right Awareness to the Patients had been an important initiative taken by the company.
AVANA has also initiated a lot of Direct to Patient Initiatives, which enables the patients to understand and learn the new technologies available for faster treatment and early restoration of mobility.
Protocoled service:
To service the surgeries at the hospitals, AVANA had established strict protocols for logistics and service to the Hospitals. There are strict staff safety compliance in terms of Setting up “Immediate Response Service Teams” at all locations which ensure a round the clock service to the Hospitals.
There are strict protocols in terms of transfer and logistics of the instruments and equipment to Hospitals which include Safety Kits, sanitization, Sanitized Instrument Transfer, Vehicle Protocol for Implant, and Instrument Delivery, in Hospital Protocol for Safety, and Post Surgery Protocols .
How has the Medical Devices Industry been Evolving –
The Medical Devices sector plays a critical role in improving healthcare access. Medical Devices Industry has grown significantly in India in the last decade. The best part is, that India has a strong curve upward to witness in the years to come. The healthcare infrastructure is on the best expansion, with even multi-specialty operative facilities coming up in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. The insurance penetration has been at its best supported by Government Schemes like Ayushman Bharat scheme. The rising awareness of people as a result of the pandemic has also led to a fuel in insurance penetration, and hence the accessibility to the innovative medical devices which lead to a better and faster recovery has increased.
On the demand side, increasing income and affordability coupled with ageing population is resulting in higher demand and utilization of healthcare services
There has been an Increasing focus of healthcare providers on quality and accreditation.
It is now the most important part on the Medical Device Providers/ suppliers to provide the best technologies in the ecosystem, which enables patients with faster recoveries, lesser hospitalization times and better return back to normal occupation rates, so that a much higher economic value could be added hence putting healthcare to be an indirect/direct one of the incremental growth drivers for GDP growth.
“We as AVANA, realize the importance of our role in the ecosystem, and hence we share a commitment with healthcare providers to partner in providing the best and the most innovative technologies, treatments, and solutions to deliver high quality, cost-effective patient care.”
AVANA also has led the medical education from the front, and hence have committed to training young, and experienced surgeons with the latest and innovative product technologies and techniques, which enable the surgeons to treat their patients better!
Pandian Sundararajan- An Ambitious Leader-
Pandian Sundararajan, the Managing Director at AVANA, is a technocrat, a first-generation entrepreneur, and a successful leader. In his role as Managing Director at the helm, He is spear heading organizational growth and expansion plans, facilitating AVANA in accomplishing its vision. He is well respected and admired in Orthopaedic healthcare industry for his contribution in sourcing best of solutions in the field for best patient outcomes.
P Sundararajan has more than 25 years of rich experience in general management panning across multinational corporations and promoter driven organizations. In his last assignment, he was the Marketing Manager at Stryker Corporation and was entrusted with the responsibilities of driving Endoscopy and Instrument business.
P Sundararajan’s Views on its Strength vs Competition-
The core DNA of the organization is Innovation, Medical Education, Knowledge, and Connect. Hence, the team would continue to innovate in this space not only in terms of new and innovative medical device introduction to India, but also the delivery mechanism across the Continuum of Care.
AVANA looks forward to developing strong medical education in India for specialized areas like Foot and Ankle, Hand and Wrist, Biologics and train and develop young surgeons on these techniques.
AVANA plans to have an India’s First, and Exclusive State of Art Surgical Skills Development Center very soon this year.
In the next five years, AVANA would not only strengthen its position in Musculoskeletal space, but it would also Innovate in HealthTech space to bring connected infrastructure to value Add to the Medical Device Industry.
P Sundararajan’s Advice to the Young Entrepreneurs-
“Well, the expansion in the Sector has just started and we have a long way to go.
As young Entrepreneurs, you need to understand the continuum of care and establish your role in the future fit of the Care Continuum.
There are multiple opportunities starting from establishment of robust supply chain for products and technologies hence providing access , There is already a need gap of a large number of medical devices and products in India, and identification of the right technologies for introduction could really revolutionize your path to success in terms of patient access as well as business success.
One could also look to establish essential manufacturing of support and essential equipment and instruments required for surgical procedures. Currently this market is given benefits by the Govt, but need quality players.
The biggest and most revolutionary element is to get into platforms that connect the continuum of care. Hence Heath Tech is going to play a very important role in future. The gamut of innovations that can be done in this field is immense, right from Medical Tourism, Telemedicine Opportunities, to monitoring of devices and patients on the broad spectrum.
Hence, if you are enthusiastic about healthcare, this is the right time. There are endless possibilities, and with the Government’s focus on Healthcare infrastructure, with the Insurance Penetration increasing, this industry is bound to have a double digit growth for the next 15-20 years in my view!
