It’s easy to look at successful business leaders and marvel at their accomplishments. Yet, these successful achievers don’t just appear out of thin air. They work towards success with humble beginnings beyond all obstacles, to becoming successful with dedication and effort. Sweta Mangal (Co-Founder, Ziqitza Healthcare) coming from a small town in Rajasthan, began her entrepreneurial journey at a young age amidst all hurdles and challenges, with the determination to build something that makes a significant impact on society and its people.

An experienced professional with a demonstrated history of working in the healthcare, financial education, and health-tech industry, Sweta is an MBA from the Rochester Institute of Technology in the US and a Gurukul Chevening Scholar from the London School of Economics. She brings to the table the enriching experiences of working with many renowned brands, including Zee TV, TATA AIG LIFE, and Marico Industries.

Her venture, Ziqitza Healthcare, was established with a vision to assist in saving human lives by providing a leading network of fully equipped advanced and basic life support ambulances across India. Sweta’s vision and leadership have been critical to the exponential growth of Ziqitza, becoming a model for healthcare organizations across the globe.

In a recent interaction with Women Entrepreneur, Sweta shares more about her journey.

What motivated you to establish Ziqitza Healthcare? How has been the journey since then?

Incepted in 2005, Ziqitza Healthcare is one of the leading players in India’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) industry. It all began when one of my friend underwent a medical emergency situation where he had to take his mother to the hospital but was unable to find an ambulance service. Recognizing the need for an organized and networked ambulance service system in India to effectively respond to all kinds of medical emergencies, we, a group of young professionals began our journey to create the best emergency response service in India.

In the span of 17 years, Ziqitza Healthcare has been successful in establishing a strong presence in the EMS sector in India with a fleet of 3,200 ambulances and almost 10000 employees. We work closely with multiple state governments and the National Health Mission (NHM) to operate the 108-Ambulance service Helpline & 104 Health Helpline for Health-related queries.

“I have been able to lead the way in the budding field of social business & that indeed has been the major milestone of my journey”

What are some of the most critical challenges you encounter as a business leader? How do you overcome them?

In the Indian business climate, the complexity and uncertainty of law & regulation and other regulatory compliances pose severe challenges for startups. It has been critical for an EMS company like us, to engage with the detail of current law and regulation, to understand its existing scope, the gaps, and how law and regulation will likely evolve. We have been working with professional experts to address these challenges most effectively. Having people working on-ground has helped us to navigate the areas of uncertainty and find opportunities for sharing inputs to policy makers in multiple forums.

How does your prior industry experience empower you to be a better business leader today?

Being in the field of entrepreneurship from a very young age, I have learned that being an entrepreneur is all about taking care of different departments of the business, each with different mindsets. Whether raising funds, evangelizing the vision among employees, or recruiting top new talent to execute the vision, an entrepreneur needs to be proactive in every role demanded by the business. Once you understand your roles, focus on the priorities that map to your skills and fill the gaps with the best talent you can find.

Tell us about the professional milestones you have achieved over the years.

Over the years, I have been able to lead the way in the budding field of social business and that indeed has been the major milestone of my journey. Apart from being the Co-Founder of Ziqitza Healthcare, I am also a significant part of two other businesses – MURGENCY as Group CEO, a US-based company providing high-quality & specialized healthcare services, and an Advisor at Zivia IVF, which offers a wide range of fertility and IVF treatments, as well as surrogacy services. I also kept my dream alive to start a world-class school - Mangal Newton School in a small town in Beawar, where I belong to in Rajasthan.

How do you foresee the Indian health-tech space evolving going forward? What steps are you taking to align Ziqitza Healthcare with the industry trends?

Technology drives healthcare more than any other force, and in the future, it will continue to develop in dramatic ways. From AI-powered diagnosis to robotic surgery systems, the medical industry is witnessing a march of automation, and allowing humans to spend more time engaged in high-level thinking, creativity, and decision-making.

Understanding the need for automation and real time information to deliver quality patient care, we at Zenzo have launched, the advance first 5G ambulance in Mumbai wherein all the medical emergency equipment will be connected through IoT. Once the patient is on board and all the output equipment is fixed onto the body of the patient, the real-time reading will be relayed back to the hospital where the patient is taken to. This initiative is taken to save time so that patients can undergo the right treatment at the right time.

Sweta Mangal, Co-Founder, Ziqitza Healthcare

An inspirational leader providing excellent healthcare emergency services to society, Sweta has received numerous notable recognition and awards for her work such as the ET Times of India Social Impact Award (2013) from then President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, Spirit of Humanity Award from Americare Foundation, Tata TIE Stree Shakti Award from Tata Group, and Godfrey Philips Bravery Award for Social Act of Courage (2007) from then President of India, Prathiba Patil.