The 256th edition of Lateral Sparks, a weekly quiz from YourStory, challenges participants to test their business creativity, domain knowledge, and lateral thinking skills by presenting real-life entrepreneurial dilemmas encountered during startup journeys.
Participants are asked what they would do in the shoes of the featured entrepreneurs, and upon completion, they discover the actual actions taken by the innovators. The publication also directs readers to YourStory’s Book Review section, featuring insights from over 355 titles on creativity and entrepreneurship, alongside a weekend PhotoSparks section focusing on artistic creativity.
The quiz presents several critical industry challenges, including how AI can transform frontline workforce management despite current gaps in enterprise digital initiatives; finding effective solutions for healthcare access in remote rural areas suffering from clinician shortages; leveraging technology to solve issues like fluctuating prices and itinerary changes in travel planning; enabling the sale of fragile, perishable flowers from rural areas nationwide; and tackling the daily generation of large volumes of non-recyclable dry waste in urban centers.
Several startups have been highlighted as solutions to these problems. Hunar.AI, founded by Krishna Khandelwal and Shantanu Bhattacharyya, provides specialized AI technology for labor-intensive sectors, assisting HR teams with high-volume hiring, language diversity, and geographically dispersed teams through conversational AI for sourcing, screening, engagement, and retention. Its clients include Swiggy, Delhivery, Pronto, Blue Dart, Flipkart, Aditya Birla Capital, and Tata Croma.
CureBay, established by Priyadarshi Mohapatra, Shobhan Mahapatra, and Sanjay Swain, runs a technology-enabled rural healthcare network that integrates physical clinics with digital services using IoT, AI-powered screening, and a 24/7 command center. Priyadarshi Mohapatra stated that "Rural Bharat doesn’t need another app; it needs a system that works end to end," noting that the network operates over 250 technology-enabled clinics across seven states, serving more than 17 lakh patients.
TravClan, a traveltech startup founded by Arun Bagaria, develops infrastructure allowing travel businesses to avoid rebuilding their entire travel stack. It utilizes AI to consolidate global inventory, booking, and destination fulfillment onto one platform, enabling travel agents to plan, price, and reconstruct complex international trips faster. The company currently serves 15,000 travel agents and processes over $100 million in annual travel sales.
Dianthe, founded by Chokhone Krichena, facilitates the sale of unique flowers from Manipur to customers across India while supporting rural women's income. The value addition involves drying the flowers to extend their shelf life, such as geraniums and hydrangeas. Chokhone Krichena, described as the 'Flower Lady of Manipur,' explained that everything is naturally preserved through shading or sun-drying, and the organization also incorporates baskets woven by women’s self-help groups and uses eco-friendly wraps instead of plastic.
Furthermore, Dhwaj Bagrecha founded Neo San, which manages non-recyclable waste directly at its source. This startup has created compact thermal processing units for dry reject, sanitary, and biomedical waste, minimizing the need for long-distance transport to disposal sites. Neo San employs rapid, high-temperature electric heating based on induction, converting waste into sterile, non-toxic ash, with units available for washrooms and tech parks.
