Priya Vikrant Patil, Co-Founder
Dr. Vikrant Patil, Founder
Latent remains unknown until the fire strikes the wood. In a country like India, people always need directing hands from a trusted source to carry on the righteous path. The healthcare industry has been the guiding light for the generation in some of the unexpectedly important verticals for everyone to cherish the fruits from them. Audiology is among those, the developments of which has not only added significant value to a lot of human lives but also has taken the healthcare ecosystem to an elevated state. Ear Science Centre, extending its reaches from Hubli, Karnataka stands testimony to the transformed view towards audiology and speech therapy and paves the way for the next generation to grow up with the much-needed knowledge of the industry. “Since the inception, the team at Ear Science Centre has grown and currently employs qualified speech-language pathologists,audiologists,and psychologists and client care officers. We have currently established two clinics in Hubli, Karnataka and are specialised in hearing aids, cochlear implants and speech therapy”, says Dr. Vikrant Patil, Founder, Ear Science Centre.
A Founder's Journey
The awe and inspiration that gets deciphered out of the path crossed by Dr. Patil until he became an entrepreneur, portrays the intelligence and dedication of a man who was set to change the rules of the game. From the beginning, he had planned out of the box which was finally fulfilled in 2013 with the launch of Ear Science Centre. Being a local boy of Hubli, Dr. Vikrant completed his 12th standard and further pursued BASLP & MASLP at Manipal University for over a prolonged period of six years, where he completed his Master's degree in Audiology and Speech therapy. While most of his batch-mates took to working 9-5 or setting up clinics, Dr. Patil opted to teach at Manipal in order to impart education among the youth.
That was a time when Audiology was in its nascent stages. Dr. Vikrant, with an endeavour to explore the Audiology space, flew off to the United States of America and securedan AuD(The Doctor of Audiology) at University of Florida. In two years he was able to live up to it and gain the knowledge that he dreamt of and what our education system failed to provide. He explains, “Having done that, again I didn't want to immediately return to India because I wanted to work as per international standards and see how things are and gain that experience. So, I went to Australia where I started working. I started off as an intern where you get supervised and then moved up to get the license which I achieved in a span of five years. I was recognised by the Australian government and then for five years, I worked for a company called National Hearing Care. After that, I came to India and now it's been five years that I've been in India
that we've set up this clinic.”
The Audiology Industry: An Overview
In order to arrive at a conclusion, one must first make an overall analysis of the industry. As far as the audiology industry is concerned, there is a veil of complications involved. Dr. Vikrant states, “The current scenario is a bit tricky. On one side you have a huge opportunity with a lot of patients requiring the services. While on the other hand, because patients have very few options to choose from, sometimes they are misleading because there is a lot of demand but suppliers are few. There is a possibility that the patient can get a bit mishandled. Where we try to stand out is despite knowing that there is huge potential, we are not after huge numbers. It's not churning like a factory and we want it to grow like that.”
In terms of speech, when one talks of audiology clinics, most of them will only get hearing aids and nothing else because that's where the revenue comes in. The revenue is obviously important but what happens to the children who are born with hearing loss or children with speech problem? A cochlear implant is popular for children to treat the hearing loss but a lot of hard work required. With hearing aids, 3 hours of time is enough from testing to fitting a device but for a child, in order to implement the same, 3-3.5 years are required.
"Ear science centre is only 5 years old and has a long way to go. In line with the milestones it has been able to cover over the last years,the company has plans to penetrate the market in better and newer ways"
Ear Science Centre as the Disruptor
Hearing assessment is a very standard protocol which would be available everywhere. But in the case of children, Ear Science Centre would test their hearing to the finest decibel and accuracy. Testing adults is an easy process which is why it doesn't need many sophisticated instruments because an adult is always eligible for a response. This process is the same anywhere in India but the trick lies when it comes to testing children. A child will not give responses, it would not understand.
It has a specific set of tests which has tests like OAE, ASSR, Tympanometry and COCHLEAR microphonics. Based on these 5 tests, it is able to diagnose the nature of hearing the loss in case of a child. “When we talk about hearing aids, we are not associated only with one manufacturer. Right now, we are associated with Resound, Oticon, Cochlear, Sivantos, Seimens & Interacoustics which are some of the leading audiology equipment manufacturers in the world”, asserts Dr. Vikrant.
As the Hard Work Paid
The cost of cochlear implants for children can cost up to 8.5 lakhs in India. For the middle and lower middle class to bear this kind of cost is a little too burdensome. Ear Science Centre started posting CSR letters to established corporations acting in India. One such letter also reached the mailbox of Ratan Tata and he reverted back offering help and appreciation. He had shown empathy towards the cause and appreciated Dr. Vikrant for his dedication towards his countrymen.
The Audiology Industry: An Overview
In order to arrive at a conclusion, one must first make an overall analysis of the industry. As far as the audiology industry is concerned, there is a veil of complications involved. Dr. Vikrant states, “The current scenario is a bit tricky. On one side you have a huge opportunity with a lot of patients requiring the services. While on the other hand, because patients have very few options to choose from, sometimes they are misleading because there is a lot of demand but suppliers are few. There is a possibility that the patient can get a bit mishandled. Where we try to stand out is despite knowing that there is huge potential, we are not after huge numbers. It's not churning like a factory and we want it to grow like that.”
In terms of speech, when one talks of audiology clinics, most of them will only get hearing aids and nothing else because that's where the revenue comes in. The revenue is obviously important but what happens to the children who are born with hearing loss or children with speech problem? A cochlear implant is popular for children to treat the hearing loss but a lot of hard work required. With hearing aids, 3 hours of time is enough from testing to fitting a device but for a child, in order to implement the same, 3-3.5 years are required.
