Practo: The Startup That Changed How India Visits a Doctor

From a Personal Problem to a Healthcare Revolution

In India, visiting a doctor once meant long waiting hours, misplaced prescriptions, endless phone calls for appointments, and uncertainty about finding the right specialist. Healthcare was fragmented, offline, and often stressful for patients. Then came Practo, a startup that quietly transformed the way millions of Indians interact with healthcare.

What started as a simple solution to organize medical records eventually grew into one of India’s most recognized healthcare technology platforms. Practo did not merely build an app; it built a bridge between patients, doctors, clinics, hospitals, and diagnostics in a country where healthcare accessibility has long been a challenge.

Today, Practo stands as one of the strongest examples of how technology can simplify healthcare at scale.

A Small Beginning Rooted in a Real-Life Struggle

The story of Practo began in 2008 when co-founder Shashank ND witnessed a frustrating healthcare experience involving his father’s medical treatment. His family struggled to manage paper prescriptions and medical records during repeated doctor visits. Something as basic as accessing previous health information became difficult and time-consuming.

That personal experience sparked an idea: what if healthcare records and doctor interactions could become digital, organized, and accessible?

Along with co-founder Abhinav Lal, Shashank started working on a healthcare platform from Bengaluru. The founders were young engineers, not doctors, but they understood a major gap in India’s healthcare ecosystem, the lack of connected digital infrastructure.

Initially, Practo focused on creating software for doctors and clinics to manage patient records and appointments efficiently. It was a business-to-business healthcare software product at first, not the patient-facing giant people know today.

Building Trust in a Sensitive Industry

Healthcare is not like food delivery or e-commerce. People are cautious when sharing medical information or choosing doctors online. Practo’s biggest challenge in its early years was trust. Doctors were hesitant to move from paper-based systems to digital platforms. Many clinics lacked technological familiarity. Patients, too, were not accustomed to booking appointments online.

Practo tackled this challenge patiently. Instead of chasing rapid expansion immediately, the company focused on solving practical problems for doctors. Its clinic management software helped practitioners maintain records, schedule appointments, manage billing, and improve efficiency.

Slowly, clinics began adopting the system. Once doctors trusted the platform, patients followed. This gradual ecosystem-building approach became one of Practo’s strongest competitive advantages.

The Rise of Digital Healthcare in India

As smartphone usage increased in India during the 2010s, Practo expanded beyond clinic software into a full healthcare discovery and consultation platform.

Patients could now:

• Search verified doctors
• Read reviews
• Book appointments instantly
• Access digital prescriptions
• Consult specialists online
• Order medicines
• Schedule diagnostic tests

At a time when healthcare information was scattered and unreliable, Practo created transparency. Patients could compare doctors, check availability, and make informed decisions without depending solely on word-of-mouth recommendations.

This shift fundamentally changed urban healthcare behavior in India.

For many working professionals, online appointment booking became far more convenient than waiting endlessly on phone calls. For doctors, digital visibility brought more patients and streamlined operations. Practo essentially became a healthcare marketplace powered by trust and technology.

Telemedicine Became Practo’s Biggest Turning Point

While Practo had already built a strong healthcare platform, the COVID-19 pandemic became a defining moment for the company.

During lockdowns, hospitals were overwhelmed, movement was restricted, and people feared physical clinic visits. Suddenly, telemedicine was no longer optional, it became essential.

Practo quickly scaled its online consultation services, enabling patients to consult doctors remotely through video, audio, and chat consultations. This period accelerated digital healthcare adoption across India by several years.

People who had never imagined speaking to a doctor online began using teleconsultation comfortably. Practo became one of the major platforms helping patients access healthcare safely during uncertain times.

The company also played a key role in:

• Digital healthcare accessibility
• Remote consultations in smaller cities
• Continuity of care during lockdowns
• Online mental health consultations
• Home diagnostics and medicine delivery

The pandemic validated Practo’s long-term vision that healthcare could become more connected, efficient, and technology-driven.

Expanding Beyond India’s Metro Cities

One of Practo’s significant achievements has been taking digital healthcare beyond metropolitan cities. India’s healthcare system suffers from uneven doctor distribution. Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities often face shortages of specialists and organized healthcare infrastructure.

Through online consultations, Practo helped reduce geographical barriers. Patients from smaller towns could connect with experienced doctors from larger cities without travelling long distances.

This shift highlighted the broader social impact of digital healthcare platforms. Practo was not just building convenience for urban users; it was helping improve healthcare access across regions. The company also expanded internationally in markets such as Southeast Asia, though India remained its core focus.

Challenges, Competition, and the Road Ahead

Like every major startup, Practo has faced its share of challenges. The healthcare technology sector became highly competitive with new health-tech startups entering diagnostics, pharmacy delivery, consultations, and insurance integration.

The company also had to balance growth with profitability while managing operational complexity in a highly regulated sector.

Yet Practo’s biggest strength continues to be its integrated healthcare ecosystem. Unlike platforms focused on just one healthcare service, Practo operates across consultations, diagnostics, records, practice management, and patient engagement.

Looking ahead, the future of healthcare in India is expected to become increasingly digital. Artificial intelligence, electronic health records, preventive healthcare, and personalized medicine are likely to shape the next decade. Practo is positioned to play a significant role in this transformation.

Its long-term vision appears larger than appointment booking. The company aims to become a connected healthcare platform where every part of a patient’s medical journey, from discovery to diagnosis to follow-up care, becomes digitally seamless.

More Than a Startup, A Healthcare Habit

Practo’s journey reflects how startups can create lasting impact by solving real problems patiently and consistently.

The company did not become successful overnight. It grew by understanding the everyday frustrations of patients and doctors and simplifying them through technology.

Today, for millions of Indians, booking a doctor online feels normal. Accessing prescriptions digitally feels convenient. Speaking to a doctor through a mobile phone feels natural. A decade ago, these ideas sounded futuristic. Practo helped make them a reality.

And in doing so, it changed not just healthcare technology in India, but also the way people experience healthcare itself.