MAM
Mankind Pharma highlights rising kidney disease risk on World Kidney Day
Nearly 138 million Indians live with CKD as experts urge early screening.
MUMBAI: Your kidneys rarely make noise when something is wrong. That silence, doctors say, is precisely the problem. Marking World Kidney Day, Mankind Pharma has joined healthcare experts to raise awareness about the growing burden of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), a condition that often progresses unnoticed until it reaches advanced stages. Globally, CKD affects nearly 10 percent of the population. In India, the scale is even more alarming. Health studies estimate that about 138 million people in the country are living with some form of chronic kidney disease, placing India among the nations with the highest disease burden worldwide.
The difficulty lies in detection. Kidneys quietly perform essential tasks such as filtering waste, balancing body fluids, regulating blood pressure and supporting several metabolic functions. Yet experts warn that an individual can lose up to 90 percent of kidney function without obvious symptoms, making routine screening crucial.
As part of its awareness initiative, Mankind Pharma is encouraging people to monitor key health indicators including blood pressure, blood sugar and kidney function through basic diagnostic tests. The campaign also features educational outreach and discussions with medical experts to highlight the importance of early detection.
The healthcare challenge extends beyond diagnosis to treatment. India requires nearly 200,000 kidney transplants every year, but only around 13,500 procedures are performed annually, meeting less than 6 percent of the total demand. The shortage of organ donors remains a major hurdle, with the country’s organ donation rate still below one donor per million population, far lower than many developed nations.
Doctors also point to lifestyle and health trends driving the surge in kidney disease. Rising rates of diabetes and hypertension remain among the leading causes, alongside factors such as high salt consumption, unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyles.
Max Super Speciality Hospital chairman of Urology, Renal transplant and robotics Anant Kumar stressed that routine health checks can significantly reduce long term risks.
“Chronic kidney disease often progresses silently and remains undetected until it reaches advanced stages. Individuals with diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity or a family history of kidney disease should undergo regular screening through tests such as blood creatinine, urine analysis and blood pressure monitoring. Early diagnosis plays a crucial role in slowing disease progression and improving outcomes,” he said.
Mankind Pharma chief operating officer Arjun Juneja added that awareness and prevention remain key to tackling the growing health challenge.
“World Kidney Day is an important reminder that prevention and early detection are critical in addressing kidney disease. By promoting regular screenings, healthier lifestyle choices and greater awareness, we hope to encourage individuals to take proactive steps to protect their long term health,” he said.
Medical experts recommend several simple steps to protect kidney health. These include staying physically active, maintaining healthy blood sugar levels, monitoring blood pressure regularly, following a balanced diet with controlled salt intake, staying hydrated and avoiding unnecessary use of painkillers. Routine kidney function tests are especially important for people considered at higher risk.
As the global and national burden of CKD continues to rise, health professionals say awareness campaigns like World Kidney Day serve as an important opportunity to remind people that kidney health often depends on catching problems before the body shows any warning signs.
Brands
Bhim names MS Dhoni as brand ambassador to boost trust
Payments app taps cricket icon to drive scale, inclusion and confidence
MUMBAI: Bhim Payments App has brought in a familiar face of calm and credibility, appointing Mahendra Singh Dhoni as its brand ambassador as it gears up for its next phase of growth.
Announced by NPCI BHIM Services Limited, the move pairs one of India’s most trusted cricketers with a payments platform that has quietly powered the country’s digital transactions for nearly a decade. The idea is simple. Build scale, deepen inclusion and, above all, strengthen user confidence.
The partnership leans on a shared reputation for reliability. While Bhim has grown into a widely used digital payments interface built on NPCI’s infrastructure, Dhoni’s journey from small-town beginnings to national leadership mirrors that steady rise, making the association feel less like a marketing move and more like a natural fit.
NBSL MD and CEO Lalitha Nataraj said, “As digital payments continue to scale in India, the next phase of growth is about strengthening preferences and deepening user confidence. With onboarding MS Dhoni as our brand ambassador, our objective is to position Bhim Payments App not just as a payments option but as the preferred app for each member in the Indian household.”
She added, “As Bhim Payments App enters its next phase of growth, trust remains at the centre of everything we do. Dhoni represents that same trust, built over time. That is why this partnership feels inevitable.”
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, said, “Over the years, I have always believed in keeping things simple and staying clear in approach. What stood out to me about Bhim is its focus on making digital payments straightforward and accessible to people across the country.”
He added, “As India continues to move towards greater digital adoption, it is important that users feel comfortable and confident while transacting. I am happy to be associated with an app that is built to serve everyday needs at scale.”
Repositioned as Bharat Ka Apna Payments App, Bhim has been widening its footprint across tier 1, 2 and 3 towns. With support for more than 15 regional languages and optimisation for low connectivity environments, the platform is designed to work as smoothly in smaller towns as it does in big cities.
Add to that reward-led features and growing merchant partnerships, and the app is aiming to stay not just relevant, but indispensable.
With Dhoni now at the crease, Bhim is clearly playing the long game, one built on trust, familiarity and everyday use.
