Case Study

Background and Scope
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), in collaboration with City Cancer Challenge (C/Can) and the Ghana Ministry of Health (MoH), commissioned a project to improve the availability and accessibility of imaging diagnostic services—including nuclear imaging—across all regions of Ghana via public–private partnership (PPP) models.

The initiative responded to critical gaps in Ghana’s imaging capacity, including severe shortages of equipment, wide inter-regional disparities, limited maintenance capacity, inadequate human resources, and policy-level constraints. A baseline review confirmed that MRI availability in West Africa was among the lowest globally, with Ghana having just 0.48 units per million people.

Our Approach
The project was implemented in two stages:

Needs Assessment – Conducted across 9 regional and 5 teaching hospitals to evaluate demand, infrastructure, workforce, patient perspectives, and operational challenges for modalities such as MRI, CT, X-ray, mammography, ultrasound, PET-CT, and SPECT-CT.

PPP Model Development – Designed and evaluated potential PPP structures for service provision and recommended the most bankable model for IFC and MoH consideration.

A multidisciplinary team—comprising imaging specialists, health economists, PPP experts, local healthcare researchers, and statisticians—worked in close collaboration with stakeholders at national, regional, and facility levels to ensure relevance and sustainability of recommendations.

Methodology:

Data Collection: Combined secondary research from MoH reports, Ghana Health Services databases, NHIA records, and strategic policy documents with primary field data from all 14 hospitals. Hospitals were grouped into five geographic zones for efficient coverage.

Stakeholder Engagement: Interviews with government agencies, hospital administrators, clinicians, and patients to capture both operational realities and user experiences.

Quality Control: Real-time data validation, supervisor-led spot checks, daily statistical reviews, and strict confidentiality protocols ensured accuracy and reliability.

Analysis: Quantitative data were processed using R, and qualitative findings were analysed using structured coding methods. Gaps were benchmarked against agreed global best practices and local standards.

Study Output
The project mapped imaging capacity across 14 hospitals, identified major gaps in access, maintenance, and distribution, and quantified unmet demand. A tailored PPP model was developed to guide the Ministry of Health and IFC in expanding nationwide imaging services.

Background and Scope
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation engaged Sathguru to conduct a comprehensive landscaping study of Point-of-Care (PoC) diagnostics research and product development efforts in India, targeting select infectious and non-infectious diseases. The initiative aimed to assess India’s innovation ecosystem, identify promising technologies, and map stakeholders contributing to the PoC diagnostics space.

The scope encompassed:

• Identification of potential partners in academia, research institutions, startups, and industry for collaboration with the Gates Foundation.
• Evaluation of the existing and emerging pipeline of rapid diagnostic tests, focusing on products with applicability in public health markets across Africa and Asia.
• Development of an intended product portfolio aligned with public health needs, emphasizing infectious diseases of high burden.
• Mapping opportunities to expand grant funding for accelerating development and commercialization of impactful PoC diagnostics.

Our Approach
SMC performed extensive primary & secondary research to assess clinical need, health economics and developed product development & stakeholder engagement strategy for product validation and advocacy for adoption in public & private markets

Desk Research & Secondary Analysis

• Reviewed existing databases, scientific literature, patent filings, funding records, and market reports to map active R&D initiatives.
• Benchmarked global PoC diagnostics trends to contextualize India’s capabilities and gaps.

Primary Stakeholder Engagement

• Conducted in-depth interviews and consultations with researchers, diagnostic companies, technology incubators, public health agencies, and investors.
• Assessed technical feasibility, regulatory readiness, manufacturing capacity, and scalability potential for identified products.

Pipeline Prioritization Framework

• Applied weighted scoring criteria considering disease burden, time-to-market, cost-effectiveness, ease-of-use in low-resource settings, and alignment with African and Asian public health priorities.

Partner Mapping and Engagement Models

• Identified entities with complementary capabilities for co-development, manufacturing, distribution, and field validation.
• Designed partnership models ranging from joint development agreements to public-private consortia for scaling access.

Study Output
The engagement culminated in a detailed report for the Gates Foundation that included:

Pipeline Mapping: Comprehensive database of PoC diagnostics in India across target diseases, segmented by stage of development and technology platform.

Near-term Commercialization Opportunities: Shortlist of products with readiness for market launch within the next 2–3 years, supported by evidence of performance and scalability.

Grant Funding Expansion Areas: Priority R&D gaps and opportunities where catalytic funding could accelerate innovation and product readiness.

