A 90-day coaching desk for people who just started CPAP and want to stop
TL;DR Maskwell takes over the first three months after someone buys a CPAP machine. A trained coach calls on night one, reads the device's own usage data each week, swaps masks that leak and talks people through the parts nobody warns them about. CPAP dealers and sleep labs pay per patient enrolled.
Indian sleep medicine has a leaking bucket at the end of it. In a 2026 national survey of sleep physicians, CPAP was the first-line recommendation for 92% of patients with moderate to severe apnoea, yet only 49.1% of patients bought the device as prescribed, and compliance among those who did buy averaged 55.7%. The patient paid the bill in 92% of cases, and only 20% of respondents used any telemedicine for monitoring[1].
The underlying condition is common: a Bhopal study of 958 adults found 30.5% with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnoea[2]. So a family spends tens of thousands of rupees on a machine and struggles alone with it for a fortnight, and then the machine goes into a cupboard next to the treadmill.
What it does, in regulatory terms - usage coaching and equipment fitting only. Maskwell does not diagnose apnoea and does not set or change prescribed pressures, which stay with the treating physician. CDSCO finalised its guidance on medical-device software in 2026, so stay inside the coaching scope or the service becomes regulated software[3].
The seed pitched AI sleep biofeedback and personalised interventions. I've reframed it, because the evidence points elsewhere. The first two to four weeks decide whether someone keeps using CPAP, and a review of practical strategies recommends a troubleshooting contact within 7 to 14 days[4]. Coaching habits in healthy sleepers is already a crowded market, and this directory covers employer sleep programmes and apnoea screening separately.
A coach calls on the first night and again on nights two and seven. Each week they read the machine's own usage report, which every current CPAP records, and look for the three things that defeat beginners - mask leak, dry mouth and nose, and pressure that feels like too much air. They send a different mask size by courier, add a chin strap, arrange a humidifier and tell the prescribing doctor when the numbers suggest the prescription itself needs review. At day 90, the patient gets a short report and the dealer gets a usage summary.
CPAP dealers and sleep labs pay per patient enrolled, because a machine that gets used produces referrals, mask and filter refills and no refund arguments. Devices in India are largely paid for by patients themselves[1], which makes a dealer's reputation their main asset. A direct-to-patient subscription is possible, but the dealer channel puts you in front of people on the day they buy.
Machines now log their own usage, and manufacturer apps show it to patients, though they work only with that maker's devices[5]. That leaves a gap for a service that works across brands. The 2026 Indian survey also documents how little monitoring happens today, with just 20% of sleep physicians using telemedicine for it[1].
No public figure exists for Indian CPAP support services. The narrow signal is in the survey - 49.1% of prescribed patients buy the device and compliance averages 55.7%[1], which means roughly half of every dealer's customers are at risk of quitting. Adjacent reviews put long-term adherence worldwide at 50 to 60%[4]. Size your market from one dealer's monthly unit sales, not from the number of people with apnoea.
Manufacturer apps cover their own devices, each limited to that maker's machines[5]. Large Indian dealers offer a trial period and some after-sales help, which varies by shop and salesperson. Sleep labs run follow-up visits for the patients who come back. No cross-brand paid adherence service in India turned up in my checks, which is both the opportunity and the warning, because dealers may believe they already do this.
| Difficulty | Easy (25/100) |
| Starting capital | ₹25–45 L |
| Time to launch | 3–5 months |
There is almost no technology to build. The hard part is hiring respiratory therapists or trained coaches, reading usage data from several brands without a unified feed and proving to a dealer that your fee comes back as refills and referrals. Mask inventory across sizes ties up cash.
Yes, in a limited way. Coaching itself needs no sector licence, but you have to stay outside medical-device software and work with registered clinical staff.
Building this outside India? The categories above usually have a local equivalent, so check with your own regulator.
Don't let AI suggest pressure changes or judge whether apnoea is controlled. That's the doctor's call, and it would also turn the service into regulated software.
Want to work out the AI layer for Maskwell? Talk to Yash →
Here's what can go south -
I like this one. It's a small, honest services business that a founder with a respiratory-therapy or medical-equipment background can start with little capital. If you want a product company then it's a poor fit. Prove one number in a single dealer's shop first - usage over four hours a night in more patients at day 90 than that dealer's own unsupported customers.
Plan for roughly ₹25–45 L, mostly on coaches, mask stock across sizes and courier costs. There's very little technology to build.
No sector licence for coaching, but you must stay outside medical-device software, use registered clinical staff and follow the DPDP Act for health data.
Yes. CPAP machines record usage the same way everywhere, so the model travels. Check your local rules on medical-device software and health data first.
The free Maskwell validation kit has the line-by-line capital breakdown, the effort scoring, the regulatory and data-protection checklist, a 14-day validation sprint with pass/fail targets, a 90-day launch plan, 10 interview questions for dealers and patients, and 5 assumptions to test. Download the kit →
Thinking about building Maskwell or something close to it? The make-or-break work is showing a dealer a usage gain their own after-sales team does not produce. If you need a hand, you know where to find me. Talk to Yash →
For illustration only. Names are fictional and ideas hypothetical; sourced facts are real but may be out of date. Nothing here is legal, financial or professional advice, and Yash Khatri is not personally liable for any use of it. Read the full disclaimer.