India is experiencing 22-25 per cent growth in medical tourism and the industry is expected to reach US$ 9 billion by 2020. There is a significant scope for enhancing healthcare services considering that healthcare spending as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is rising. The government’s expenditure on the health sector has grown to 1.4 per cent in FY18E from 1.2 per cent in FY14. The Government of India is also planning to increase public health spending to 2.5 per cent of the country’s GDP by 2025.
Investment
The hospital and diagnostic centers attracted Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) worth US$ 6.09 billion between April 2000 and March 2019, according to data released by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). Some of the recent investments in the Indian healthcare industry are as follows:
Healthcare sector in India witnessed 23 deals worth US$ 679 million in H12018. India and Cuba have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to increase cooperation in the areas of health and medicine, according to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Fortis Healthcare has approved the de-merger of its hospital business with Manipal Hospital Enterprises. TPG and Dr. Ranjan Pal could invest Rs. 3,900 crore (US$ 602.41 million) in Manipal Hospital Enterprise.
Road Ahead
India is a land full of opportunities for players in the medical devices industry. India’s healthcare industry is one of the fastest growing sectors and it is expected to reach $280 billion by 2020. The country has also become one of the leading destinations for high-end diagnostic services with tremendous capital investment for advanced diagnostic facilities, thus catering to a greater proportion of population. Besides, Indian medical service consumers have become more conscious towards their healthcare upkeep.
Indian healthcare sector is much diversified and is full of opportunities in every segment which includes providers, payers and medical technology. With the increase in the competition, businesses are looking to explore for the latest dynamics and trends which will have positive impact on their business. The hospital industry in India is forecasted to increase to Rs 8.6 trillion (US$ 132.84 billion) by FY22 from Rs 4 trillion (US$ 61.79 billion) in FY17 at a CAGR of 16-17 per cent.
India’s competitive advantage also lies in the increased success rate of Indian companies in getting Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) approvals. India also offers vast opportunities in R&D as well as medical tourism. To sum up, there are vast opportunities for investment in healthcare infrastructure in both urban and rural India.
source: IBEF
