Latest news with #Aggrawal
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
25-07-2025
- Health
- Business Standard
Egg freezing sees surge in demand across Indian cities as infertility rises
A growing number of Indian women are turning to egg freezing as a way to take control of their reproductive futures, as delayed motherhood, increasing infertility, and growing awareness around fertility preservation drive demand across the country. IVF chains and fertility specialists report a marked uptick in inquiries — with some seeing as many as 500 to 800 inquiries per month — for what was once considered a niche service. The Indian egg freezing and embryo banking market was valued at $206 million in 2023 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.4 per cent to reach $632.5 million by 2030. Medical reasons and lifestyle choices drive demand 'While many women are postponing family planning to focus on education, careers and personal goals, awareness of medical egg freezing is increasing among women with conditions such as PCOS, endometriosis or those undergoing fertility-impacting treatments like chemotherapy,' said Abhishek Aggrawal, chief executive officer, Birla Fertility and IVF. He added that their centres receive 500–800 egg freezing enquiries per month. "At our clinics, we find that egg freezing is most commonly chosen by professionals who are early to mid in their careers, who are aware of fertility preservation and want to plan their timelines proactively. This includes a significant number of women from corporate and entrepreneurial backgrounds, and we are also seeing growing interest from doctors and healthcare professionals. These women see fertility preservation as an important part of both their personal and professional planning," Aggrawal explained. Elective egg freezing on the rise Experts believe that egg freezing will become a core part of fertility services in the coming decade, both from a medical and commercial standpoint. Beena Muktesh, clinical director–IVF at Motherhood Fertility & IVF, Gurgaon, stated, 'We are seeing a steady rise in egg freezing inquiries. While about 15 per cent of our consultations in 2023–24 focused on egg freezing, this year there has been a 20–25 per cent increase in consultations specifically for elective egg freezing.' Currently, egg freezing represents a small fraction of the fertility services market in India, but industry leaders expect this to change. 'While precise revenue contributions are difficult to quantify, trends in India appear to reflect patterns seen in the US and Europe, where both revenues and patient numbers for egg freezing have been rising steadily in recent years,' Aggrawal added. 'In India, too, the segment is gaining traction, especially in urban areas and among working professionals.' Google Trends data shows searches for 'egg freezing' in India have risen by over 150 per cent in the past year, with the highest traction in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Clinics across the country are seeing this translate into action. At Yellow Fertility, which currently has three centres, monthly egg freezing inquiries average around 50–60, with a growing share from women in their late 20s and early 30s. 'It's about giving women choices,' said Ambika Bhaik, the company's chief executive officer. 'Whether it's career, health, or simply not being ready, every frozen egg represents the ability to plan life on one's own terms.' The surge is being felt most sharply in metro cities such as Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune. However, Tier-2 cities including Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Kochi, Indore and Lucknow are also witnessing steady growth as awareness and accessibility increase. Cost and customisation options expand Egg freezing typically ranges between Rs 80,000 and Rs 250,000 per cycle, depending on the clinic, city and specifics of treatment. 'This includes consultation, diagnostic tests, hormone injections, egg retrieval, freezing and storage. Hormonal medication alone can take up a big share of the cost,' stated Gauri Agarwal, founder of Seeds of Innocence. Most clinics bundle in the first year of storage, with annual charges thereafter between Rs 10,000 and Rs 30,000. To expand reach, providers are offering flexible payment plans and modular packages. 'At Yellow Fertility, we've introduced instalment-based and customisable programmes to make egg freezing financially accessible for middle-income women as well,' Bhaik said. Fertility preservation as reproductive insurance Experts revealed that the rise in egg freezing is closely tied to increasing infertility rates, particularly as more women delay marriage or childbirth due to career or personal reasons. Egg freezing is now increasingly seen as a form of reproductive insurance. Mahesh Koregol, national strategy director (fertility specialist) at Nova IVF Fertility, Koramangala, Bengaluru, stated, 'As fertility naturally declines with age, egg freezing allows women to preserve their eggs when they are healthier and more viable.' The egg freezing process is also the start of the IVF cycle, where eggs are retrieved, frozen and later fertilised when the individual is ready to conceive. 