CURAPOD on Advancing Healthy Ageing Through Awareness, Innovation and Community Partnerships

Healthy ageing is steadily emerging as one of India’s most pressing public health and social development priorities as the country witnesses a rapidly expanding elderly population. While increased life expectancy reflects progress in healthcare, it has also brought greater attention to age related challenges such as chronic pain, declining mobility and the need for dignified long term care. Addressing these issues requires stronger collaboration between businesses, healthcare providers and civil society to build awareness, improve access to preventive care and strengthen support systems for senior citizens.

In this interview, Mr. Surya Maguluri, Co Founder and CTO of CURAPOD, discusses how the company is positioning healthcare innovation within the broader framework of corporate social responsibility. He highlights the importance of tackling chronic pain through awareness, caregiver education and community partnerships, while sharing how CURAPOD’s collaboration with VridhCare Quality of Life Foundation reflects its vision of enabling healthier, more independent ageing and fostering meaningful social impact across elderly communities in India.

Scroll down to read the full interview:

Q. CURAPOD operates at the intersection of healthcare innovation and social impact. How do you define the role of corporate social responsibility in addressing the often-overlooked challenges of pain management and healthy ageing among senior citizens?

A. Corporate social responsibility should go beyond funding programmes or one-time interventions. It is about identifying real societal challenges and contributing meaningfully towards solving them. Pain and mobility issues among senior citizens are often accepted as an inevitable part of ageing, which results in delayed care and a reduced quality of life. Through initiatives like our partnership with VridhCare Foundation, we want to encourage greater awareness, early intervention and conversations around healthy ageing. For us, social responsibility is about helping people maintain their dignity, independence and ability to live active lives for as long as possible.

Q. As life expectancy increases and India’s elderly population continues to grow, what gaps do you believe still exist in the way society, businesses, and institutions support the physical well-being and dignity of older adults?

A. One of the biggest gaps is that physical decline is still viewed as something people simply have to accept with age. While healthcare access has improved, awareness around mobility, chronic pain and preventive care remains limited. Many senior citizens continue living with discomfort because they believe it is normal. Businesses, healthcare providers and community organisations need to work together to create greater awareness, improve accessibility and ensure older adults receive timely support that allows them to remain active and independent.

Q. The ‘21 Days, 21 Fathers’ campaign combines awareness-building with community engagement. What inspired this initiative, and how does it reflect CURAPOD’s broader philosophy towards social responsibility and community health?

A. Losing my father at a very young age had a profound impact on me. It made me realise the immense role fathers play in shaping our lives and also how easily we take their presence for granted. As I built CURAPOD, I always wanted the brand to stand for something beyond healthcare products—I wanted it to encourage people to value and care for the people who quietly shoulder responsibilities every single day.

 That personal journey inspired the "21 Days, 21 Fathers" campaign. I have seen how many fathers continue to live with pain and discomfort without ever making their own health a priority. Through this initiative, we wanted to encourage families to recognise those silent struggles, celebrate fathers whose resilience inspires them, and remind them that caring for their health is just as important as caring for everyone else. The response, with nearly 2,000 nominations from across India, reaffirmed that this message resonated deeply. For us, social responsibility is about creating meaningful conversations that lead to greater awareness, empathy, and preventive healthcare, and this campaign embodies that philosophy.

Q. Your partnership with VridhCare Quality of Life Foundation brought together healthcare technology and grassroots outreach. From a CSR perspective, what makes collaborations between private-sector innovators and non-profits particularly effective in driving meaningful social change?

A. The most effective social impact is created when innovation is combined with community trust. While healthcare companies bring technology, expertise and scalable solutions, non-profits have a deep understanding of local challenges and the credibility to reach those who need support the most. Our partnership with VridhCare allowed us to go beyond awareness by engaging directly with senior citizens, caregivers and communities, ensuring our efforts translated into meaningful, on-ground impact.

Q. Chronic pain often remains an invisible issue among senior citizens, affecting mobility, independence, and quality of life. In your experience, why does this challenge receive relatively limited attention, and how can awareness campaigns help change public perception?

A. Pain is often normalised as people grow older. Many individuals believe that discomfort is simply part of ageing, so they delay seeking support until it begins affecting their independence. Awareness campaigns play an important role in changing that mindset. They encourage families to ask questions, recognise early symptoms and understand that maintaining mobility is an important part of healthy ageing rather than an unrealistic expectation.

Q. During your visit to Amma Nanna Old Age Home, what were some of the key insights or stories that stood out to your team, and how have these interactions influenced your understanding of the needs of elderly communities?

A. One of the most striking observations was the optimism and resilience shown by the residents despite living with persistent pain and mobility challenges. Many had simply accepted discomfort as part of daily life. Spending time with them reinforced the importance of listening to their experiences and recognising that emotional connection is just as valuable as physical support. Those conversations strengthened our commitment to creating initiatives that address both awareness and accessibility.

Q. The programme included demonstrations, awareness sessions, and caregiver training. Could you share any early observations on how the initiative was received by the 35 senior citizens and caregivers who participated, and what indicators you use to measure its impact?

A. The response was highly encouraging. Residents actively participated in the awareness sessions, and caregivers expressed a strong interest in learning practical approaches to support mobility and manage pain. For us, success is measured not only by the number of participants but also by the quality of their engagement, the increased awareness among caregivers, and the willingness of communities to continue discussions about healthy ageing after the program concludes.

Q. Beyond providing access to technology, caregiver education was a major component of the initiative. How important is capacity-building among caregivers in creating sustainable health outcomes for elderly residents in old-age homes?

A. Caregivers play a vital role in the daily wellbeing of elderly residents. Even the most effective healthcare solutions have a limited impact without informed and confident caregivers. By equipping them with knowledge around mobility, pain awareness and consistent care practices, we can help create lasting improvements that extend well beyond a single intervention. Capacity-building ensures that support continues long after outreach programmes have ended.

Q. CURAPOD’s technology is designed to offer personalised, non-invasive pain management. Looking ahead, do you see an opportunity to integrate such healthcare innovations into larger CSR programmes focused on elderly welfare, and what scale of impact could this potentially achieve across India?

A. Absolutely. As India’s elderly population continues to grow, there is significant potential for healthcare innovation to become an integral part of CSR programmes focused on senior wellbeing. We see opportunities to collaborate with NGOs, community organisations and healthcare institutions to support mobility awareness, caregiver education and accessible pain management across different regions. Our long-term vision is to contribute towards healthier, more independent ageing for communities across India.

Q. As CURAPOD and VridhCare plan to expand their collaboration, what are your long-term goals for this partnership? Are there any specific targets, geographies, beneficiary numbers, or measurable outcomes that you hope to achieve over the next few years through these outreach efforts?

A. Our immediate goal is to expand the initiative to reach more elderly communities through additional outreach programmes in partnership with VridhCare. While it is too early to define beneficiary numbers, our focus is on building a sustainable model that combines awareness, community engagement and caregiver education. We hope this partnership encourages wider conversations around healthy ageing and inspires similar collaborations that improve the quality of life for senior citizens across the country.