Amita Dave holds an MBA in hospital management, a Visharad in music, and a master’s degree
in commerce. Back in 1997, she worked alongside Dr. B R Dave in the accounts section of their clinic at the White House, Panchavati. Soon after, she and her husband founded The Stavya Spine Hospital & Research Institute, which continues to grow and achieve new milestones by the day. As the hospital’s managing director and CEO, Amita brings her knowledge and experience of human values to the forefront while interacting with the staff and patients within the institute.
She extends her humanitarian aid to provide support and long-term assistance to the community. Next on her list is to be closely involved in the institute’s educational programs and actively participate in spreading awareness and prevention of Osteoporosis. What’s more? Aside from helping people in need, Amita has a passion for Indian classical music and has received formal education in vocal music. She and her team of dancers have bagged several awards for their Garba (Indian folk dance) performances. Furthermore, Amita is known to orchestrate all the cultural activities in Stavya.
Tell us about your entrepreneurial journey (personal & professional) and when you got started on it.
Let me start from the beginning. I was born in a village in a town called Rajpipla. My mother passed away when I was in my 10th std. I took up the responsibility of managing my family
and career since then. Despite balancing the two, I won multiple awards for academic and non-academic events during my school and college life. I was one of the most studious in class and a role model for many. Fast-forward to 2004, I have been managing Stavya Spine Hospital since its inception. From a 15-bed nursing home steadily increasing to 40 and now building 100 bedded hospital in the heart of the city, Stavya Spine Hospital and Research Institute has made a name for itself as one of the super speciality institute for spine care.
As a woman, have you faced any challenges starting/ running a business?
As women leaders, people, especially men, tend to take us less seriously. In many instances, I
had given excellent advice, but people wouldn’t accept my thoughts.
Now that I am leading one of the world’s most advanced spine care centers, I am taken very seriously and have become a mentor to many upcoming talents.
Running a successful business is not child’s play. It involves giving your life to the cause. In sickness or depression, leaders need to find composure and perform our best.
What services do you offer your patients? Kindly elaborate.
Our institute is a leading spine surgical center in India. We are pioneers in navigating spine surgery and impart training to surgeons globally. Our team of surgeons include some of the most
experienced to the youngest. Equipped with state-of-the-art technologies in the field, we are
the only hospital in Asia with three Integrated Operation Theatre Spine Suites, highly advanced
Operating Rooms with Navigation, Intraoperative CT Scans, Bone Scalpels, Neuromonitoring and
much more. We treat around 18,000 new spine patients and manage 1800 spine surgeries yearly.
What is the future plan of your business?
We are in the process of building a 100 bedded exclusive spine care institute equipped with the
latest technology in the field. We are driven to provide the highest quality healthcare with the
best surgeons and technology combined. Our affordable healthcare model has always worked
and will continue to help those in need. We have achieved many milestones and are on the quest
to achieve more. Our new institute will soon become one of the most advanced exclusive spine care institute in India.
According to you, what is the advancement in the industry in terms of technology? Do you
think adapting to these advanced technologies has brought you to an elite position?
We are constantly adapting to the latest technology in this field. Our focus has never been
ROI; we strive for excellence in surgical care.
Allow me to describe a few of our technological enhancements:
The navigation and intraoperative CT scan are 1000 kg machines in the operating room that give
the surgeons 3D pictures of screw trajectories. Compared to healthcare standards across the globe, which suggest 10 to 20 percent screw misplacements, these machines have brought
screw misplacement complications to almost zero at our institute.
Our Neuromonitoring integration with the OR technology has made detecting nervous signals
easy during surgeries. With the help of advanced technologies, we were able to perform a few
of the most complex surgeries. It has helped us reach new heights in complicated spine cases.
Why is there less contribution of women entrepreneurship in India? What’s your viewpoint?
Through culture and tradition, Indian society has long been patriarchal. However, in today’s
day and age, we can steadily see a rise in gender equality. Our way of fighting for women’s
rights is to start performing to the best of our capabilities. Like men, we deserve the same
opportunity and respect.
In India, there is a wave of startups. The percentage of women startups in India is low. According to you, what challenges are they facing?
The only thing coming in between women and their startup story is themselves! If your external
atmosphere doesn’t support you, do not hesitate to change it. It is time for the new-age women of India to rise and shine.
