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India Today
4 days ago
- Health
- India Today
How sleep tech is transforming rest and wellness across India
Technology has revolutionised nearly every facet of modern life — from ergonomic seating that supports posture during long office hours to customised skincare targeting specific skin concerns. Amongst these lifestyle upgrades, one area gaining remarkable momentum is sleep — a pillar of health that remains underappreciated yet a country like India, where stress levels are soaring and sleep deprivation is becoming a silent epidemic, tech-driven solutions could be the answer to better rest and long-term wellness. India Today spoke with Mr Ganesh Sonawane, Co-founder and CEO at Frido, to understand how this rapidly evolving domain is reshaping the way Indians TECH: A PARADIGM SHIFT IN REST AND RECOVERYSleep tech refers to the ecosystem of gadgets and innovations designed to enhance sleep quality using intelligent systems. Gone are the days of just a comfy mattress or a white noise machine. Today's sleep technology employs AI, smart sensors, and machine learning to monitor, analyse, and improve sleep. 'Sleep tech is not about comfort alone any more. "It's about measurable health outcomes,' said Mr Sonawane. 'From heart rate to snoring patterns, technology is now helping decode sleep on a much deeper level.'SMART PILLOWS: FROM HEADRESTS TO HEALTH MONITORSOnce a basic bedroom accessory, the pillow has turned into a smart sleep companion. Smart pillows now offer adjustable firmness, ergonomic shaping, and integrated biometric sensors. These innovations cater to various sleep positions and spinal health, while also tracking movement, snoring, and even REM of these pillows also feature temperature-regulating technology, maintaining optimal coolness or warmth depending on user preference. Some AI-enabled models also detect snoring and subtly reposition the user's head to alleviate obstruction, offering relief for both the sleeper and their and mattresses are also undergoing a high-tech transformation. Today's smart beds incorporate pressure-sensitive support systems that adapt in real-time to your body. Some even allow couples to customise each side of the mattress based on their individual comfort needs."One big barrier in India is price," said Mr Sonawane. "We noticed that people continue using old mattresses, unaware of the long-term harm they cause. That's where solutions like mattress toppers — a simple, tech-enabled upgrade — are gaining traction.'These toppers offer temperature regulation and orthopaedic support without the need to purchase a new mattress — a game-changer in price-sensitive markets like TECH AND ITS DIRECT IMPACT ON HEALTHThe importance of sleep extends far beyond rest. Sleep tech devices actively combat insomnia, sleep apnea, and chronic fatigue. By using biofeedback and real-time analysis, they promote better sleep hygiene and mental backs this up. Studies show that employees who nap or sleep better experience higher productivity and income gains. Additionally, managing sleep apnea — a condition that affects a growing number of Indians — can drastically reduce risks of hypertension and Type 2 underestimate how much poor sleep contributes to poor immunity, obesity, and even mood disorders. Sleep tech is a proactive way to reverse that,' Mr Sonawane LIES AHEAD: THE FUTURE OF SLEEP TECH IN INDIAThe next frontier for sleep tech lies in personalised AI-powered sleep plans. Innovations will soon allow for smart lighting, tailored soundscapes, and neurofeedback-based interventions that stimulate deeper, restorative sleep is also catching up fast. As digital awareness increases and more urban dwellers prioritise wellness, the adoption of sleep tech is expected to surge.'Technology is evolving to not only track your sleep but guide you toward healthier rest patterns,' said Mr Sonawane. 'From smart pillows that detect breathing irregularities to cooling mattresses that adjust to summer nights, the future is about sleeping smarter — no longer.'In an age of information overload and endless hustle, sleep has emerged as a silent casualty. But thanks to technological innovation, it is also becoming the gateway to better health, productivity, and India begins to recognise the long-term value of sleep, the integration of smart sleep solutions into everyday life will only grow. And as Mr Sonawane concluded: 'Investing in how we sleep is investing in how we live.' advertisement
Indian Express
29-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Building Pune: Pune Metro takes up designing of stations in Kharadi-Khadakwasla route, begins preparing DPR for Kharadi to Airport
