Leaders

Women’s bodies often bear the brunt of today’s fast-paced world. High stress, poor nutrition, inadequate sleep, and a sedentary lifestyle have contributed to a surge in lifestyle-related diseases. One of the most prevalent conditions affecting millions of women is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), a disorder that impacts not only hormone levels but also affects overall well-being.

Biomedical researcher turned entrepreneur, Aparna Krishnan, has firsthand experience dealing with PCOS. As a consumer, she saw how women's healthcare concerns were sidelined, noticed insufficient solutions in the market, and decided to solve them as an entrepreneur. In 2024, she founded Durva Life to help individuals suffering from complex health concerns find long-term holistic solutions, especially for conditions like PCOS, menstrual irregularities, and other gynecological issues.

To build Durva Life, Aparna, along with her cofounder and technical collaborators, turned to Ayurveda, a 5,000-year-old Indian healing science, and holistic wellness. Aparna believes that combining herbs, mindful nutrition, and self-care rituals can help women harmonize hormones and rediscover vitality. As a biomedical researcher, Aparna demonstrated how science, combined with traditional expertise, could be translated into a real-world context. She brought a new concept of digital health collaborating with Ayurvedic legacy focused on women's health and menstrual wellness, which drove fruitful results.

Tell us about your experience as a Biomedical Researcher. What led you to switch from biomedical research to digital health as an entrepreneur?

Science has always fascinated me. I pursued a BA in Microbiology from the University of Chicago and an MSc in molecular genetics and microbiology from Duke University. My experience working at Argonne, a facility regulated by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), was unique since it allowed me to work with various highly infectious diseases that had significant global health impacts. As a young researcher, this experience helped me understand the larger effect that research and scientific innovation could have on humanity. I made the shift from biomedical research to HealthTech due to its increasing relevance in today’s world and the ability to combine clinical innovation with modern technology. Digital health was relatively new in India, but with the COVID-19 pandemic, the field has exploded. There was increased access to new technologies and AI. I saw the potential for faster experimentation and greater impact on the Indian ecosystem, particularly in areas like genetic testing for cancers. My understanding of the science behind digital health and its impact on the Indian population made me appreciate it further. I also came to better understand the different business models that work within the field of HealthTech and its potential for India and Southeast Asia.

What led you to co-found Durva Life? Tell us about the underlying idea behind the venture and its key areasof expertise.

Durva Life was created due to the significant gap in women's health research, with women often excluded from drug trials before the late '90s. The complexity of women's bodies, including conditions like PCOS and endometriosis, has been ignored, leading to ineffective solutions and a lack of awareness. The goal is to create long-term solutions that not only manage symptoms but also address the root cause, preventing women from becoming dependent on outdated treatments.

My Co-Founder and I partnered with our scientific collaborators, a clinical pharmacologist with a 130- year legacy in Ayurveda, who realized that PCOS and other menstrual health concerns are significant areas that need to be addressed. Together, we developed an Ayurvedic combination solution specifically for PCOS and menstrual wellness, which showed nearly 87 percent better results than the clinical standard of care.

We went on to successfully conduct a larger-scale clinical trial, with the same data patterns showing up consistently with more than 100 different women. We also interviewed women who were struggling with PCOS, endometriosis, fertility, menstrual imbalances, and difficult periods. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated these issues, and we wanted to create a solution that would be as rigorous, safe, and effective as any other pharmaceutical product and address the needs of these women.

What are the most significant professional milestones you have achieved over the years? What has your ‘success mantra’ been?

One of the most exciting milestones was getting to work on select agent research with the U.S. Department of Defense to see the real-world impact of science and innovation and publishing a paper as a young researcher. Then, transitioning into venture capital was another big shift for me. I learned about how the space works, what makes a business model successful, and I got to be part of India’s startup and investor ecosystem. Becoming the venture partner for Verge HealthTech in India has also been a great experience. Being able to contribute insights on global health models and seeing how they scale here has been interesting.

Most importantly, founding Durva Life has been incredibly fulfilling, especially hearing from our very first customer who loved the product and came back to buy again. That kind of feedback keeps me going and reminds me why I am in this space. My success mantra is rooted in creating impact and changing people’s lives, which is why I enjoy working in healthcare.

How will India’s health-tech landscape evolve in the near future?

Post-COVID, healthcare has seen a surge in interest in telemedicine and digital models, but many have tried to replicate U.S. models without adapting them for the India markets. One big takeaway is that omnichannel healthcare, blending digital with physical, is here to stay, with doctors playing a key role.

We are also seeing a shift toward verticalized models, focused plays in areas like oncology, nephrology, pediatrics, and ophthalmology, where the care pathways and consumer needs are very different. These specialized, omnichannel approaches are likely to perform well. Insurance innovation is also rapidly evolving, with bite-sized and flexible models being developed to serve different economic and occupational backgrounds. I think women’s health and fertility have already taken off, but innovation is needed to improve clinical outcomes.

Lastly, today’s seniors are more independent and tech-savvy, and with family structures changing, their needs are changing, too. We can expect more innovation and investment flowing into that space.

Aparna Krishnan, Co-Founder & CEO, Durva Life

Aparna Krishnan is the Co-Founder and CEO of Durva Life, a company established in 2024 that focuses on providing holistic solutions for complex health concerns, particularly women's health issues like PCOS and menstrual irregularities. With a background in biomedical research and HealthTech investing, she, along with her team's 130-year-old Ayurvedic legacy, developed effective and safe formulations to enhance women's wellness. Aparna had an extensive career in biomedical research, working at the United States Defense on highly pathogenic agents for biosafety purposes and later transitioning into HeathTech investing in India, evaluating life sciences, and core healthcare innovations.