A Fine Balance

A Jaipur-based health-tech start-up is building a network for diagnosing and treating vertigo, bringing specialised care and advanced rehab to patients globally

- Bunty Thoidingjam

A sudden spin, a loss of balance and a feeling that the room is tilting. Yet despite affecting nearly 6 crore Indians, vertigo remains poorly understood, often leaving patients grappling with years of uncertainty and generic treatment.

Inside a modest office in Jaipur, Rajneesh, an engineer, and Dr Anita Bhandari, a ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon, are trying to change this. Through NeuroEquilibrium, the company they founded in 2016, the husband-wife team is building a venture to build world-class diagnosis and treatment for vertigo and balance disorders.

When the duo surveyed the landscape a decade ago, they found only a handful of centres globally at places like Johns Hopkins in the US or European universities equipped with advanced diagnostic facilities. India had virtually none. That gap became their mission.

Clinics Without Borders

What began as a niche effort in Jaipur to standardise vertigo diagnosis has since expanded into a network of more than 300 clinics across India, with centres in 16 countries including Australia, Japan, Kenya and the UAE. NeuroEquilibrium's made-in-India diagnostic equipment now holds seven patents worldwide and its technologies have treated over 1.5 lakh patients.