With the major work of Pune Metro's first phase almost complete, the authorities have begun the planning of the second phase by undertaking the designing of 14 of the proposed 22 elevated stations on the Kharadi-Khadakwasla corridor of Pune Metro rail. It has also started the process of preparing the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Kharadi to Pune airport connectivity and a spur line from Kondhwa. The Maharashtra government in October last year approved the Detailed Project Report (DPR) to implement Phase Two of Pune Metro which included two routes of 25.8 km from Khadakwasla to Kharadi via Swargate and Hadapsar with 22 stations at a cost of Rs 8,131 crore as well as 6 km from Nal Stop to Manik Baug via Warje with six stations for Rs 1,765 crore. However, the proposal on Phase Two is pending with the Central Government for final approval. 'The Pune Metro has started the detailed design consultancy services for 14 elevated stations on the Kharadi-Khadakwasla Corridor. This is the preliminary work required for the implementation of the project. It will save time for actual work on site, which will begin only after the approval of the union government,' said Hemant Sonawane, Executive Director of Pune Metro Rail. The work of Phase One is nearing completion as the work on Khadki Metro station is almost over, he said, adding that the work of the foot overbridge across the Mutha River will also be completed soon. The Pune Metro has also undertaken the work to prepare the DPR for new corridors providing connectivity to Pune Airport in Lohegaon and a spur line to Kondhwa, Yewalewadi, and Undri area, said Sonawane. The first phase of Pune Metro has been completed and has become operational with service from Vanaz to Ramwadi and PCMC to Swargate. The extension work has begun on routes such as from Swargate to Katraj and PCMC to Nigdi, while Vanaz to Chandni Chowk and Ramwadi to Wagholi extensions are awaiting Central Government approval. The detailed designing of Metro stations includes preparing general arrangement drawings, interface drawings, and detailed design and drawings, keeping in view of the economy and aesthetic considerations. The stations will be planned for six coaches, and each station will have conceptual and preliminary designs. All the station buildings have been envisaged as fully compliant with the requirements of solar energy utilisation. The provision for property development integrated with stations at all stations will be explored to boost non-fare revenue. The authorities will also explore the feasibility of introducing one additional floor above or below the platform level, and all stations will be designed as per IGBC Green Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS) norms to obtain the highest rating. The Swargate North Station is to be connected with the Swargate Metro station of the PCMC-Swargate corridor through a pedestrian foot overbridge (FOB) or underpass, whichever is deemed suitable. Kharadi Chowk Metro station is to be connected with the Kharadi Junction interchange Metro station of the Ramwadi-Wagholi corridor through a FOB. Two pedestrian FOBs are proposed for the Hadapsar Railway Metro station — the first one of length 350 m is proposed to integrate the Metro station with Hadapsar Station of the Railways, and another 450 metres is proposed to cross the state highway 27. Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, Pune. He writes on Infrastructure, Politics, Civic issues, Sustainable Development and related stuff. He is a trekker and a sports enthusiast. Ajay has written research articles on the Conservancy staff that created a nationwide impact in framing policy to improve the condition of workers handling waste. Ajay has been consistently writing on politics and infrastructure. He brought to light the lack of basic infrastructure of school and hospital in the hometown of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde even as two private helipads were developed by the leader who mostly commutes from Mumbai to Satara in helicopter. Ajay has been reporting on sustainable development initiatives that protects the environment while ensuring infrastructure development. ... Read More
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Time of India
Cash, jewellery worth Rs7L stolen from house of education dept official
Indore: Unidentified men broke into a house owned by an education department official in Anand Nagar area and made away with cash and jewellery worth Rs 7 lakh. The house belonged to ADPC Sangeeta Sonawane, who was away with her family in Dhule, Maharashtra for a wedding ceremony. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The burglars broke the latch of main gate using a cutter and stole gold and silver jewellery from two rooms of the house. The incident came to light when the domestic help arrived in the morning to water plants and found the gate's lock broken. She immediately informed the family through a relative living in the neighbourhood. Sonawane and her family had left for Dhule on May 5 morning. The stolen items included 70 grams of gold, comprising two gold chains (12 grams each), a locket (4 grams), a mangalsutra (15 grams), three pairs of jhumkas (15 grams), tops, a bangle, two rings, four pairs of toe rings, and earrings. Additionally, the thieves took 30 silver coins and two pairs of police are currently investigating the case. Police said they were checking CCTV footage of nearby areas to ascertain the identity of the accused. They were also in the process of recording statements of family members in the case. According to Rameshwar outpost police, the burglary took place on the night of May 8 and marks the third major theft in the city within a span of just one week. Earlier incidents included the theft of goods worth Rs 10 lakh from a govt school teacher's house in Laxminagar area, along with another burglary at a neighbouring residence.
