Budget 2023 | Healthtech startups need provision for soft loans & working capital

India's healthcare system was put to test both during and post the pandemic. Health institutions took a major financial hit and this catalysed the need for adoption of technology across the sector to manage their patients. With a growing need for health facilities and infrastructure across the country, will Budget 2023 fuel start-ups who are supporting the digitisation of healthcare?

Startup Street spoke to Mudit Dandwate, Co-Founder and CEO, Dozee; and Dr Geetha Manjunath, Founder and CEO of Niramai Health Analytix about the budget wishlist for the healthtech sector.

Manjunath said, “We want government to enable soft loans and working capital for the startsup. Second I want to have special tax provisions for employees of qualifying startups and incentivise more wellness and preventive care activity.”

Online travel tech platform, EaseMyTrip has acquired a 55 Percent majority stake in CheQin through the primary route. CheQin is a real-time marketplace that allows travellers to bargain with hoteliers. The venture claims the unique bargaining algorithm of CheQin brings in top 5 lowest offers by the hoteliers enabling customers to stay at the most value-for-money hotels. Startup Street spoke to Lokendra Saini, COO of EaseMyTrip; and Venu G Somineni, Founder of CheQin about the acquisition and the road ahead.

Chennai-based AI and technology start-up Mad Street Den has secured series-C funding of $30 million. The company has welcomed a new lead investor in avatar growth capital for the round, which also saw participation from existing VCs Sequoia and alpha wave. In an exclusive chat with CNBC-TV18’s Jude Sannith, Mad Street Den’s co-founder and CEO,  Ashwini Asokan said she doesn’t expect to use these funds to hire or expand aggressively.