Partnership Models: Recommended frameworks for engaging identified partners in joint R&D, field trials, manufacturing, and market access initiatives.

Strategic Recommendations: Actionable roadmap for aligning India’s PoC diagnostic innovation pipeline with public health needs of Africa and Asia, ensuring affordability, accessibility, and adoption.

Background and Scope
The Healthcare Technology Accelerator Facility-University of Edinburgh is keen to introduce a rapid non-invasive PoC diagnostic device to diagnose causative agents in microbial keratitis

in the Indian healthcare system (public and private).

Sathguru Management Consultants has been engaged to do a landscape of the Indian market for keratitis diagnostics and factors that would influence the adoption for the innovative device in India and present recommendations on strategy for market entry and validation requirements for device adoption

Our Approach

• Qualitative and Quantitative assessment of market potential based on primary and secondary research – includes assessing landscape of the Indian healthcare system (public and private) with a focus on eye care, including current infrastructure and standard of care for diagnosis and treatment of microbial keratitis at different institutions and levels of healthcare delivery.
• Comprehensive primary research was conducted to comprehend the eye care health system in India across various stakeholders such as ophthalmologists, optometrists, block health managers (CHCs), diagnostic lab providers (wherever applicable), and community ophthalmology experts.
• Reviewed unmet needs in microbial keratitis diagnosis in different customer segments of private and public market
• Developed device adoption strategy for public and private market, pricing potential and positioning of the device
• Assessed factors that influence market adoption in different segments and functional design or positioning strategy to facilitate stronger adoption
• Evaluated regulatory and Intellectual Property considerations for IP protection and to access markets in India.

Study Output
Sathguru submitted a detailed report summarizing current clinical practice at public and private institutions, unmet needs in various customer segments and health economic benefits through the innovation, Indian market size of the device in both public and private healthcare system, and recommendations: market strategy, pricing potential, drivers and deterrents, regulatory, and IP.

Background and Scope
The Netherlands–India Trade Mission 2024, conducted from 2nd to 5th September 2024 in Bangalore and Hyderabad, was spearheaded by Task Force Health Care (TFHC) and the Embassy of the Netherlands, with SMC as the strategic execution partner. The core focus of the trade mission was to foster cross-border partnerships in the MedTech sector, catalyzing collaboration between Dutch innovation and Indian market potential.

The mission targeted three key outcomes:

• Facilitating high-quality B2B engagements between Dutch MedTech innovators and Indian stakeholders.
• Showcasing India’s dynamic healthcare innovation ecosystem through curated field visits.
• Driving dialogue on MedTech market dynamics, regulatory frameworks, and co-development opportunities.

A total of 39 curated B2B meetings were conducted—20 in Bangalore and 19 in Hyderabad—with a significant emphasis on MedTech companies including Microbe Lab, GVW, Cloud Hub, Light Tree Ventures, Wittenberg, DE Design, and Buurtzorg.

Our Approach
SMC adopted a customized, outcome-oriented approach centered on:

• Understanding strategic priorities of Dutch MedTech companies through 1:1 consultations.
• Mapping relevant Indian companies using SMC’s deep market insight and domain networks.
• Designing multi-format engagement models including:
  • In-person meetings at key venues (Shangri-La, Bangalore and T-Hub, Hyderabad).
  • Virtual meetings with high-fit partners in other geographies.
  • Immersive facility visits to hospitals, R&D hubs, and manufacturing centers.
  • Enabling dialogue through thought-leadership panels on India’s MedTech innovation landscape.

Our team conducted detailed profiling of Dutch MedTech companies to understand product, stage, and India entry intent, and shortlisted Indian stakeholders based on alignment with Dutch priorities, including potential for – Distribution partnerships, Co-development and localization, and clinical or technical collaborations

Engaged leadership of Indian companies to ensure strategic-level conversations.

Prioritized companies operating in high-opportunity areas like diagnostics, hospital infrastructure, medical devices, and AI/health tech platforms

Organized field visits and moderated plenary sessions on MedTech Market Dynamics and India Opportunity, Evolving India Opportunity for Global MedTech Ventures, and o      Co-creating Value in Data and MedTech Innovation.

Study Output
The trade mission demonstrated strong traction in the MedTech sector, validating the growing appetite for India-Netherlands collaborations in diagnostics, digital health, medical devices, and hospital innovation. The multilateral engagement model executed by SMC successfully combined strategic B2B meetings, ecosystem exposure, and market intelligence sharing, laying a strong foundation for future partnerships and joint ventures in the Indian healthcare landscape.

