In a recent interview, Pranav Desai, VOSAP Founder and a passionate advocate for empowering people with disabilities, interviewed the dynamic co-founder of Signable Communications, Tarun Sarwal, the driving force behind a revolutionary initiative that empowers the deaf and hard of hearing community in India through a unique mobile app. The conversation offers an in-depth look into the motivations, achievements, and future goals of this transformative project.
Tarun Sarwal, who hails from a privileged background, shares the pivotal moment in his life that led him on this extraordinary path. Having lived in several countries, London, Switzerland, he came back to India and at the age of 60 started the startup that helps deaf people communicate effectively.
On being Asked how Tarunji was inspired to do something in this sector, he shared,
Coming from a privileged background, despite having every opportunity to follow a conventional path, I found myself working with marginalized communities in Rajasthan, which became a turning point in my life.
He emphasized the importance of giving a voice to those who are often unheard, underlining the fundamental human commonality that unites us all.He expresses how, for the first time, he comprehended the profound isolation experienced by those who cannot hear or speak. This understanding became a powerful motivator to develop a solution that could change lives.
“After returning to India, I understood for the first time that if you can’t hear and if you can’t speak, you have no connection with the rest of humanity. And we have to do something about it.”
On being Asked by Mr.Pranav how much impact they have made so far and what are their goals in the future, they shared that the app now supports 12 languages, enabling users to communicate effectively across region, there are 50,000 plus downloads as of now and the next goal will be 100,000 downloads and more. He expressed, “By the end of 2024 it will be 150,000 paying subscribers, 200 companies, we are also trying to work with state governments in Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh ,so about 1500 schools to at least have the basic minimum requirement that people are learning in sign language”
He further shared the business models behind the app, emphasizing the significance of a cross-subsidized model. He highlighted the importance of B2B (business-to-business) partnerships with companies like Amazon, which has integrated the app into its warehouses, helping its deaf employees communicate seamlessly. “We have 20 companies now working through us and all the big names are there.”
In the B2C (business-to-consumer) model, Voice of SAP provide support by subsidizing subscriptions to individuals who cannot afford the app, amplifying the reach of this transformative technology.
On being asked what they think about their Partnership with Voice of SAP, he shared “We found VOSAP at right time, we were looking for some sustainable thing to make this service cheap, and you came through. VOSAP came and and really this has been something special for us because what we are able to do is say you buy for a month, we will give you unlimited calls, but then VOSAP will support you for the rest of the year. And we believe that, you know, this is really going to increase the usership.” He further thanked VOSAP Founder for the support.
VOSAP Pranav expresses admiration for the work done by Tarun Sarwal and his project, underlining the immense potential to achieve their goals. He recognizes the transformative impact the signable mobile app has and the importance of scaling up their efforts to serve millions of people.
VOSAP Founder offered his wholehearted support to Signable Communications and shared his long term commitment to collaborate and support, emphasizing the power of partnership in driving this impactful initiative forward.
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