Bullish On India

Dr BR Shetty, Founder and Chairman, BR Life, speaks on ambitious growth plans.

- Rita Dutta

Dr BR Shetty is founder and non-executive chairman of Abu Dhabi-based NMC Healthcare, one of the largest private healthcare providers in the UAE. Now Dr Shetty has set his eyes on the Indian subcontinent through BR Life, a part of BRS Ventures, to roll out hospitals and health centres.

BR Life entered India in 2013. However, it’s only in the last two years that the group has come into prominence with a series of acquisitions. What is the reason for this renewed thrust in India?

India’s healthcare industry is growing at a fast pace. There is a growing impetus from the Government of India on the healthcare industry as well. Our recent budget has also given high importance to healthcare. In India, the health insurance penetration is only for 20% of the population. I see this as huge potential for enhancing the healthcare facilities in the country. The Ayushman Bharath Scheme, recently announced by the Government of India, has a lot of promise. There could not be a better time than now to be in India and play an active role in enhancing the healthcare system in the country.

Having started NMC in UAE, it has now grown to 145 facilities across 13 countries. My vision is ‘quality, ethical healthcare at affordable costs’. Born and raised in India, the plan was always to do something for the betterment of the people of India. This led to the creation of BR Life.

BR Life includes hospitals in India and the sub-continent. SUT Hospital, Pattom, Thiruvananthapuram was the first BR Life hospital in India. Sree Narayana Hospital (SNH), Raipur, SSNMC Super Specialty Hospital, Bengaluru, Mother & Child Hospital in Udupi and Kalinga Hospital in Bhubaneswar are the newer hospitals under BR Life.