Connect and Heal: Solving India’s Healthcare Fragmentation through Corporate Ecosystems and Phygital Primary Care
In the landmark 400th episode of the ELI Podcast, we dive into one of the most complex challenges facing modern India: the staggering fragmentation of primary healthcare. For the average urban professional, "health" is a series of disjointed transactions—a consultation here, a diagnostic test there, and a pharmacy run elsewhere. These fragmented journeys are not just inefficient; they are dangerous. When primary care lacks a central nervous system, outcomes suffer, and costs skyrocket. While many healthtech startups have burned through millions in venture capital trying to "acquire" the consumer, the real innovation lies in how we bridge the gap between wellness and the workplace.
Enter Prashant Kashyap, the co-founder of Connect and Heal (CNH Care). A serial entrepreneur who was a founding product leader at Goibibo and a key architect of growth at Halodoc, Prashant has returned to India with a "Swadesh" mission to solve the healthcare puzzle. By building a phygital platform that integrates 4,500+ ambulances, on-site corporate clinics, and AI-powered diagnostic reports, Connect and Heal is servicing over 8 million households. For Prashant, the goal isn't just to be another medical app; it's to be the "one platform" that ensures no Indian family has to navigate the maze of primary care alone.
The Connect and Heal Network
- 4,500+: Ambulances on the road daily, making CNH the largest aggregator in India.
- 550+: Fortune 500 and large-scale corporate clients using the platform.
- 8 Million: Households currently being served by the integrated ecosystem.
- 60 Seconds: The turnaround time to connect a patient with an online doctor 24/7.
The Problem: The "Disconnected" Primary Care Journey
The core problem Prashant identifies is simple: healthcare in India is broken into silos. "You may see a doctor, but then you have to go to a different platform for medicine and another for diagnostic tests," Prashant notes. "Even on platforms that claim to offer them all, the journey is rarely seamless. If the data doesn't flow between the test and the doctor, the result is misinformation."
Furthermore, he highlights the "Healthtech Economics" trap. Most B2C companies spend massive amounts on customer acquisition, but since a family only falls sick for maybe 10 days a year, there is no "lifetime value" to sustain the burn. "Acquisition and retention are the silent killers of healthtech," he explains. "We approach this differently. We go to the source: the employee."
The Zero-CAC Strategy
By partnering with 550+ corporates, Connect and Heal has solved the customer acquisition problem. The corporate pays for the infrastructure, and the employees get an integrated app for their entire household. This "B2B2C" model allows CNH to invest in clinical excellence rather than expensive digital ads.
The Technical Edge: Smart Reports and "Play" Reels
Connect and Heal isn't just a clinical provider; it's a Product and AI company. Their "Smart Report" system uses machine learning to synthesize diagnostic data into a personalized narrative. Instead of a patient googling their blood sugar values and getting terrified by misleading results, a CNH doctor explains the report via video or chat within 60 seconds of the report being ready.
Prashant is also launching the "Play Platform"—a short-form video interface designed for new-age consumption patterns. "Lactation is a huge challenge for new mothers, but instructions given in a groggy hospital stay are often forgotten," Prashant notes. "We are launching 30-to-60 second instructional videos—the Instagram format for healthcare—to provide high-quality medical guidance exactly when the user needs it."
The CNH Integrated Care Journey
- Preventive Check: On-site or home-based wellness screening for silent killers (hypertension, cardiac issues).
- ML Smart Report: Results are synthesized and anomaly-flagged by machine learning models.
- Immediate Consultation: 24/7 connectivity to a real doctor within 1 minute for report explanation.
- Actionable Wellness: Automated hydration challenges, smile challenges, and nutritional guidance to stay healthy for the other 350 days.
The Personal Journey: From Microsoft to Bankruptcy
Prashant’s career has been a rollercoaster of high-tech stability and entrepreneurial grit. After a stable stint at Microsoft, he co-founded Goibibo within the Walp incubation center. But it was his subsequent ventures that truly forged his character. Between 2016 and 2018, Prashant faced the "darker side" of entrepreneurship: a full bankruptcy.
"My cards were maxed out, and my kids were young," he recalls. "The biggest mistake a founder makes is not accepting defeat early. I put in all my money to revive a dying agency model. But God has been kind. That failure taught me the 'Focus, Alignment, and Momentum' framework that we use to run CNH today."
Healthcare Footprint: Traditional vs. CNH
- Traditional Giants: Footprint limited to 10-15 metros. No incentive to scale to tier-2 or tier-3 due to real estate costs.
- Connect and Heal: Asset-light, deep network of clinics and hospitals spanning India from Meerut to Tirupati.
- Household focus: While others focus on the city-dwelling employee, CNH takes care of the family back home in smaller towns.
Future Vision: Outcomes Over Transactions
As Connect and Heal continues to scale its Outpatient Network, Prashant remains focused on **outcome-based healthcare**. He believes the next phase of the company's growth will be driven by radical accessibility. By turning the smartphone into a primary care hub, they aim to serve the 40 million "employed households" that form the productive heart of the Indian economy.
"For a startup to succeed, you need three things: Focus, Alignment, and Momentum. Focus means doing only what aligns with your one goal. Momentum means never taking a break in your runup, or you'll lose the speed needed to take the wicket."
— Prashant KashyapPrashant’s Advice for the 400th Episode
The Founder's Playbook for Healthtech
- B2B is the Bedrock: If you want to scale healthtech in India, start with the corporate ecosystem to eliminate CAC.
- Accept Defeat Fast: Don't throw good money after bad. Use your learning to pivot to the next big problem.
- Trust the Swadesh Moment: Use your global scaling experience (like Halodoc) to save lives in your home country.
- Maintain Clinical Excellence: In healthcare, an MVP must be perfect. False negatives can cost lives.
Conclusion: A Seamless Future for India
The journey of Prashant Kashyap and Connect and Heal is a testament to the power of persistence. By recognizing that technology is the only bridge that can span India’s healthcare divide, they are building a future where health is no longer a series of fragmented appointments, but a continuous journey of care. As the ELI Podcast celebrates 400 episodes, the story of CNH Care stands as a beacon for what is possible when world-class tech meets a "Swadesh" heart.