Mumbai couple develops a med-tech wearable that uses neuroadaptive music to help cancer patients manage anxiety

"According to a report by the Government of India, cancer has become one of the leading causes of death worldwide. In India, around 100 of every 1 lakh people are diagnosed with cancer every year. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the estimated number of cancer cases in India was more than 14 lakh in 2023. But cancer does not only affect the patient's body; it also brings severe fear, anxiety, and emotional distress that can continue throughout treatment and may take a toll on the psychological well-being of both the patient and their family. Observing this closely for nearly 20 years, Mumbai-based Onco Anxiology Researcher and Medical Practitioner Dr. Chirag Jain worked with his wife, Darshana Jain, to build Mindful Gurukul, a venture that takes a structured approach to identifying and addressing anxiety in cancer patients.Advertisment Add Startup Pedia As A Trusted Source "Cancer treatments produce neuro-responses like nausea and vomiting, along with other side effects. This gives rise to anxiety and psychological distress, due to which a number of people don't continue their treatment and instead turn to non-scientific approaches. Seeing this, I decided to work in this direction to help cancer patients," Dr. Chirag Jain tells Startup Pedia in an exclusive interview. About the Founders of Mindful Gurukul Mindful Gurukul founder Dr. Chirag Jain doing surgery in OT Photograph: (by: Dr. Chirag Jain) Dr. Chirag Jain completed his MBBS at Terna Medical College, Nerul, Navi Mumbai, in 2003 and an DNB in General Surgery at KG Hospital and PG Medical Institute, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, in 2006. Since then, he has been practising independently as a physician in Mumbai. Darshana Jain, co-founder of Mindful Gurukul, completed her master's in finance from Mumbai University in 2005. Later, she also completed her diploma in hospital management from Pune University in 2014. After completing her studies, she joined Dr. Chirag in their first venture, a healthcare centre that brought together a small surgical centre, a pathology lab, and a clinical setup under one roof. She managed the operations of the healthcare centre while also handling sales and marketing. Motivation Behind Mindful Gurukul A glimpse of monitor interface showcasing the cancer patient data measured through Skitii Photograph: (by: Dr. Chirag Jain) After nearly two decades of medical practice, Dr. Chirag Jain had seen cancer patients deal with severe psychological distress. He observed that while patients received proper cancer treatment, their emotional challenges often went unaddressed. "I had patients who would start feeling completely low even before a chemotherapy session. Many would not sleep at night or talk about how they were feeling because they did not want their family to see them as a burden," Dr. Chirag tells Startup Pedia. He also observed that cancer patients received general psychological support that was separate from their cancer care, but that support was not always tailored to their changing needs during treatment. Having treated thousands of patients, Dr. Chirag wanted to develop a solution that could address this problem at a larger scale. The idea led him and Darshana to focus on building Mindful Gurukul in 2022. Dr. Chirag's Research on Cancer-Related Anxiety Dr. Chirag at an ISOCON seminar focused on cancer patients Photograph: (by: Dr. Chirag Jain) Dr. Chirag's focus on cancer-related anxiety is rooted in both his clinical experience and research. He began studying how anxiety differs from general psychological distress and how it changes throughout the cancer journey. His latest research was published in Frontiers in Psychology on 18 September 2026, in a Perspective article titled "Onco-anxiology: A Proposal for an Anxiety-Focused, Longitudinal Framework Within Cancer Care." In the paper, Dr. Chirag proposes "onco-anxiology" as a focused framework within psycho-oncology that specifically addresses anxiety across different stages of cancer care. Research Findings Dr. Chirag and Darshana with Team Skitii Photograph: (by: Dr. Chirag Jain) The paper cites a large interview-based meta-analysis that found anxiety disorders in roughly 1 in 10 cancer patients and some form of mood disorder (including depression, anxiety, or adjustment disorder) in between 30% and 40% of patients in oncology, haematology, and palliative-care settings. The paper also notes that anxiety symptoms that fall short of a formal disorder are more common than the disorders themselves. Dr. Chirag's paper argues that anxiety in cancer can take forms specific to the disease and its treatment. These include anxiety in anticipation of treatment, fear of cancer recurrence, and anxiety linked to treatment-related symptoms. This research gives the clinical and scientific context for the problem that Dr. Chirag and Darshana are attempting to address through Skitii. Building Mindful Gurukul A glimpse of Skitii device Photograph: (by: Dr. Chirag Jain) As noted above, the idea behind Mindful Gurukul developed gradually from Dr. Chirag's clinical experience in Mumbai. While they were running their healthcare centre, they frequently met cancer patients and their families and observed how anxiety could affect patients before, during, and after treatment. This observation eventually became the foundation for the technology they are developing, which combines hardware and software to monitor physiological responses and deliver structured audio-based inputs. The Technology Behind the Solution Mindful Gurukul's device, Skitii, combines a wearable sensor with software that continuously monitors a patient's physiological response during cancer treatment. The technology works through a three-step process: read, understand, and respond. The device measures heart rate variability (HRV) in real time and uses the data to assess changes in the body's stress response. The system then calculates RMSSD, an HRV measure, to assess changes in parasympathetic activity and classify the patient's physiological state. Based on this input, the device generates adaptive instrumental music that responds to the patient's current state and is designed to calm the body. The company says Skitii can be used during chemotherapy and radiation therapy and is currently being evaluated through clinical trials. The company's website describes the device as an investigational medical device intended to support anxiety management in cancer patients, not as a treatment for cancer or a device intended to diagnose, cure, or prevent disease. Regulatory licensing is currently in progress. Also Read: Tamil Nadu's Avironix builds drones for crop spraying, farm monitoring & surveillance; projects ₹8Cr in FY27 How the Treatment Is Measured & Delivered? According to Dr. Chirag, the wearable device continuously records heart rate and derives HRV, which the team uses as an indicator of changes in the patient's autonomic nervous system response. The treatment is not delivered as a fixed audio programme. Instead, the patient's initial anxiety level is assessed using physiological data along with psychometric and other clinical parameters. Based on this assessment, the treating doctor determines the appropriate dosing and duration of the audio sessions. Dr. Chirag explains that the response can vary during the initial sessions, after which the team looks for more consistent changes in the patient's physiological and behavioural responses. Also Read: 30-YO built 'Andromeida' to develop autonomous underwater robots for ocean; projecting ₹8 Cr in FY27 Funding & Current Status Mindful Gurukul has raised around Rs 1 crore so far to develop the technology. The company remains at a pre-revenue stage as it works through clinical trials and the regulatory process required for its medical device, and, according to Dr. Chirag, broader commercial deployment will depend on completing both. Mindful Gurukul is targeting a commercial launch around December 2026 or January 2027, subject to Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) certification. Also Read: 4 Chennai pet lovers build a handheld IoT-driven healthcare device that can detect 130+ pet diseases at home FAQ Q. What is Skitii? A. Skitii is a technology-based medical device being developed by Mindful Gurukul to support anxiety management in cancer patients through physiological monitoring and adaptive audio-based intervention. Q. Who founded Mindful Gurukul? A. Mindful Gurukul was founded by the Mumbai-based couple Dr. Chirag Jain and Darshana Jain in 2022. Q. How does the Skitii device work? A. Skitii is a medical device that monitors physiological parameters such as heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV). The system uses this data to deliver structured, adaptive music sessions. Q. Is Skitii currently available for cancer patients? A. Not yet. Skitii is currently under clinical evaluation and is not yet available for general use. The company is conducting hospital-based clinical trials and is working through the regulatory approval process. "