Latest news with #HarshPokharna
Time of India
03-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Cancer care startup Onco pulls down shutters as unit economics bite
Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills Bengaluru-based cancer care Onco has shut its operations, according to Harsh Pokharna, cofounder and chief executive of fintech firm OkCredit, who had invested in Onco in provided online consultancy for cancer patients by being an aggregator platform for hospitals. It also allowed patients to book cancer treatment packages , talk to other patients and get medicines Amit Jotwani, an oncologist, and IIT Kanpur alumnus Rashie Jain founded Onco in 2016. It later got acquired by Apollo Hospitals Group, according to the LinkedIn profiles of the platform had raised over $7 million from top investors, including Accel and Chiratae Ventures, among others, according to Pokharna's LinkedIn post.'They (Onco) also built a strong brand. At their peak, they had 25,000+ visitors and over 1,000 unique leads (cancer patients) every month—all organic, across their website, app, and social channels,' Pokharna said in his post, adding that they thought hospitals would see value in partnering with it. However, it didn't turn out to be so. He further explained the issues that Onco faced in scaling, despite being backed by venture capital firms and investors.'Hospitals in India hold all the power. They don't really need you. Your margins get eaten alive by collections and compliance costs,' he he mentioned that customers don't pay enough for online-only services, and while offline presence is necessary, it is capital-intensive.'Digital is great for leads, but it can't be your whole business. Unit economics just don't work with digital-only solutions because of low ARPU (average revenue per user),' he said. 'Building those offline centres isn't cheap. Each one takes at least 12–24 months to break even.'This development comes at a time when many healthtech startups have entered the segment. Some notable ones include e-pharmacy company PharmEasy, consultation platform Practo, and medicine delivery platform Netmeds, among Jr founder Karan Bajaj's new healthtech startup Complement 1, which focuses on cancer care solutions, raised $16 million in a seed funding round led by global venture capital fund Owl Ventures and early-stage investor Blume Ventures last players are also entering the space. For instance, Tata Digital has entered the e-pharmacy industry through 1mg, which operates through an omnichannel model. Apollo Hospitals also has a similar offering through Apollo Pharmacy.E-commerce giant Amazon is the latest to join the race by expanding its healthcare ambitions, entering the at-home diagnostics market, as it looks to position itself as a comprehensive medical services platform beyond online pharmacy and new startups like instant medicine delivery firm Plazza and instant diagnostics service provider Zet Health in Bengaluru are also trying to disrupt the segment by tapping into the demand for rapid commerce.
Time of India
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Bored IITian went out for coffee but ended up in Rishikesh. Proves best trips and experiences are never planned
It started like any ordinary weekend plan—a quick coffee run with friends. But for IIT Kanpur graduate Harsh Pokharna, the day took an unexpected detour when someone at the café casually suggested, 'Let's go to Rishikesh?' Without much thought or planning, they agreed. What followed was a whirlwind road trip packed with chaos, calm, and plenty of curveballs. Despite the weekend rush and peak-season traffic, their cab driver, to their surprise, was game. 'Chalenge sir,' he said—and they were off. Singing songs and exchanging silly jokes, the group made their way to the spiritual town. Once in Rishikesh, they grabbed a bite at the Beatles Café , met a fellow traveller, and swapped monkey horror stories—one involved stolen snacks, another a monkey slapping an old lady before casually walking away. The chaos mellowed into serenity as they attended the Ganga Aarti and sat quietly by the river, soaking in the peace and talking about life. They wandered through local markets, laughed at 'thug life' goggles, and nearly bought a funny sticker. They returned late at night, starving, exhausted, yet inexplicably content. Harsh summed it up best in his Instagram post: 'Impromptu plans >>>.' Sometimes, all it takes is coffee and a little spontaneity to make the best memories. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Eat 1 Teaspoon Every Night, See What Happens A Week Later! [Video] getfittoday Undo View this post on Instagram A post shared by Harsh Pokharna (@harshxpokharna) One user shared that the Ganga aarti, especially in the evenings, was the highlight of the experience. Another found the entire story incredibly cool and exciting. Someone else couldn't get enough of the quirky monkey moments, calling them especially amusing. MORE STORIES FOR YOU ✕ « Back to recommendation stories I don't want to see these stories because They are not relevant to me They disrupt the reading flow Others SUBMIT Social experiment in Jaipur However, this is not the first time he has mentioned his impromptu plans. A few months ago, when he was in Jaipur for a month and a half. While his parents were thrilled, he found himself feeling a bit bored, so he decided to run a fun social experiment. He posted a simple Instagram story: 'Open to meeting people in Jaipur.' Suddenly, Harsh found his calendar full. He was out almost every day, catching up with old friends, meeting strangers from DMs, and striking up new conversations. His final takeaway? Sometimes, all it takes is being a little bold on Instagram. In his words: 10/10 recommend being shameless on IG.