Mint
06-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
Meta data: Has the reel run out for Instagram brands?
Mumbai: Ganesh Sonawane wanted to make products to help people get mobile, and so he set up Frido, a company focused on ergonomic comfort. 'We started with a niche of a niche—a self-propelled wheelchair—where the pain point was very large," recalls Sonawane. 'This was an innovative commode and shower wheelchair and the goal was to serve 1,000 people." Sonawane launched the wheelchair in 2015 with a website and a blog post explaining the product and the ideal customer: elderly or disabled folks who do not want to rely on a caretaker 24x7. 'We were hoping to serve 1,000 customers but we ended up with more than 10,000." A sharp, targeted pitch in a blog post gave Frido early success. Now, three years later, he continues to market Frido's existing and upcoming product line on X, formerly known as Twitter, through his own verified account. He has nearly 20,000 followers on the platform, while Frido has less than 5,000. 'My posts [on X] get roughly 2 million views a week," Sonawane says. 'It has been a useful channel to get feedback as well, while promoting the brand. We get tens of new product requests every week packed with a lot of insights." Sonawane isn't alone. Where once they would lean on social media giant Meta's Instagram platform, entrepreneurs running early-stage direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands are now supplementing their digital marketing strategies by harnessing other social media platforms, including X and LinkedIn. They are asking for help with fundraising, announcing product launches, running flash sales personally, answering customer complaints, even fighting larger competitors. Consequently, Instagram is slowly losing its status as the go-to channel for performance marketing—click-to-convert ads that push an online user to buy something right away. Instead, ads running on e-commerce and quick commerce platforms are rapidly displacing it. This is taking place at a time when advertising on Meta has become expensive. So, is the era of the 'Instagram Brand' drawing to a close? But first, what is an 'Instagram Brand'? In the last five years, India's consumer economy has seen a D2C boom , particularly during the pandemic years, when lockdown restrictions forced people to move their media consumption and buying habits online. That is when these brands began working off an established playbook to scale up: a Shopify or alternative storefront and heavy spending on marketing, largely Meta (Instagram) and Google (YouTube and search). Shopify is a software service that allows brands to set up their own website to sell goods with minimal coding or upfront investment. With digital advertising budgets of up to (and sometimes more than) 50% of their annual sales, these brands came to be nicknamed as 'Instagram Brands'. A lot of money has been riding on Instagram brands. Consider this: between 2016 and 2020, D2C brands in India received more than $1.3 billion in funding, according to an estimate by investment bank Avendus. Between 2020 and 2023, this had grown to more than $4 billion, as per VC firm Sorin Investments. It estimates that the size of the D2C market in India was nearly $17 billion in 2023 and will rise to more than $60 billion by 2027. The Shopify + Meta ads playbook is not unique to India. In fact, it was picked up from the 2010s success of American D2C brands such as Warby Parker (an eyewear brand that listed on the NYSE in 2021) and Dollar Shave Club (a razor brand acquired by Unilever in 2016 and sold to Nexus Capital in 2023). These brands scaled up rapidly last decade by spending heavily on performance marketing on Meta and Google, running viral video campaigns, and influencer marketing . In India, similarly positioned D2C brands rode a boom as urban affluent customers moved their media consumption and discretionary spending online. But this 'Instagram Brands' playbook, which helped companies such as Honasa Consumer (Mamaearth and others) and Nykaa (and its private labels) become large, listed entities, is no longer a guaranteed formula for success. Newer D2C brands with limited offline sales are struggling to eke out a return on ad spends (RoAS), particularly on Meta, for a number of reasons. Meta declined to comment for this story. By far, the biggest reason brands are reconsidering their D2C playbook is the growth of retail media, including ads on e-commerce and quick commerce platforms. According to this year's Ficci-EY Media & Entertainment report, while overall digital advertising grew 17% to ₹ 70,000 crore in calendar year 2024, e-commerce ads grew 50% to reach an estimated ₹ 14,700 crore, accounting for more than a fifth of all digital ads. A significant chunk of India's retail advertising comes from Amazon and Flipkart (including Myntra), which reported ad revenues of ₹ 6,649 crore and ₹ 4,972 crore, respectively, for FY24. Others, including beauty e-tailer Nykaa and its newer e-commerce rival Meesho, are also increasingly earning from advertising, although they do not break out how much of their revenue comes under that head. This isn't in isolation; retail advertising is growing at Meta's expense around the world. Amazon's annual ad revenue crossed $50 billion in 2024 and grew 19% in the March 2025 quarter to just under $14 billion. While Meta reported a better-than-expected $42.3 billion in ad revenue, it may lose up to $7 billion on that count this year because of US tariffs on China, affecting large Chinese advertisers such as Shein and Temu. Tariff-led uncertainty is hurting ad sales for other digital platforms as well. 