1

A PROJECT REPORT

ON

SUNSHINE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

An online mental health service portal

A report submitted to Jyoti Nivas College, Autonomous,

Bangalore in partial fulfilment of requirements for the
compilation of B.A. (Communication and Media) Vocational
Course for the academic year 2020– 2021 under the guidance
of Dr. Anuja. B.

Submitted by: Arshia Lekhi

Register No: 18CV043A
III BA CEOEP
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DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the project “Sunshine Mental Health

Services” is based on an original study undertaken by me in
partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of
Bachelor’s Degree in Arts (Vocational) of Jyoti Nivas College,
Autonomous.

Further this report has not been previously submitted for the
award of any other degree/diploma of Jyoti Nivas College or
any other University/Institutions.

Place: Bangalore
Date: April 07,
2021 Arshia
Lekhi
III BA CEOEP
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CERTIFICATE OF THE GUIDE

This is to certify that the research report “Sunshine Mental

Health Services” is based on an original study undertaken by
Arshia Lekhi (18CV043A) under my guidance and supervision
during the year 2020- 2021 in partial fulfillment of the award
of Bachelor’s Degree of Jyoti Nivas College, Autonomous.

Further, no part of this report has formed the basis for the
award of any degree/diploma of Jyoti Nivas College
Autonomous or any other university/Institute.

Dr. Anuja.
B. Faculty
Guide
Jyoti Nivas College, Autonomous
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CERTIFICATION

This is to certify that the research report “Sunshine

Mental Health Services” is based on an original study
undertaken by Arshia Lekhi (18CV043A) under my
guidance and supervision during the year 2020-2021 in
partial fulfillment of the award of Bachelor’s Degree of
Jyoti Nivas College, Autonomous.

Further, no part of this report has formed the basis for the
award of any degree/diploma of Jyoti Nivas College,
Autonomous, or any other university/institute.

Fr. Saji. P.
Mathew Head of the Department of Communication
and Media Studies
Centre for Media
Studies Jyoti Nivas College,
Autonomous

External Examiner
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ACKNOWLEDGEMEN
T

I thank our Principal Dr. Sr. Elizabeth CS for her vision and
for empowering me through the right kind of exposure which
has helped me transcribe the plan on paper. This project
would not have been complete without the able supervision of
Dr. Anuja. B., the project guide.
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TABLE OF
CONTENTS

PROFILE OF THE ENTREPRENEUR 7

INTRODUCTION 8

DESCRIPTION OF SERVICE BEING OFFERED 10

MARKET 12

MARKETING STRATEGY 13

ADMINISTRATION 14

SWOT ANALYSIS 15

FINANCE 17

CONCLUSION 18
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PROFILE OF THE ENTREPRENEUR

Name: Arshia Lekhi

Qualification: MPhil, Ph.D. Clinical Psychology

Internships: 1) Clinical Psychology Internship at

NIMHANS, Bangalore, 2019
2) Internship with Cloud Nine, a NGO based on
spreading awareness about illness and disorders

Name of the business: Sunshine Mental Health Services

Proprietorship or Partnership: Partnership

Location/Address: 26, 7TH B Cross, KHB Colony,

Koramangala, Bangalore, Karnataka
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INTRODUCTION

Sunshine Mental Health Services is a mental health service

provider company based out of Bangalore. Our mission is to
spread awareness and emphasis on the importance of mental
health in today’s fast-paced world.
Mental health is as imperative as one’s physical health and
shouldn’t be compromised. Mental illnesses and disorders are
often ignored and overshadowed under the argument that if it
cannot be seen, it does not exist. Today, people still believe in
superstitions more than logic, rationality, and facts which
worsens the possibility of these disorders being recognized as
something life-threatening and curable.
The stigma around and against mental illnesses still exists in
the 21st century and the lack of awareness around it adds to
the worsening discussion about mental health issues in India.
India also accounts for
36.6 percent of suicides globally. Lancet studies suggest that
India’s contribution to global suicide deaths increased from
25·3% in 1990 to 36·6% in 2016 among women, and from
18·7% to 24·3% among men. As per the National Mental
Health Survey 2015-16, conducted by the National Institute of
Mental Health & Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru,
under the purview of the Union Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare, it was revealed that 9.8 million teenagers in the age
group 13-17 years suffer depression and other mental health
disorders and are “in need of active intervention”. Whereas,
according to a study by the Lancet, suicide deaths ranked first
among all causes of death in women aged 15-29 years in 26 of
the 31 states, and women aged 15-39 years in 24 states in the
country. (swachhindia.ndtv.com)
According to the burden of mental disorders across the states
of India: The Global Burden of Disease Study 1990–2017 – One
in seven Indians were affected by mental disorders of varying
severity in 2017 and the proportional contribution of mental
disorders to the total disease burden in India has almost
doubled since 1990. WHO also estimates that, in India, the
economic loss, due to mental health conditions, between
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2012-2030, is 1.03 trillions of 2010 dollars.