Background and Scope
MiraCradle® is a cooling device that uses proprietary Phase Change Material (PCM) technology to induce therapeutic hypothermia among newborn suffering from birth asphyxia. The product was developed by Pluss Advanced Technologies in collaboration with CMC (Christian Medical College) Vellore.

Our Approach

• Performed in-depth quantitative and qualitative analysis of Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) across 30 countries (Latin America, Asia and African countries), with particular focus on determining the clinical need and market potential for Miracradle equipment.
• Comprehensive market analysis reports for target countries
• Compiled a detailed Excel database of companies active in the infant care sector, segmented by each organization’s key priorities, operational footprint, and areas of strategic alignment.
• Developed a targeted outreach presentation (outreach deck) tailored for engagement with business development teams of prioritized infant care companies.
• Undertook systematic analysis—both data-driven and insight-based—to evaluate business environments, regulatory landscapes, and go-to-market barriers/opportunities in each target geography.

Study Output

• SMC supported Pluss Advanced Technologies in devising robust growth strategies to accelerate adoption of their solutions across India as well as developed and developing markets.
• Structured partnership with Draeger for global marketing in 120 countries
• Supported in seeking grant funding by developing an EAD Alliance network for clinical awareness and advocacy for public health adoption

Background and Scope
The device developed by Vietnamese company, MTTS with validation grant from Wellcome Trust.

Our Approach

Partnership mapping and stakeholder engagement with Indian hospital leaders

• Identified and engaged leading hospital chains in India as clinical validation partners, ensuring alignment with institutions known for neonatal innovation and research excellence.
• Established formal partnerships to facilitate in-hospital trials, leveraging institutional expertise in neonatology and supporting robust clinical feedback loops.

Developed a clear, phased commercialization roadmap for the Dolphin CPAP, outlining steps from successful trial completion to initial procurement, in-market awareness, and broader institutional adoption.

Study Output
SMC managed the partnership with leading hospital chain to validate the device and chartered clear and actionable way forward with identified partnerships for MTTS to launch the Dolphin CPAP in India and lay the foundation for scaled-up adoption.

Background and Scope
SMC was engaged by Datavitalis, a France based medtech company, to provide insights on India landscape and develop recommendations for the go-to-market strategy for Thermodiag, a novel device developed by Datavitalis.

Our Approach
The SMC team of experts employed a mixed-method approach, combining desk research and primary research to ensure comprehensive and validated insights.

Desk Research: Involved analysis of competitor landscapes and market trends through industry reports, government publications, news articles, trade journals, and company reports.

Primary Research: Conducted 15 in-depth interviews with key stakeholders—including clinicians (end-users), procurement teams, and distributors (supply chain stakeholders)—across public and private healthcare institutions. These interactions helped corroborate desk research findings and provided additional insights for robust business case modeling.

Key activities:

• Initial whiteboarding of market segments to support foundational framework for identifying and defining market segments and user archetypes.
  • Classification of market segments and use cases across.
  • Define preliminary use cases in the beginning and review at the intersection of use case and archetype of users.
  • Will guide primary research coverage and initial analysis.

Segments: Public Hospitals, Private Hospitals (Tier 1), Private Hospitals (Tier 2), Home Care Providers

• Current practices and competition by archetype of user / use case – Based on the identified use cases across chronic disease management, ICU care and routine diagnostics, to
  • Review current practices and competition across market segments and how use case is currently addressed including through clinical protocols and technology adoption (direct competitive devices and other alternative devices)
  • Identify direct competitors and alternatives for each use case along with their business models, and assess how competitors address the identified use cases and the effectiveness of their solutions
• Price and high-level volume estimate by user archetype
  • Assess potential for adoption near term, pricing possibilities and potential business models by user archetype
  • Assess overall market opportunity and merit in targeting the market segment near term or develop a phase-wise target model based on activities required to enable product adoption in the market
  • Assess level of price sensitivity and pricing window / business model scenarios
• Scenario modelling and recommendations
  • Based on the above, model scenarios for possible business models and implications for near to midterm scale-up (3 year or 5-year potential).

Study Output
Report with actionable recommendations for Datavitalis on India’s go-to-market strategy, considering identified opportunities and potential challenges, and key priorities for market entry, such as target segments, marketing strategies, and partnership opportunities.