Hospital chains plan ₹14,600-crore expansion with covid in rear-view mirror

livemint.com:

₹14,600 crore to add about 17,800 beds nationwide over the next few years to meet the rising demand for healthcare, driven primarily by higher insurance penetration since the pandemic, Mint has learned. This marks their first meaningful expansion since covid, which slowed or halted their growth for four years. Manipal Hospitals, Aster DM Healthcare, Apollo Hospitals and Max Healthcare are among the healthcare majors working to add more beds in the coming years.

Aster DM Healthcare, a Bengaluru-based premium healthcare provider, is looking to invest more than ₹2,000 crore to double its bed capacity to 10,000 over the next three years through acquisitions and organic growth. Unlisted Manipal Hospitals, which recently acquired a majority stake in Kolkata-based healthcare group Medica Synergie for an estimated ₹1,400 crore, has said it will increase its presence across the country through a mix of organic and inorganic expansion. Max Healthcare, a Delhi-based hospital chain, also made acquisitions recently and has big expansion plans.

Smaller players such as CK Birla Hospitals and Paras Hospitals have plans to expand and strengthen their presence in existing markets as well. Paras Hospitals recently announced the commissioning of a new 300-bed hospital in Gurugram with an estimated investment of ₹250 crore. It plans to increase its capacity from 2,000 beds to 3,500 beds by 2025.