Giving Birth to Hope: How a Gynecologist built a Successful IVF Center
It is not often that you think of a successful IVF center when one mentions entrepreneurship. Parenthood is one of the beautiful phases in any couple’s life. Helping couples for whom it remains just a dream experience the joys of parenthood is unarguably one of the noblest acts. This, then, is the story of a visionary, Dr. Asha S. Vijay, who nursed the dream of becoming a doctor since childhood and went on to found GarbhaGudi, one of the finest IVF treatment centers. She shares her inspiring vision and story of founding a top notch but affordable IVF treatment center with HerMoneyTalks.
Dr. Asha (MBBS DGO DNB) is someone who wears various hats. She is an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, and Founder and Medical Director of GarbhaGudi IVF Center. She is also Dean and Scientific Director of GarbhaGudi Institute of Reproductive Health and Research, and Founder Trustee of GarbhaGnan Foundation.
Before founding the GarbhaGudi IVF Center, Dr. Asha set up her own practice with Sannidhi Clinic and Multi-speciality Hospital. During her 15 years’ of experience, she realized there was a big vacuum in treating people with reproductive disorders. She also detected lack of awareness regarding infertility and its treatment. The expensive treatments were barely within the reach of a middle-class family. This dilemma regarding infertility treatment and a good vision to provide world class treatment at affordable prices led to the birth of GarbhaGudi.
Moral support akin to life support for a fledgling startup
“Being the first entrepreneur in my family, initially, there was less confidence and a lot of other challenges. We weren’t offered loans as we didn’t have good collaterals and security,” exclaims Dr. Asha. But the support from her family, friends, and loved ones both emotionally and in business helped her overcome all those struggles with confidence.
Being the first entrepreneur in my family, initially, there was less confidence and a lot of other challenges. We weren’t offered loans as we didn’t have good collaterals and security.
With experience and determination comes confidence, and Dr. Asha has proved this in her 10-year journey of founding and building GarbhaGudi, a successful IVF center. What started with a vision to eradicate misconceptions regarding infertility treatments and providing the best treatment has now become a reality with over 65% success rate—the highest in the industry.
Her visions and good deeds did not die there. She went on to become the Dean and Scientific Director of GarbhaGudi Institute of Reproductive Health and Research (IRHR). This knowledge academy set up by GarbhaGudi provides top notch training and workshops in the fertility and healthcare sector.
Self-belief a shot in the arm for aspiring women entrepreneurs
Building a successful IVF center is by no means child's play. Being the first woman entrepreneur in her family, Dr. Asha is an inspirational figure for newbie women entrepreneurs and established women entrepreneurs as well. Her success story is a blueprint for those in self-doubt to pull up their socks and achieve their dreams of starting their own business.
Women are well equipped with all they need to start a business. They have the strength to start and run their own business.
“Women are well equipped with all they need to start a business. They have the strength to start and run their own business,” opines Dr. Asha. She feels all it takes is confidence, communication skills, and a lot of self-belief to brew their success as entrepreneurs.
A doctor’s prescription for financial management
Handling her own finances and taking her own financial decisions since the beginning helped Dr. Asha when she started her journey as an entrepreneur and dreamt of building a successful IVF center. She also received a huge amount of support from her husband who stood shoulder to shoulder and aided in taking her own financial decisions.
With her inspiring journey and experience as an entrepreneur, she has three simple hacks for women to drive financial growth without growth pains:
(1) Take judicious decisions, fast actions, and implement those decisions wisely on a daily basis
(2) Procrastinating over financial problems only makes it worse and makes it impossible to handle later
(3) Every woman need to take charge of their own finances both as an entrepreneur and as a family member
Today, Dr. Asha motivates women to achieve and believes they have the strength and capability to do so. Throughout her journey as a doctor, an entrepreneur, and the founder of a successful IVF center, she has received many awards and recognitions. More than anything, she has received huge respect for her noble work of making numerous couples’ dreams of parenthood come true. She dreams of making this world a better place for couples to conceive and overcome the physical and mental barriers through medical and financial services.
Her future plans include setting up a University to integrate both Eastern and Western medicine in reproductive health.
