India reported 97 maternal deaths per 1,00,000 live births between 2018-20, as per Press Information Bureau, Government of India.

A staggering 54% of mothers in rural India miss crucial antenatal check-ups, compared to 68.1% in urban areas. This gap leads to untreated complications and significantly impacts maternal health.

"High-risk mothers are usually identified in the third trimester, it’s often too late to manage complications before labour," explains Tamil Nadu-based Senthil Kumar Murugesan.

His personal experience with his sister's pregnancy in 2016, where hospital visits were difficult, inspired him to create a solution.

After creating a simple device for his sister, Senthil wanted to help more women, especially in rural areas. An electronics engineer, he founded JioVio Healthcare in 2019 to address the antenatal care gap.

His startup developed an AI tool that predicts high-risk pregnancies during the second trimester, enabling early intervention to reduce risks.

JioVio’s device, AlloTricorder, enables healthcare workers to monitor vital parameters like blood pressure, blood glucose, ECG, and temperature. This data is digitally transferred to the app, providing remote monitoring to improve maternal health.

“The data collected at hospitals is the same as what we capture at home. Our idea was to gather this data right at the patient’s home,” Senthil says.

The Allowear, a smart wearable, tracks vital signs like sleep cycle, pulse rate, and steps. Designed for high-risk pregnancies, it also sends timely reminders for medications. ASHA workers retrieve data via Bluetooth and upload it to the cloud for doctor review.

JioVio's service costs only Rs 1 per day, covered by the government. The wearable devices are part of a comprehensive programme to reduce maternal mortality and improve maternal health.

Since 2019, JioVio Healthcare has supported over 30 lakh mothers across 14,328 villages in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Kerala. Their 1,000-day care programme has helped 7,320 high-risk pregnant women so far.

Senthil reports a 10% reduction in maternal mortality in the regions where JioVio operates and aims to expand its services to North and Northeast India.

"This work gives me immense gratification. It’s fulfilling to see we are able to save lives with our devices," he concludes.