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Dettol Banega Swasth India Accelerator Spotlights 21 Innovations Transforming Maternal And Child Health

Dettol Banega Swasth India Accelerator Spotlights 21 Innovations Transforming Maternal And Child Health

New Delhi: Reckitt aims to transform maternal and child healthcare in India by introducing innovative technologies and solutions. To accelerate this mission, Reckitt, in partnership with PATH and the Centre for Health Research and Innovation (CHRI), has launched the Dettol Banega Swasth India Tech Accelerator, a platform to identify, nurture, and scale impactful health innovations. The Tech Accelerator is a platform to extend healthcare access to remote areas. It will serve as a dynamic hub, uniting innovators, policymakers, and health sector leaders to drive this mission forward.

For this, 21 promising innovations have been shortlisted, targeting challenges in maternal and child health, including newborn care, maternal well-being, nutrition, diagnostics, and early childhood development.

Also Read: Bridging Care Gaps With Dettol Banega Swasth India Maternal and Child Health Tech Accelerator

These innovations address pressing healthcare gaps in India and other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with the potential to significantly reduce mortality, morbidity, and developmental delays in mothers and children. The accelerator rigorously evaluated hundreds of technologies from startups, nonprofits, and research institutions, basing selections on the innovations’ effectiveness, usability at healthcare levels, scalability, cost-efficiency, and ability to serve underserved populations.

The 21 identified innovations represent a diverse set of solutions — from portable neonatal warmers to AI-powered screening tools — all aimed at enhancing health outcomes during the critical first 1,000 days of life, which are fundamental for the long-term development of a child.

Here is the list of shortlisted innovators and the categories they cater to:

NEWBORN AND CHILD HEALTH

NeoWarm by Latent Heat2Comfort Technologies Pvt. Ltd.: A life-saving warmth packed in a bag, NeoWarm is a non-electric, instant warm blanket for low birthweight and premature newborns to prevent hypothermia during transport and at healthcare facilities, enabling mother-baby bonding and enhancing neonatal survival.
Impact: So far, it has supported 600 neonates across seven states in India and around 100 babies in Yemen (through Med Global, USA).
Certifications/Achievements: It has been recognised as an innovation contributing to National Missions, NeoWarm is the winner of the SAKSHAM MNCH AAVISHKAR challenge, the Modi Prix-Galien India Award, Grand Challenges Canada Stars in Global Health, and WIN Foundation grants, and was among the top 3 innovations at the National Neonatology Forum’s NeoCon.

SAANS by InAccel Technologies Pvt Ltd.: SAANS is a portable neonatal CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) device designed to prevent respiratory distress in newborns caused by birth asphyxia. With India experiencing about 650,000 newborn deaths annually, breathing problems remain one of the leading causes. This device offers vital respiratory support in rural and low-resource areas, helping reduce avoidable newborn deaths.
Impact: SAANS is placed in 22 states across India, saving 150,000 babies. It has been deployed in several districts and secondary-level hospitals across the country and has demonstrated the ability to deliver safe neonatal CPAP in low-resource settings.
Certifications/Achievements: The product is commercially available and has received certification from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) and the FDA.

SIMBU (Simulator Baby Ultrasound) by NEO SCAN India Healthcare LLP: A neonatal ultrasound simulator offering hands-on training to clinicians for acquiring and interpreting ultrasound views, improving diagnostic skills and neonatal care quality. The simulator contains ultrasound videos of all body regions, e.g. brain, heart, lungs, lines, etc., and clinicians can get real-time experience of performing an ultrasound on a baby.

Remidio’s Medios HI-ROP by Remidio Innovative Solutions Pvt Ltd: An AI-powered, offline software for point-of-care Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) screening that enables timely identification and triage of eye conditions in premature babies, preventing childhood blindness. It functions entirely offline, ensuring use in low-infrastructure environments and generates reports within seconds.
Certifications/Achievements: The product has achieved Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 9, which means it is commercially available.

ChARM (Children’s Automated Respiratory Monitor) by ChARM Healthcare B.V.: An automated respiratory monitor that measures and classifies respiratory rates in children, improving pneumonia diagnosis accuracy and enabling timely treatment in resource-limited settings. ChARM accurately counts breathing rates following WHO guidelines, reducing mistakes and ensuring consistent results. It can be used up to 300 times before needing a recharge and costs less than Rs 22 per screening, making it affordable and easy to use in many places.
Impact: The ChARM device has been developed and clinically validated in the Netherlands and deployed across Asia and Africa as an accessible solution for pneumonia diagnosis in children under five.
Certification/Achievements: The device holds CE Class I certification, with CE Class II certification expected by December 2025. Achievements include interest from the Ministry of Health in Uganda to conduct a feasibility trial for national inclusion, and positive feedback from pilot users in India, Malawi, Mali, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Pakistan.