"Ear science centre is only 5 years old and has a long way to go. In line with the milestones it has been able to cover over the last years,the company has plans to penetrate the market in better and newer ways"
Ear Science Centre as the Disruptor
Hearing assessment is a very standard protocol which would be available everywhere. But in the case of children, Ear Science Centre would test their hearing to the finest decibel and accuracy. Testing adults is an easy process which is why it doesn't need many sophisticated instruments because an adult is always eligible for a response. This process is the same anywhere in India but the trick lies when it comes to testing children. A child will not give responses, it would not understand.
It has a specific set of tests which has tests like OAE, ASSR, Tympanometry and COCHLEAR microphonics. Based on these 5 tests, it is able to diagnose the nature of hearing the loss in case of a child. “When we talk about hearing aids, we are not associated only with one manufacturer. Right now, we are associated with Resound, Oticon, Cochlear, Sivantos, Seimens & Interacoustics which are some of the leading audiology equipment manufacturers in the world”, asserts Dr. Vikrant.
As the Hard Work Paid
The cost of cochlear implants for children can cost up to 8.5 lakhs in India. For the middle and lower middle class to bear this kind of cost is a little too burdensome. Ear Science Centre started posting CSR letters to established corporations acting in India. One such letter also reached the mailbox of Ratan Tata and he reverted back offering help and appreciation. He had shown empathy towards the cause and appreciated Dr. Vikrant for his dedication towards his countrymen.
"The AWE and inspiration that gets deciphered out of the path crossed by Dr. Patil until he became an entrepreneur, portrays the intelligence and dedication of a man who was set to change the rules of the game"
He states, “That's how our cochlear implant program started. We asked for the funding of two kids and we assured them about updating them regularly on how the money is getting spent and how is someone getting benefited from it. Tata trust provided us with the capital. After that Tata trusts helped us with a few more cases and donations from other sources also became available. As of now, we have provided 40 children with cochlear implants.”
Team Ear Science Centre
Plans for the Future
Ear Science Centre is only five years old and has a long way to go. In line with the milestones it has been able to cover over the last years, the company has plans to penetrate the market in better and newer ways. Dr. Vikrant remains optimistic about the success and feels happy to serve the sector of people who are in need of help. He concludes, “We want to create a mobile clinic where in we have selected 3 cities and we fix dates. We wish to work it out with the local hospital asking for a parking space as the clinic will have everything within that. We have a soft prototype ready and once that is done we could be in three cities for 10 days each and regularise it eventually.”
Location And Overview:
Established in the year 2013, year science centre in vidyanagar hubli, is a top player in the category of hearing aid dealers. This well-known establishment acts as a one-stop destination servicing customers both local and from other parts of hubli. Over the course of its journey, this business has established a firm foothold in its industry. The belief that customer satisfaction is as important as their products and services, have helped this establishment garner a vast base of customers, which continues to grow by the day. This business employs individuals thatare dedicated towards their respective roles and put in a lot of effort to achieve the common vision and larger goals of the company. In the near future, this business aims to expand its line of products and services and cater to a larger client base. It is known to provide top service in the following categories: hearing aids, cochlear implants and speech therapy
Products And Services Offered:
Ear science centre has a wide range of products and services to cater to the varied requirements of their customers. The staff is courteous and prompt at providing any assistance. They readily answer any queries or questions that you may have. Pay for the product or service with ease by using any of the available modes of payment, such as cash, cheques, master card, debit cards, visa card, credit card, american express card
He states, “That's how our cochlear implant program started. We asked for the funding of two kids and we assured them about updating them regularly on how the money is getting spent and how is someone getting benefited from it. Tata trust provided us with the capital. After that Tata trusts helped us with a few more cases and donations from other sources also became available. As of now, we have provided 40 children with cochlear implants.”
Team Ear Science Centre
Plans for the Future
Ear Science Centre is only five years old and has a long way to go. In line with the milestones it has been able to cover over the last years, the company has plans to penetrate the market in better and newer ways. Dr. Vikrant remains optimistic about the success and feels happy to serve the sector of people who are in need of help. He concludes, “We want to create a mobile clinic where in we have selected 3 cities and we fix dates. We wish to work it out with the local hospital asking for a parking space as the clinic will have everything within that. We have a soft prototype ready and once that is done we could be in three cities for 10 days each and regularise it eventually.”
Location And Overview:
Established in the year 2013, year science centre in vidyanagar hubli, is a top player in the category of hearing aid dealers. This well-known establishment acts as a one-stop destination servicing customers both local and from other parts of hubli. Over the course of its journey, this business has established a firm foothold in its industry. The belief that customer satisfaction is as important as their products and services, have helped this establishment garner a vast base of customers, which continues to grow by the day. This business employs individuals thatare dedicated towards their respective roles and put in a lot of effort to achieve the common vision and larger goals of the company. In the near future, this business aims to expand its line of products and services and cater to a larger client base. It is known to provide top service in the following categories: hearing aids, cochlear implants and speech therapy
Products And Services Offered:
Ear science centre has a wide range of products and services to cater to the varied requirements of their customers. The staff is courteous and prompt at providing any assistance. They readily answer any queries or questions that you may have. Pay for the product or service with ease by using any of the available modes of payment, such as cash, cheques, master card, debit cards, visa card, credit card, american express card
.jpg "Ear Science Centre: Specialized in hearing aids, cochlear implants and speech therapy")