Case Name :      Forus Health: Crossing the Disruptive Product Chasm

Authors :           Ramesh Narasimhan, M.V. Ravikumar, Nattuvathuckal Barnabas

Source :             Ivey Publishing

Case ID :            W14725

Discipline :        Marketing

Case Length :    15 pages

Solution Sample availability : YES

Plagiarism : NO (100% Original work)

In April 2013, the co-founder and chief executive officer of Forus Health Private Limited sat in his office in Bangalore, India contemplating the future direction of his company. He was under pressure by his venture capital partner to rapidly penetrate the market for 3nethra – an innovative, multi-functional and low-cost ophthalmology device – before imitators stepped in. Given its features and advantages over expensive imported specialized tools, 3nethra could help address the huge challenge of preventable blindness in India, but after three years since inception, only 100 devices had been sold. Although the market opportunity was large, acceptance by the ophthalmology profession was key to gaining momentum. He had two choices: to maximize sales numbers through the scattergun tactic of going all out and all over the market or to build a sufficient base of positive word of mouth to gain the momentum necessary to pole-vault from the early to the mainstream market. How should he direct his sales team to take the company forward?