Also Read: Press Release: Reckitt – PATH-CHRI Launch Dettol Banega Swasth India – Maternal and Child Health Tech Accelerator

MATERNAL AND WOMEN’S HEALTH

High Risk Pregnancy Assistant by ARTPARK: A multilingual, AI-based chatbot for auxiliary nurse midwives providing real-time, context-specific guidance on managing high-risk pregnancies, enhancing early detection and care.
Certification/Achievements: It is the winner of the Global Grand Challenges for Equitable AI by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and was featured by Bill Gates as one of the five coolest global innovations.

CareMother AnandiMaa by Doto Health (CareMother): A low-cost IoT kit with digital point-of-care devices and a mobile app to support frontline workers offering doorstep antenatal and postnatal care for early risk identification. It consists of a ‘Clinic-in-Box portable kit’ including digital point-of-care testing devices carried by the midwife. The mobile app for health workers is a simple-to-use application with a decision support tool for early identification of high-risk pregnancies.
Certification/Achievements: The project received seed-stage equity from Social Alpha and grants from MeitY, Wellcome Trust/THSTI, and others, collaborating with top institutions like Oxford and IIT Delhi. It has received 15 awards, including the UK-India Healthtech Accelerator Award 2025 and the Stanford Medicine Bronze Award.

AMRIT (Accessible Medical Records via Integrated Technologies) Platform – Utprerona (FLW) by Piramal Foundation: A data-driven Public Health Ready EHR solution designed specifically to overcome longstanding healthcare delivery challenges in rural and low-resource settings.
Certification/Achievements: The project has received major grants from USAID, BMGF, and CIFF supporting its impact and scalability, and is ABDM certified. It has also won the Times of India Social Impact Award and the UNDP Future of Government Award.

SaveMom AI Platform by SaveMom Pvt Ltd.: An AI-driven continuous maternal and child health monitoring platform with wearables and decision support, tracking pregnancy and child development during the critical first 1,000 days.
Certification/Achievements: It has received multiple awards, including the Saksham MNCH Aavishkar Challenge (USAID) Best Maternal Innovation 2023, TiE Matrix Best Scalable Startup Award 2023, TEDCO Best Tech Startup of the Year 2023, among others.

SCINTIGLO by Cutting Edge Medical Devices Pvt Ltd: A rapid point-of-care device detecting microproteinuria to screen early kidney involvement in pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia, aiding timely intervention.
Certification/Achievements: The innovation has received multiple prestigious national and international recognitions, including Champion of the DREAM STARTUP CHALLENGE 2016 and the title of “Most Promising Startup 2016” by the Federation of MP Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Ellavi Uterine Balloon Tamponade (UBT) by NUVEOS TECH LLP: A fully assembled uterine balloon device to rapidly control postpartum haemorrhage, reducing mortality and the need for surgical interventions.
Certification/Achievements: Over the past five years, 20,000 units have been sold in India. The product has CDSCO-DGCI approval and has received orders from state governments including Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana, and various government hospitals.

Also Read: Reckitt’s Diarrhoea Net Zero Future: Reaching 1.4 Million Rural Households In Fight Against The Disease

EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT DURING FIRST 1,000 DAYS

The Prodigy Baby App & Framework by Raising Superstars: A screen-free, science-backed early childhood development programme with micro-activities for caregivers to nurture cognitive, language, motor, social, and creative growth in children aged 0–6 years.
Impact: Over 1.8 million families in more than 150 countries use this framework, with 75,000 active monthly users seeing developmental progress in 3–6 weeks.
Certification/Achievements: The company won Shark Tank India Season 1, ranked 4th globally in EdTech by Times, joined Anjal Z Techstars UAE, and raised Series A funding led by BLinC Invest.

End-to-end Fetal Maternal and Newborn Monitoring System by Janitri Innovations: An affordable, portable medical-grade monitoring system tracking vital pregnancy and newborn parameters with AI-powered risk prediction and alerts. The innovation targets the critical first 1,000 days—from pregnancy to a child’s second birthday.
Impact: The solution has been deployed across more than 800 hospitals, monitoring over 200,000 mothers.
Certification/Achievements: It has been featured on Shark Tank India Season 2 and recognised through several prestigious awards, including being named among the NASSCOM Emerge 50 Top Innovators, receiving the 6th Patient Innovation Award, the ET MSME Award, and the Sankalp Bharat Award.

