Design Dose Talk Series

Date: 27/10/11
Speaker: Ratanjit Sohal
Topic: Design & entrepreneurship in Health-care

Mr Ratanjit Sohal has worked with GE healthcare for five years where he worked on various 

projects as Project manager and developed products like C Arm and Motorized Value 

Cathlab Subsystems and also generated four international patents. Mr Ratanjit 

has six years of rich Turnkey Product Design Consultancy experience that includes 

development of India's first fully motorized Mobile Cathlab platform for ALPHA X RAY 

which got acquired by PHILIPS HEALTHCARE.He is also founder and director of 

'Uttejna Technology', A Design consultancy firm with cross functional core competencies, has
specialization in Medical Equipment Domain.

After having experience of organizing first talk we were confident and we knew what to expect from the speaker. In second talk all first years were on time, Prof Saleem Ahmed and some of seniors were also present. Mr Ratanjit is from the first batch of the CPDM and he looked very professional. But soon as he started his talk it was clear to us he was very friendly and cool. There are hardly few people who want to speak about their failure but he talked a lot about his failures and learning from them. His talk had two parts, first one was about entrepreneurship and second was about product design in health-care. I'm briefing the main points he mentioned in his talk:

• One must focus on one idea rather than collecting hundreds of ideas. Sooner of later, we have to concentrate on one idea and work on it to put it into practice.
• There are no angel investors in reality so be careful when you approach them. Don't present what you want to do rather present what he/she wants to listen. Don't try to be social worker, try to show that investor will have profit.
• Don't design only 'Economical' products, rather design products which have value for money. Ferrari and Tata nano, both have value for money for different segment of customers.
• During design phase keep documentation of each step and changes introduced. This helps when product is in market and you start getting feedback to make changes which you have avoided. Documentation is boring but we must do it.
• Treat your design as your baby and don't be too possessive about it. If somebody else wants to market it or make it, allow them to do it. In the end, what matters is to see the product in market. This will give you a lot of confidence and satisfaction.
• Work for five years in industry to make contacts, get experience and then start your own venture. Once you have made your reputation in a company, clients of that company will know you and once you start your venture same clients can give you assignments.

Talk ended making us aware of ground reality and the hurdles one has cross on his/her way to entrepreneurship.  He showed the products developed by his team but couldn't show the ongoing projects because we requested for recording the talk. So we decided not to record any talk to get maximum benefit from the speakers.


Above content is summarized from my notes and memory which may deviate from speaker's personal view.