'Most FMCG brands have traditionally run TV advertising for brand marketing but this channel has poor measurability and it is tough to target the right customer," says Siddharth Jhawer, country manager—India for adtech company Moloco. 'Then, YouTube innovated to give them engaged views, targeted reach to the right user, and tools to measure if the audience has really seen the ad or simply skipped it," he adds. 'Now, these brands are moving their spends to retail media because you can easily measure how many transactions are happening." With consumers increasingly shifting to quick commerce companies, these platforms are also gaining scale in advertising revenue. Last month, brokerage Elara Capital said in a report that Blinkit, Instamart, and Zepto collectively had an estimated ₹ 3,000-3,500 annual run rate in ad revenue. That is nearly half of Amazon India's ad sales in FY24. Per estimates from a Bank of America Global Research report, monthly active users for the Blinkit and Zepto apps grew from around 10 million in February 2023 to 40-45 million two years later (Swiggy only recently launched a separate Instamart app). As more people in cities shop online, they are more likely to discover new brands on these platforms. For D2C brands rushing to list on these platforms while paying hefty fees, running ads where their existing and potential customers are already present is a no-brainer. Besides, most of these companies are now building some version of a self-serve ad platform—meaning advertisers can upload, set, and run an ad on their own with no manual intervention from a company account manager. 'The newer folks such as Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, Zepto are all very good in the advertising tools they provide," says Rajat Jadhav, co-founder of sexual wellness D2C brand Bold Care. 'You do have a lot of control on what you can do, the costs you will incur, and the results you can drive." Besides, brands selling to the urban elite in India are now grappling with a slowdown as lower growth in wages and higher cost of living hurts discretionary spending. Already, large FMCG companies, including India's largest—Hindustan Unilever—have reported single-digit sales growth for the quarter ended March 2025. Smaller, early-stage brands vying for the consumers of these larger rivals are now looking for better ways to allocate their marketing spends. This has pushed them away from expensive spends on Instagram toward retail media even more. The competition for urban consumers' attention and money has intensified in the last five years. Consider this: Since 2016, more than 600 D2C brands have been founded in India, and nine of them became unicorns (meaning, a valuation of over $1 billion) by 2023. 'When there is this cash squeeze, there is more discipline in where people will spend their money," Moloco's Jhawer says. 'They want the best bang for their buck. E-commerce platforms are better in this regard as there is a higher measurable outcome for your ad spends." Yet, it isn't as if consumer brands are letting go of Meta entirely. Rather, they have realised that it comes at a cost, prompting them to think of clever marketing tricks that can grab their intended customer's attention better, delivering value for money. 'People are not shutting off Meta and Google," Moloco's Jhawer says. 'What people have realised is that Meta is preferred more than Google for D2C brands. But these channels are getting crowded as all D2C brands compete for the same users. This has led to CPMs [cost per mille, a measure of ad costs] getting expensive, and RoAS declining." With advertising on Meta's platforms, especially Instagram, becoming expensive, D2C brands and their founders have been looking for ways to grab urban affluents by the eyeballs instead of constantly bombarding them with Instagram ads. Take Bold Care, for instance. Last year, it grabbed attention when it launched an ad campaign starring actor Ranveer Singh and porn star Johnny Sins. A few months later, the brand's co-founder, Rahul Krishnan, went viral for posting his credit card details on X, promising to let anyone use his card to buy something for up to ₹ 1,000 for a 'Happy Sextember'. Krishnan spent hours posting one-time passwords as thousands of people began to charge food orders and other online shopping to his card. The post received over 5 million views. 'Pre-2022, it was like playing the game in easy mode," says Frido's Sonawane. 