Economic Times
19-06-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Bored IIT graduate becomes a 'little shameless' on Instagram. He has life-changing experiences and conversations
Who is Harsh Pokharna? Not every founder story needs to be about pitch decks and product pivots. Sometimes, it's just about being human. Harsh Pokharna , CEO of Bengaluru-based fintech startup OkCredit and an IIT Kanpur graduate, recently gave the internet something refreshingly real. During a 1.5-month break at home in Jaipur, Harsh found himself slipping into a familiar lull—parents were thrilled to have him home, but he was, by his own admission, kind of bored. So, he decided to shake things up in the most Gen-Z way possible: by posting an Instagram story inviting people in Jaipur to meet followed was a low-key social experiment that turned into a deeply enriching experience. Harsh found himself going out almost daily—catching up with old friends, connecting with strangers from DMs, and indulging in conversations that ranged from the silly to the soul-stirring. Some chats were about food and therapy, others about breakups, startups, or dating apps. There were no rules, no agendas—just organic human connection in a world that's often too he didn't label the experience beyond 'wholesome,' the message was clear: sometimes all it takes to break out of a rut is a little shamelessness on Instagram and an open mind. His spontaneous 'Bumble for friends' in his hometown reminds us that meaningful interactions don't always come from planned networking or structured meetups—they can happen over coffee with a stranger or a walk with someone you haven't seen in the photos, he can be seen hanging out and relaxing with different people. One image shows him playing badminton, while another captures a moment from his pickleball session. Other pictures feature him enjoying a car ride, dining at a restaurant, and sipping coffee, offering a glimpse into his laid-back, people-filled days in Pokharna completed his in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Kanpur in 2014. After graduation, he gained valuable experience working with leading companies such as Intel Corporation, Flipkart, and Reliance Payment Solutions (JioMoney). In 2015, he ventured into entrepreneurship alongside his IIT Kanpur batchmates Gaurav Kumar and Aditya Prasad, co-founding ClanOut—a social discovery platform aimed at helping people connect and explore shared interests. Later, they co-founded the app OkCredit, where Pokharna is the CEO.
