In a exclusive for MediaBrief’s HEALTHBRIEF, Surya Maguluri, PharmD, Co-founder & CTO, CURAPOD, a wearable, non-invasive pain management device, speaks about the evolution of recovery technology, the growing shift toward at-home and preventive wellness solutions, and the role of consumer behaviour in driving adoption. Maguluri also shares insights on building trust in a science-led yet consumer-friendly category, the challenges of educating users about emerging therapeutic technologies, and the future of personalised, data-driven recovery. Read on.
Give us an overview of CURAPOD, its USPs, and its services. What have been some of the key inflexion points in its journey?
CURAPOD is a wearable, drug-free recovery device that uses photobiomodulation through red and near-infrared light therapy to help reduce inflammation, improve circulation, and support natural recovery from musculoskeletal pain and chronic discomfort.
Its portability, ease of use, and clinically backed technology make recovery more accessible within everyday routines. One major inflexion point was recognising the rise of lifestyle-related pain among younger working populations and building a consumer-friendly recovery solution around that need.
There is a noticeable global rise in chronic pain, fatigue, and musculoskeletal issues linked to sedentary and always-on work cultures. What structural changes in modern lifestyles are making these issues more widespread and persistent?
Modern lifestyles are increasingly defined by prolonged sitting, limited physical movement, sustained screen exposure, and repetitive strain on the body. Whether it is sustained slouching at work, continuous device usage, irregular movement patterns, or physically demanding routines, these everyday behaviours place cumulative stress on the musculoskeletal system. Over time, this manifests as stiffness, chronic pain, fatigue, and broader mobility-related issues across age groups.
A key concern is the normalisation of discomfort. Many individuals tend to ignore early signs of strain, treating them as temporary or routine, until they gradually evolve into persistent conditions. This delay in addressing recovery needs, mobility care, or corrective support often allows minor issues to become long-term challenges.
At the same time, increasing life expectancy and longer active years have amplified the need for sustained mobility and physical independence. When combined with lifestyle-induced strain and delayed intervention, this shift is contributing to a growing prevalence of chronic pain and recovery-related concerns across populations.
Recovery and pain management have traditionally been clinical- and hospital-centric. Why is there now a shift toward non-invasive, at-home, and consumer-accessible recovery technologies?
The shift is being driven by consumers seeking greater control and active participation in managing their health and recovery. A similar transition was seen in diabetes care, where monitoring moved from being hospital-centric to becoming part of everyday life through awareness and self-management.
Recovery and pain management are now following the same path. People are increasingly aware of how posture, movement, strain, and daily physical stress affect long-term mobility and wellbeing. Instead of waiting for pain to worsen, they are adopting more consistent, preventive approaches within daily routines.
With evolving technology, recovery solutions are becoming more personalised, accessible, and seamlessly integrated into everyday life. Non-invasive wearables are enabling a proactive, continuous approach to managing pain, mobility, and physical wellbeing.
Recovery tech sits in a unique space between healthcare, wellness, and consumer technology. From a marketing perspective, how challenging is it to educate consumers about a category that is still relatively new and not fully understood?
Education is one of the biggest challenges because recovery technology sits between healthcare, wellness, and consumer tech. Concepts like photobiomodulation can sound technical, so communication has to simplify the science while maintaining credibility. Building trust requires transparency, demonstrations, scientific backing, and relatable everyday use cases.
What was the inspiration behind CURAPOD’s Father’s Day campaign, and how does it reflect a more emotional, human-centred approach to recovery and care?
This Father’s Day, CURAPOD’s campaign focuses on recognising the quiet physical strain many fathers carry while continuing to prioritise their families every day. Through emotional storytelling, the campaign highlights the importance of care, comfort, and enabling loved ones to stay active and engaged in everyday moments that matter.
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The inspiration behind the campaign comes from a deeply personal experience. Having lost my father at a young age, some of the memories that stayed closest were the simple moments spent together as a family — conversations at home, birthdays, festivals, and the comfort of his presence. As I grew older, I also became more aware of how often fathers tend to ignore their own physical discomfort while continuing to put everyone else first. That understanding gradually shaped the emotional foundation of this campaign and, in many ways, the larger purpose behind CURAPOD.
At its heart, the campaign is about encouraging families to give back a small measure of comfort to those who have spent years caring for them. The idea is not only to support recovery but to help create more ease, movement, and quality time with loved ones. If CURAPOD can play even a small role in helping families enjoy those moments together, it becomes part of something far more meaningful than wellness alone.
What consumer behaviour trends are driving interest in wearable therapeutics today? Is adoption being led more by fitness-focused consumers, working professionals, ageing populations, or preventive wellness seekers?
Adoption is being driven by multiple consumer groups simultaneously. Working professionals are seeking solutions for posture-related pain, ageing populations are exploring non-invasive mobility support, and preventive wellness seekers are prioritising recovery earlier. Consumers today increasingly view recovery as part of long-term health maintenance rather than occasional treatment.
How is user trust built in a category where outcomes such as pain relief and recovery can be subjective, variable, and difficult to measure over short time frames?
Trust comes through transparency, consistency, and education. Recovery outcomes vary across individuals, so it is important to communicate realistic expectations and the value of regular use. Clinical validation, user testimonials, and ease of integration into daily life also help strengthen consumer confidence over time.
India is increasingly being seen as a strong market for deep-tech health innovation. What structural advantages or gaps exist in India’s ecosystem when it comes to building and scaling therapeutic hardware products?
India offers strong structural advantages, including a large and diverse consumer base, rising health-tech adoption, improving manufacturing capabilities, and growing openness toward preventive healthcare solutions. However, therapeutic hardware startups continue to face challenges related to consumer awareness, regulatory complexity, clinical validation, and the ability to scale deep-tech manufacturing efficiently.
Another key gap is that recovery and preventive wellness technologies are still not widely understood in India, especially when compared to more treatment-led healthcare narratives. As a result, building trust requires sustained consumer education, strong scientific validation, and credible real-world adoption evidence that demonstrates measurable outcomes over time.
From a product and adoption standpoint, what typically determines whether a recovery technology becomes part of a user’s daily routine versus remaining a niche or occasional-use solution?
Long-term adoption depends on convenience, comfort, and visible outcomes. If a recovery solution fits naturally into daily routines and delivers noticeable improvements in mobility or comfort, users are more likely to stay consistent. Products that integrate seamlessly into everyday life typically move beyond occasional use.
Looking ahead, how do you see the future of recovery science evolving over the next decade as AI, sensor technology, and wearable therapeutics converge to create more personalised and data-driven health interventions?
Recovery science will become increasingly personalised and data-driven. As AI, sensors, and wearable therapeutics converge, devices will adapt in real time to individual movement, recovery patterns, and physical strain. The future will shift toward proactive recovery and earlier intervention integrated seamlessly into everyday health management.