'Now, it is in super-hard mode. Targeting was really efficient and there were no regulatory challenges," he adds, referring to Apple's move to restrict apps from automatically accessing user data. Meta's revenue took an approximately $10 billion hit in 2022 because of Apple's restrictions, and it followed with aggressive cost cuts. Google was expected to follow Apple's path, but postponed the decision repeatedly and then scrapped its Privacy Sandbox project, meant to block access to third-party cookies and user data. Amid all this, e-commerce platforms have been fine tuning their ad offerings, especially with brands cutting ad spends. For instance, in February, Nykaa told investors that it was tweaking product listing ads. These are sponsored listings that appear when a user searches for a product or browses the app. 'We're not looking to increase the ad dollars and not see the same incremental growth in revenue," Anchit Nayar, executive director of Nykaa said in an earnings call in February this year. 'The real goal for us is to have revenue growth and ad dollar growth in line." Nayar said the company is encouraging brands to try out new ad formats on its platform instead of merely selling banner ads on various landing pages. Yet, as the demand slowdown continues, he said brands are discounting their products rather than spending that money on advertising. 'Instagram Brand' or not, eventually D2C brands will want the same thing: own their customer and have them shop directly, without the need to spend on marketing. 'D2C tends to be a U-curve, where it is a loss-making sales channel for most brands in the beginning," Bold Care's Jadhav explains. 'Then, you scale up, spend on other platforms and people begin to search for your brand. Then the U curves back up with more organic search and higher retention. For us, D2C has now become profitable as a lot more organic traffic is coming back to us."
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Experts warn of hidden health threat impacting millions: 'People realize how severe this is only after their health deteriorates'
As temperatures climb across the globe, more people are at risk of life-threatening conditions associated with diabetes. Asha Sonawane, 65, recalls once working in agricultural fields for 12-hour shifts, but worsening heat in India's Maharashtra state has left her dehydrated, exacerbating her diabetes mellitus and forcing her to stay inside. Sonawane is one example of a growing trend — Yale Climate Connections reported that rising global temperatures are making life harder for those living with this condition and possibly contributing to an increase in cases. For instance, the publication shared that one study determined that a 1 degree Celsius rise in global temperatures could lead to more than 100,000 new diabetes cases annually in the United States alone. "People realize how severe this is only after their health deteriorates to the point where they can't work in the fields anymore," Sonawane told the news site. According to the article, more than 2 million people across the globe died from diabetes and related kidney diseases in 2021. Extreme outdoor temperatures seem to exacerbate some life-threatening conditions related to type 2 diabetes, including low blood sugar and ventricular arrhythmia, a condition that can lead to fainting or sudden cardiac arrest. Diabetes isn't the only health threat that scientists are worried about in the warming world, though. For instance, skin conditions such as acne, psoriasis, and cancer are worsening because of higher temperatures. And extreme heat, which the World Health Organization says is on the rise, can lead to heat stroke, a life-threatening condition. Plus, extreme weather events linked to the changing climate are threatening crops and creating a mental health crisis for farmers in places such as Montana. To help people better manage their diabetes in the heat, Yale Climate Connections pointed to recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which include drinking plenty of water, testing blood sugar often, keeping medicine and equipment out of the heat, making a plan for power outages, and staying inside in air conditioning when it's hottest. Meanwhile, we can all do our part to slow the overheating of our planet by reducing our reliance on dirty energy sources including coal, oil, and natural gas, which the United Nations reports are responsible for more than three-fourths of all warming pollution. For instance, Wales is banning most new roadway projects to cut down on carbon pollution, while Tokyo is requiring most new buildings to have solar panels. Do you worry about air pollution in and around your home? Yes — always Yes — often Yes — sometimes No — never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. You can make an impact by taking simple actions such as enrolling in a community solar program, taking public transit more, and voting for candidates who support climate-action legislation. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