(swachhindia.ndtv.com)
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WHO also states that the mental health workforce in India is

not up to the mark and there is a huge shortage of
psychiatrists and psychologists in the country as compared to
the number of people suffering from mental health issues.
WHO states that in India, (per 100,000 population) there are
psychiatrists (0.3), nurses (0.12), psychologists (0.07), and
social workers (0.07), while the desirable number is anything
above 3 psychiatrists and psychologists per 100,000
population. WHO also estimates that about 7.5 percent of
Indians suffer from some mental disorder and predicts that by
end of this year roughly 20 percent of India will suffer from
mental illnesses. According to the numbers, 56 million Indians
suffer from depression and another 38 million Indians suffer
from anxiety disorders. According to an estimate by the World
Health Organization (WHO), mental illness makes about 15%
of the total disease conditions around the world. The same
estimate also suggests that India has one of the largest
populations affected by mental illness.
As a result, WHO has labeled India as the world’s ‘most
depressing country.’ (health.economictimes)

These figures are certainly very alarming and emphasize that

mental health awareness campaigns and services are certainly
in need of the hour. Sunshine Mental Health Services aims to
bridge the gap between the mental health professionals and
the people who need help by acting as a medium for them to
connect, seek and offer help. It will act as a conduit for
licensed mental health professionals to register themselves on
our website with all their credentials. People who are looking
for help can register themselves on our portal and connect
with these licensed mental health professionals based on their
specialization. Sunshine Mental Health Services is a tie-up
between various individually practicing psychiatrists,
psychologists, counselors, and mental health institutions in
the country like NIMHANS, VIMHANS, IHBAS, and private
hospitals with renowned psychiatry department
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DESCRIPTION OF SERVICE BEING OFFERED

The first and foremost reason for India to lose its mental
health is the lack of awareness and sensitivity about the issue.
There is a big stigma around people suffering from any kind of
mental health issue. They are often tagged as ‘lunatics’ by
society. This leads to a vicious cycle of shame, suffering, and
isolation of the patients. There is no appropriate help
available for people who are suffering which leads them to
take drastic steps such as suicide. When it comes to a
person’s physical health, people are so conscious and aware
these days – they have also access to a lot more things to
maintain their health, they know everything about superfoods,
the latest diet trends or workouts, but when it comes to
mental health, the awareness just isn’t there. So many people
aren’t even aware that they may be suffering from a form of
mental health issues and the above statistics show the grim
reality.

Sunshine Mental Health Services is dedicated to providing a

safe and open space for people from all walks of life to seek
help without feeling shame and guilt. It aims to initiate an
inclusive conversation about anything related to mental well-
being and disorders. Further, it aims to deconstruct the
stigmatized hierarchies around mental illnesses and equip the
community/society with the knowledge and sensitivity towards
handling these issues.

Today, everything is available at the tip of our fingers.

Internet is a huge part of what we are and contributes as our
biggest source of information. Sunshine Mental Health
Services is an entirely digital company working on reducing
mental health inequality one day at a time.

- PRICING
Sunshine Mental Health Services works as a website where
people seeking help can find licensed mental health
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professionals. It also has a dedicated blog and newsletter

which works extensively on spreading mental health
awareness and covers topics related to that which rolls out
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every week. People can sign up for the newsletter by paying

an amount of Rs. 129 every month. Since the company is
aimed at providing help to the people who need it, we don’t
charge a penny from them rather licensed psychiatrists,
psychologists, and counselors have to pay a minimum fee of
Rs. 999 when they subscribe themselves with us and a part of
the commission they directly charge from the clients. People
signing up also get one free one on one with the mental health
professional and choose if they want to continue further. We
have special student discounts and offer our newsletter to
them at 50% off. We also provide referral codes especially for
students and if they refer us to their friends, upon each friend
subscribing to our newsletter they get a month free.

- OPENING HOURS
The office is located at 26, 7th B Cross Road, KHB Colony, 4th B
Block, Koramangala, 560034. The office is functional 6 days a
week.

MONDAY: 9 AM- 6 PM

TUESDAY: 9 AM-6 PM

WEDNESDAY: 9 AM- 6

PM THURSDAY: 9 AM-6

PM FRIDAY: 9 AM-6 PM

SATURDAY: 10 AM-4 PM (Half Day, a weekly follow-up

meeting regarding goals and objectives of the current week.
Also, brainstorming session and deciding on goals and
objectives of the upcoming week, and assigning roles and
responsibilities).

SUNDAY: CLOSED
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MARKET
- AUDIENC
E
The target audience for this service is anyone who can afford
therapy and access to our website. It can be teenagers and people
falling in the group young, middle and late adulthood.

We do not have a defined and definite target audience because

we believe that help in any way or form should be available to
anyone and everyone. Our vision is to spread awareness and
provide help via therapy, talks, and seminars to people who
need it.

