According to the Economic Times, India has proven its ability to create world-class products and services at low cost over the years. For example Bangalore based Narayana Hrudayalaya Hospitals carries out heart surgeries at the lowest prices in the world. The healthcare provider aims to reach 100 towns with a population of 500,000 to one million in the next seven years. The hospital at Mysore is the first new one to start operations. The cost of an open heart surgery is expected to be 20 percent lower than the main Narayana Hrudayalaya hospital in Bangalore.
According to Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, cardiac surgeon and founder of Narayana Hrudayalaya, innovations need to be affordable. For example, construction costs had to be cut from design by using simple tiles and low-cost seating. In India, 2.5 million heart surgeries are needed every year. Unfortunately, only 90 000 are performed. He says that the country needs 3 million additional beds to serve the current needs. Narayana Hrudayalaya aims to add 30,000 beds in small-to-medium towns in the next five years.
Ashwin Naik, co-founder and CEO of Vaatsalya Hospitals, said there is a big gap in quality healthcare in India. “As government hospitals are not funded enough, this is creating opportunities for entrepreneurs.” Vaatsalya builds and manages hospitals/clinics in semi-urban and rural areas, providing primary and secondary care with an emphasis on prevention, offering services which can usually only be found in large cities at affordable prices. Vaatsalya keeps costs down by specializing in three areas: pediatrics, gynecology and surgery. It also leases, rather than purchases, land for its hospitals and private rooms lack services such as cable television. The company is planning to open 50 additional hospitals over the next five years.
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