Time of India
19-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Harvard doctor's experiment can boost your happiness in one minute. A startup CEO is already practicing it
Dr. Trisha Pasricha, a Harvard physician, stepped outside the clinic to test if talking to strangers boosts happiness—and science backed her up. Her playful public experiment mirrors IITian entrepreneur Harsh Pokharna's Jaipur meetups, revealing that heartfelt conversations, not just data or design, might be the next big wellness hack in our increasingly disconnected world. Harvard doctor Trisha Pasricha proved that one-minute chats with strangers can boost happiness, echoing a University of Chicago study. In a parallel tale, startup CEO Harsh Pokharna found the same truth during spontaneous meetups in Jaipur, reinforcing that real connection starts offline. (Representational image: iStock) Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The Startup CEO Who Tried Something Similar Without Meaning To Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads More Than Just Small Talk, A Public Health Tool? It wasn't a research lab or a stethoscope that Harvard doctor Trisha Pasricha turned to recently—it was the simple, brave act of chatting with strangers while waiting in line. A physician, an instructor at Harvard Medical School , and the Ask a Doctor columnist for The Washington Post, Dr. Pasricha tested a charming scientific theory on the bustling platforms of Boston's Green Line: that one-minute conversations with strangers can actually make you happier.'It is scientifically proven that you can boost your happiness in one minute by talking to a stranger,' she began in a video she shared on Instagram, proceeding to engage unsuspecting commuters in playful and warm exchanges. Whether she was joking about being a Celtics fan or asking if someone wanted to be a pediatrician, the result was almost always the same—people smiled, talked, and lingered in conversations they hadn't planned experiment wasn't just a cute social video. It was rooted in evidence. According to, several studies, including one from the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business in 2014, showed that people who spoke to strangers during their daily commute felt more positive afterward—even though they originally assumed their fellow travelers wouldn't be interested.'I had a great time,' Dr. Pasricha said, visibly moved by the simplicity of connection. 'Most people were down to just keep talking for minutes and minutes on end.'Interestingly, this scientific truth found a surprising echo in the world of tech entrepreneurship. Harsh Pokharna, the CEO of Bengaluru-based fintech startup OkCredit and an IIT Kanpur alumnus, unintentionally embarked on a social experiment of his own. During a break in his hometown Jaipur, Pokharna posted a casual Instagram story inviting people to hang out. What began as boredom soon turned into an unexpectedly fulfilling journey of human connection From random DMs to heartfelt discussions about therapy, dating, and dreams, Pokharna's days became filled with spontaneous meetups that mirrored the spirit of Pasricha's scientific adventure. 'There were no rules, no agendas—just organic human connection,' Pokharna noted, as he sipped coffee, played badminton, and took walks with strangers who soon felt like old Pasricha and Pokharna's experiences—one rooted in medical science, the other in lived curiosity—prove the same point: in an era dominated by curated lives and digital walls, the art of spontaneous conversation is a quiet rebellion. It's free, it's freeing, and it might just be the one-minute happiness hack we all dare at the end of her video is more than an Instagram caption—'I dare you to try this with a stranger today'—it's an invitation to revive something ancient and humane: unfiltered, real-world connection. For a society struggling with loneliness, digital fatigue, and emotional burnout, it may be time to treat these micro-interactions not as throwaway moments, but as therapeutic the doctor and the startup CEO, from Harvard labs to Jaipur streets, remind us that wellness isn't always found in a prescription bottle or a productivity app. Sometimes, it's waiting in line with a stranger, ready to say hello.
Time of India
18-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Time of India
Bored IIT graduate becomes a 'little shameless' on Instagram. He has life-changing experiences and conversations
Not every founder story needs to be about pitch decks and product pivots. Sometimes, it's just about being human. Harsh Pokharna , CEO of Bengaluru-based fintech startup OkCredit and an IIT Kanpur graduate, recently gave the internet something refreshingly real. During a 1.5-month break at home in Jaipur, Harsh found himself slipping into a familiar lull—parents were thrilled to have him home, but he was, by his own admission, kind of bored. So, he decided to shake things up in the most Gen-Z way possible: by posting an Instagram story inviting people in Jaipur to meet followed was a low-key social experiment that turned into a deeply enriching experience. Harsh found himself going out almost daily—catching up with old friends, connecting with strangers from DMs, and indulging in conversations that ranged from the silly to the soul-stirring. Some chats were about food and therapy, others about breakups, startups, or dating apps. There were no rules, no agendas—just organic human connection in a world that's often too he didn't label the experience beyond 'wholesome,' the message was clear: sometimes all it takes to break out of a rut is a little shamelessness on Instagram and an open mind. His spontaneous 'Bumble for friends' in his hometown reminds us that meaningful interactions don't always come from planned networking or structured meetups—they can happen over coffee with a stranger or a walk with someone you haven't seen in the photos, he can be seen hanging out and relaxing with different people. One image shows him playing badminton, while another captures a moment from his pickleball session. Other pictures feature him enjoying a car ride, dining at a restaurant, and sipping coffee, offering a glimpse into his laid-back, people-filled days in Jaipur.