- COMPETITORS
Our competitors in the field are

1) MANASTHA (manastha)

2) MIND CARE INDIA (mindcareindia)

3) HOPE QURE (hopequre)

4) BETTER LYF (betterlyf)

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MARKETING STRATEGY

Since the company is completely digital, we are aiming at

marketing and advertising ourselves via social media
platforms like Instagram, Linked In, Twitter, Facebook, and
YouTube and optimize the use of SEO to help us get better
reach and recognition. It’s on social media sites where we can
share all types of information ranging from mental health
awareness to events to PR announcements and beyond and
facilitate better reach.
With the launch offer, we can offer up to 50% discounts for a
limited period to people on our newsletters. By providing
referral codes, people can get one extra month of our
subscription for free if their acquaintances join our
subscription using the codes. This will ensure that new
patients and clients join us every month.
Also, sending in personalized emails to people who register
with us will assist in the process of establishing ourselves as
different from our competitors and leave a mark. Word-of-
mouth persuasion is one of the best ways of persuasion. Direct
referrals from family, friends, and existing clients are an
effective way to promote and attract the audience as it is the
cheapest and effective way of promoting for our benefit.

Pay-Per-Click Marketing or Paid Search Advertising for

behavioral treatment centers offers the ability to start running
ads in a matter of days on platforms such as Google, Bing,
Yahoo!, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. This can be an
efficient, quick, and fantastic way for getting immediate
targeted traffic to our site but comes with minimal cost.
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ADMINISTRATION

Job Title Education/ Experience Qty Salary Total

(per Salary
month) (per
month)
Social Bachelor's degree in 2 Rs. 25,000 Rs. 50,000
Media marketing, public
Manag relations from Tier 1 or
er Tier 2 college

Minimum 1 year
experience in this field
Graphi Bachelor’s degree in 1 Rs. 20,000 Rs. 20,000
c design from Tier 1 or Tier
Design 2 college
er
Minimum 1 year of
experience in this field
Websit At least passed his/her 1 Rs. 20,000 Rs. 20,000
e class 12 or should have
Design completed a diploma
er course in web designing.

No minimum requirement
Web At least a bachelor's 1 Rs. 20,000 Rs. 20,000
Develop degree in computer
er science, programming, or
a related field from Tier 1/
Tier 2 college.

Minimum 1 year of
experience in this field
Rs.
Total monthly manpower 1,10,000
expense
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SWOT ANALYSIS

- STRENGTHS
1) Affordable
2) Digital hence accessible
3) An effective marketing strategy to grab public’s
attention and interest.
4) Working towards bettering the availability of
mental health services available in India
5) Good interpersonal relations with employees and
customers

- WEAKNESSES
1) Struggle with initial investment.
2) Limited budget for promotion and advertisement.
3) Lack of offline space
4) Struggle to carve one’s niche
5) Poor technological use/outdated technological products

- THREATS
1) Digital competitive space
2) Internet shutdown
3) competitors have superior access to channels of distribution
4) Lack of sufficient mental health professionals
associated with the website
5) Lack of suitable response from people/customers/clients

- OPPORTUNITIES
1) Growing sensitivity towards mental illnesses and disorders
2) Expanding technological advances
3) Favourable governmental policies on recognising
mental health services in India
4) Availability of new social media platforms for marketing
5) Attracting investors
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Analysing SWOT will help me in deciding on its future

strategies and effective planning of it as well as in expansion,
growth and profitability. It gives me ample amount of time to
be prepared with the upcoming risks and uncertainties to
cover it up and bounce back with effective and practical
solutions.
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FINANCE

ITEMS OF COST
EXPENDITURE
App and Website Rs. 3,00,000
Development
Cost
Other Assets (ex- office Rs. 4,00,000
space 1-year advance,
laptop etc.)
Rs. 5,00,000
Analytics setup and
backend
development cost

Margin for working Rs. 5,00,000

Capital

Manpower Cost (3 Rs. 3,30,000

months)
Preliminary and Pre- Rs. 1,50,000
operative expenses

Rs.
TOTAL 21,80,000

SOURCE OF FINANCE

Promoter’s contribution Rs. 10,00,000

Short term loan from Rs. 1,80,000

relatives
Term Loan Rs. 10,00,000

TOTAL Rs.
21,80,000
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CONCLUSION

It’s definitely imperative and crucial to bring these plans on

paper to actuality and make it if not more, equally appeasing
and attractive and informative for people to join.

The company will be ready to hit the digital space by June,

2021 and not just change the conversations around mental
health and illness making it more inclusive but provide a
platform for people to seek help without shame and guilt.

Though, it will be entirely digital when we launch it, we have

already started working on planning how it is going to expand
its offline presence like introducing weekly or monthly
magazine on which will cover topics related to mental health,
illnesses, columns by psychiatrists and psychologists covering
an array of topics related to the same and sharing their
wisdom and knowledge. The company will gradually introduce
internships for undergraduates and graduates giving them a
platform to learn skills necessary for becoming a mental
health professional.
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