'It serves as both a preventive and preparatory measure to manage future fertility risks,' Koregol added. Experts believe the ideal window for egg freezing is before 35 years of age, when egg quality and quantity are still favourable. "While it can still be done after that, success rates drop with age due to natural ovarian ageing," Shweta Mittal Gupta, senior fertility specialist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and secretary general of the Indian Fertility Society, added. Corporate backing, social change fuel adoption Experts also attribute the rise in egg freezing to broader changes in social norms, better fertility education and corporate support. Nova IVF says more than 80 companies have collaborated with it in the past two years to hold fertility education sessions. Shobhit Agarwal, chief executive officer, Nova IVF Fertility, stated, 'There is greater awareness of procedures like egg freezing, thanks to conversations on social media and celebrities opening up about it.' Data from multiple providers points to the emergence of a distinct demographic: working women, mostly in their early-to-mid 30s, from professional backgrounds such as IT, healthcare, aviation, law and entrepreneurship. Increasingly, this also includes single women and NRIs who want to preserve their fertility options for the future. With India's fertility rate already below the replacement level of 2.1, experts say fertility preservation services like egg freezing could play a vital role in addressing future demographic and reproductive challenges. As the technology improves and stigma around assisted reproductive options declines, fertility specialists expect egg freezing to become a routine part of reproductive healthcare in India over the next decade.
Time of India
02-05-2025
- Time of India
Police's AI Marvel To Stop Pahalgam-Like Attacks
1 2 Nagpur: Nagpur rural police have geared up to stem incidents like the Pahalgam-like terror strike or Muhakumbh stampede and avert a potentially large-scale tragedy. The police have gone tech-savvy with technology upgrades using Artificial Intelligence-driven tools to help a fast-paced and insightful probe. A special purpose vehicle 'Maharashtra Advanced Research and Vigilance for Enhanced Law Enforcement' (Marvel), an AI-driven policing initiative developed by rural police SP Harssh A Poddar, has a special feature for 'object detection'. This feature is equipped to spot arms and weapons in a crowded area to boost surveillance systems and keep appropriate checks in place. The object detection can also calculate the footfalls and provide real-time feedback on the number of people in a crowd allowing the police to prepare for any emergency well in advance. In case of an intelligence failure, the Marvel interface can help police avert major tragedies. Nagpur police's AI-driven experimentation, training, and implementation to upgrade knowledge and efficiency of the unit under SP rank officer force propelled it to achieve second rank in state as part of the assessment to mark 100 days of Devendra Fadnavis regime. IG, Nagpur range, Dilip Bhujbal Patil stated Marvel has given more teeth to the rural police, be it predicting a terror attack, Kumbh-like footfall, expediting investigations achieving high-standard policing proficiencies involving least manpower. "There are around five tools associated with the Marvel system that have manifold benefits," said Bhujbal Patil, who was accompanied by additional SP Ramesh Dhumal, probationer IPS officer and sub-divisional police officers Deepak Aggrawal, Santosh Gaikwad, and senior traffic inspector Vaibhav Jadhav. "The face recognition would help identify and alert us about any criminal or anti-social element from among a sea of crowd," said Bhujbal Patil. Aggrawal said Marvel's 'Official Character Recognition' tool is meant for text translation, speech-to-text conversions, and such works, which would help in speeding up documentation processes. "We can now read FIR or statements of any regional language in India," said Aggrawal. He also stated Marvel's other tools like 'Telecom Chatbot' would help us in analysing call records and mobile tower location details in an elaborate way within minimum possible time. BOX: How rural police secured 2nd rank - 751 old vehicles disposed of from police stations, 613 old records destroyed - 167 officials and 2066 personnel trained in new laws - 269 complaints were received, all disposed of - 10% fewer road fatalities - Selection in National Brainstorming Seminar on Road Safety Policy 2025
