[Exclusive Interview] This Eldercare Company Is Leveraging Technology To Provide Parent Care Solutions, In-Home

Recently, we interacted with Mr. Tarun Sharma, Founder & CEO Yodda Eldercare – a premium parent care company, built using state-of-the-art technology. Yodda offers parent care solution that allows your parents to get help and support in the luxury of their own homes.

Here are the interview highlights:

• What problems does Yodda solves for the elders?

Yodda was created with the philosophy that it would be the duty bound child of elders that either don’t have children living with them, or the children don’t have time due to career or other life priorities. To that effect, Yodda does everything a parent would normally call a child seeking assistance for. From ensuring their safety and security during emergencies, to handling health related ailments to every day errands like bill payments, insurance handling, home and appliance repair, to groceries and food, Yodda handles everything at the tap of a button (or a phone call)

• Where did you get the idea for this company?

After losing both my parents to critical health issues (father was paralyzed, and mom passed away with an aggressive form of breast cancer), I realized that there was a need for a service like Yodda –  a professional services company catering exclusively to the needs to the elders. The brain drain and career related mobility has left a whole generation of elders lonely, and alienated in a digital world. Covid firmed my resolve to serve this highly neglected sector.

Mr. Tarun Sharma, Founder & CEO Yodda Eldercare

• How many markets are you in? Any expansion plans?

We have two offerings – Yodda Care, a managed service platform, where services are delivered by Yodda employees and a curated set of partners. Yodda Care is available in Pune, Mumbai and Hyderabad. We will continue to grow in these cities as they are large enough with ample opportunity to grow. The other offering is Yodda Enable, an emergency response management platform with several community features. Yodda Enable is available across all cities in India. 

• How do you see yourself among other competitors in the market?

Given the nascent stages of the industry, it is very difficult to identify companies as competitors. The big ones play prominently in the cities they serve (NCR, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mumbai).  That being said, we see ourselves primarily as very strong on the technology and in emergency response management. 

• Can you tell us about your background?

I am a professional software professional, and have spent over three decades in software companies. My last assignment was as CEO of BMC Software in India. I lived in the US prior to relocating back to India in 2009. You can learn more about me at 

• LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarundsharma/
• My website – https://www.tarundsharma.com  
• My blog – https://www.tarunsthoughts.com 

• What is your key driving force to become an entrepreneur?

I have always wanted to be an entrepreneur. I did my first startup in the US at the age of 25 – a B2B eCommerce software company. I moved towards social entrepreneurism in 2015 with Serv’d, a company I founded to address financial inclusion of the unorganized sector in India (maids, drivers, nannies, cooks etc). You can watch my Ted talk on Serv’d here: https://youtu.be/XO_HpV41ZwI

My primary driver is to create a company with a strong sense of purpose that solves a social problem through the use of technology, that provides value to all stake holders – investors, employees, customers and partners. 

• What are some strategies you use to keep your team motivated?

Nothing drives a team like having a sense of purpose. To see a direct outcome of the work they do on a daily basis – improving the quality of life and providing safety, security and peace of mind, is motivation enough for my team to give their best. Of course, there is always that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow when startups succeed.

• How many hours a day do you work on average?

There is really no limit on how time we need to put in to make a startup successful. But I average 12 to 14 hours a day, six days a week. While I try and take Sunday’s off, it’s not always possible. As an operation, we are 24X7, since emergencies can happen anytime. So we are all on standby all the time.

• What has been your most satisfying moment in the business so far?

Watching an idea come to life. What started as an idea has become a real business with products, services, assets, investors, customers, partners… Just walking into the office every day and see the team doing great meaningful work, is a moment of endless happiness. We are in a very gratifying business, and love to see the smiles we put on the faces of our customers.

• Any tips for young entrepreneurs?

Pursue your dreams. Even though the startup life is hard, and there is risk, the learning curve, and the satisfaction of making it through the adventure is more exhilarating than you can ever imagine. But a word of caution… don’t pursue any business idea if you don’t fully believe in it and are willing to go all in. The company you start must provide value to every stakeholder in the business – customers, employees, investors and partners. If the success criteria is only the financial reward, the motivation is misguided. Pursue Saraswati. Laxmi will follow. 

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