Baby Warmth Bundle (TempWatch Hypothermia Alert Device & KangaSling KMC Tool) by BEMPU Health: Premature and low-birthweight newborns are highly vulnerable to hypothermia, one of the silent causes of neonatal deaths. This bundle includes two affordable combined solutions to help eradicate injury from neonatal hypothermia in hospital and home or community settings. TempWatch is a bracelet that continuously monitors a newborn’s temperature and alerts parents if the baby is cold, enabling timely Kangaroo Care. The KangaSling is an ergonomic sling made specifically for babies weighing under 2.5 kg, providing better support than regular wraps or towels.
Impact: TempWatch and KangaSling have helped over 150,000 newborns in 23 countries.
Certification/Achievements: The ChARM project has secured $2 million from Saving Lives At Birth (USAID, Gates Foundation, GCC, and others), $500,000 from Grand Challenges Canada, and $300,000 from the Gates Foundation. It was also recognized as one of TIME Magazine’s Top Inventions of 2017.

Neuroscience-based Toys (BrainyTots) by BrainyTots: Stage-based early learning kits designed to support brain development in infants and toddlers through safe, purposeful play aligned with paediatric milestones. So far, over 10,000 babies in more than 900 areas have benefited from turning playtime into brain-building moments. Each box offers preventive healthcare, fun learning, and reassurance for parents.
Certification/Achievements: The brand won Best Montessori Brand 2025 and was featured in Corporate Tycoons Magazine as a top early childhood startup.

Sohum Newborn Hearing Screening Device by Sohum Innovation Labs: An innovative, non-invasive, and safe medical device paired with a telemedicine-enabled system that facilitates large-scale newborn hearing screening and timely intervention in resource-constrained settings.
Impact: The device is used in India and four other countries including Tanzania, Uganda, Bhutan, and Guatemala.
Certification/Achievements: It is partnered with five state governments and private hospitals like Apollo, Manipal, and Rainbow in multiple cities across India.

NUTRITION AND BLOOD HEALTH

Gazelle HB Variant Diagnostic Device by Avisa Swasthya Pvt Ltd / Hemex Health: Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and Beta Thalassemia are among the most common inherited blood disorders in India, affecting tribal and disadvantaged communities. This device is a rapid, portable battery-operated diagnostic tool that detects sickle cell disease, beta thalassemia, and anaemia variants at point-of-care without lab infrastructure.
Impact: Gazelle has been used in Odisha for a year at primary and community healthcare levels. Over 1 million patients have been tested at more than 1,500 PHC/CHC sites under the National Sickle Cell Anemia Elimination Mission.

Nutrition-based Machine Learning (ML) Predictive Model by American India Foundation: An AI-driven model embedded in frontline workflows predicting children under two at risk of growth faltering for timely nutrition interventions. It shifts undernutrition management from reactive to preventive care in early childhood.
Impact: This solution has proven its effectiveness through AIF’s SNEH program, which helped over 23,000 children in 700 Anganwadi centres across Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Odisha. It received the ‘CSRUniverse COVID Response Impact Award, 2021’ for its efforts during the pandemic.

TrueHb Nord by Wrig Nanosystems Pvt Ltd: A self-use, non-invasive haemoglobin meter enabling rapid anaemia screening at home or clinics, helping pregnant women prevent maternal iron deficiency effects.
Certification/Achievements: The product is approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO).

EzeCheck by EzeRx Health Tech Pvt Ltd.: A non-invasive, portable, easy-to-use haemoglobin screening device delivering instant results without blood samples, supporting early anaemia detection in community settings.
Impact: EzeCheck is available in over 13 countries and more than 21 states.
Certification/Achievements: The product has won multiple awards, including 1st Runner-Up at the TATA Social Enterprise Challenge (2018), Gold at the Aarohan Social Innovation Awards (2020), and the India–Sweden Healthcare Innovation Challenge at Expo 2020 Dubai (2022), among others.

Vivaray HB and HB Pro by Bosch Global Software Technologies: Non-invasive haemoglobin meters offering fast, painless anaemia screening with zero consumables, aimed at improving maternal and child health through early diagnosis.
Certification/Achievements: The product holds two patents and is approved by CDSCO under MDR 2017.

Transforming Maternal And Child Health

The innovators under the Dettol Banega Swasth India Tech Accelerator showcase a powerful spectrum of life-saving technologies that address crucial gaps in maternal and child health. By combining accessibility, affordability, usability in low-resource settings, and scientific rigour, these innovations have the potential to significantly reduce maternal and neonatal mortality, prevent childhood blindness and developmental delays, improve early disease detection, and strengthen frontline health systems. The Dettol Banega Swasth India initiative and its Tech Accelerator will advance India’s progress towards better maternal and child health.

NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which in its Season 10 is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Ayushmann Khurrana. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In a world post COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental well-being, self-care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.

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