Vaibhav Singh a BITS Pilani (Pilani, ’16) graduate with a degree in M.Sc. Chemistry and B. Pharm. In his final semester at BITS Pilani, he saw a gap in accessible healthcare, especially in rural areas like Pilani and even busy cities, like Bangalore. Drawing inspiration from challenges like the spine flu outbreak and inefficient healthcare systems, he envisioned a telemedicine platform. His leadership as General Secretary of the Students’ Union helped him develop the skills needed for entrepreneurship. VisitHealth has since expanded into condition management programs and international markets.

What inspired you to start VisitHealth, and how did the idea evolve?

I started this journey during my final semester at BITS. I realized that everything in our lives was changing regarding management look at Swiggy, for example. Yet, when it came to healthcare, everyone focused on hospitalization benefits, while no one addressed day-to-day health management.

There were several moments where I felt the frustration of not having accessible healthcare, but the outbreak of swine flu drove it home. People were turning to Google for self-medication, and it made me realize just how deprived we were of daily healthcare during that crisis.

As discussions grew, we decided to create a telemedicine platform and bring it to BITS Pilani, where healthcare access was poor at that time. The problem became so clear that it was impossible to ignore. Even in Bangalore in 2015, just going for a follow-up or routine checkup meant losing half a day due to travel. In big cities, healthcare was time-consuming, and in rural areas, it wasn’t even an option. Meanwhile, we could get snacks like Lays or Kurkure delivered to our doorstep, but daily healthcare remained out of reach. That’s when I realized something had to change.

Did your experience as General Secretary of the Students Union impact your leadership skills for running a startup like visithealth?

My friends urged me to run for elections, and luckily, I won. Becoming the Head of the Student Union was hectic—managing crores of funds and dealing with new responsibilities. It helped me develop strong communication skills, and I hope I did well in the role. This experience also helped me secure an internship at Biocon, where I got a unique role beyond what most third-year students receive. I traveled to seven metro cities, conducting market research for a new product. Working with the Business Development Team, I submitted a report on “Opportunity vs Place”, gaining valuable insights into India’s healthcare market. That internship taught me more in three months than I’d learned in three years at BITS. It’s where I got the idea for VisitHealth, inspired by the hands-on experience I gained while traveling and learning what a business should look like.

For students, who are aspiring to be entrepreneurs, what advice would you give to set themselves up for success?
I believe in having no Plan B. In college, I got ₹5,000 per month as pocket money, and didn’t have much to lose. I didn’t sit for placements, which meant I wasn’t afraid of losing anything since I wasn’t tied to a job or lifestyle.

Once you start working, your lifestyle changes and there’s always a fear of losing stability. I didn’t have that fear because I wasn’t dependent on a job. My advice is to avoid spending too much time perfecting a product. Stay flexible, don’t overestimate yourself, and leave emotions out of it when entering the market.

Starting early is crucial you get more time to explore. Entrepreneurship isn’t just a job, it’s a lifestyle, and you only get that lifestyle by taking risks. If you genuinely want to solve problems, then entrepreneurship is for you. Understand the size of the problem, how unorganized the industry is, and the delivery mechanism has that clarity before diving in.

What were the biggest challenges you faced in the early days of VisitHealth, and how did you overcome them?

One of the biggest challenges we faced was our age. It was hard for corporations to trust young guys over the phone. Our business model was tough, too -— it required us to step up since we couldn’t rely on word of mouth.

Luckily, the government at the time was promoting startups, which made people take us more seriously. I’m grateful to BITS for that. My first investor, Mr. Rakesh Verma, a BITS alumnus, and the BITS brand helped us be seen as serious competitors in the market.

The alumni network was always ready to help. Back then, there wasn’t much awareness about issues like mental health, and there were no clear guidelines on how to practice telemedicine in India -— it only became a focus when COVID hit.

VisitHealth integrates technology and healthcare were there any courses or extracurricular activities at BITS that sparked your interest in this intersection?

One great thing about BITS is its accessibility to people. The Swiggy founder and others were always approachable, which made a big difference. I was deeply involved in extracurricular, from managing events to working as GenSec in the Student Union.
I got a lot of help from the BlueJeans co-founder, Mr. Alagu Periyannan even though I’m not a tech. guy. As I always say, “You don’t have a solution every time, you just work for it”. We had great support from Mr. Rakesh Verma and a leading B2B video conferencing company. It was the intersection of all these amazing people that helped us push forward.

What’s next for VisitHealth, and how do you see the health-tech space evolving shortly?

For VisitHealth, we’ve recently expanded into condition management programs. Right now, we’re focused on growth with two main strategies: attracting more people and offering additional benefits, while also entering new geographies. We’re actively working on both fronts. We recently closed a ₹273 crore round and partnered with a sister company for condition management. Alongside that, we’re also planning to expand our services outside India.

What was more stressful: preparing for Oasis or launching a health-tech startup?

I believe launching isn’t the hard part it’s when you get caught up in the market that the real fun begins. Not many prepare for launching a health startup, but I’d emphasize the importance of doing so. The real journey starts once you’re out in the market, so it’s crucial to start and launch early to get that experience quickly.