Hyderabad-based dialysis centre network and dialysis care provider, NephroPlus is on an expansion path. The company is managing 14,000 patients every month, with 40 per cent growth over the last year.
The company which obtained DaVita India operations recently is eyeing further addition opportunities in 2019. It expects at least two acquisitions this year (in India and abroad). There are plans to add 3-4 new centres in Hyderabad in coming months alone as a part of its pan-India expansion. The company in November 2018 acquired the Indian dialysis network of DaVita Inc that has 22 centres across key metros in the country, giving access to four new cities in India. The staff of DaVita has been united into NephroPlus by December 31, 2018.
Vikram Vuppala, CEO and founder, NephroPlus recently said, “We have the presence of 183 centres (including 10 in Hyderabad) across 18 States of India and Nepal, its first overseas centre. We are looking at a fundraising possibility as well as acquisition possibilities in India and overseas. We are looking at raising $25 million from a new investor in addition to existing investors. We had been talking to 15 plus investors in the last six months. We have hired a banker for this purpose a few days back. The funding could complete by June this year. We anticipate more action this year.”
Indian organised dialysis market is today estimated at $300 million while the market potential in the country is $2 billion, means only 15 per cent of the population is going for dialysis. With government interference and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects, the 85 per cent population which doesn’t have access to dialysis is likely to go for dialysis steadily. Addressable market of $300 million is growing 30-35 per cent every year.
The company is working with Andhra Pradesh and Uttarakhand in PPP route. It is talking to more states. It is also operating with few public sector enterprises to create dialysis centres for them. NephroPlus has established partnerships with several hospitals across India to create centres inside their premises. “We have recently tied up with one more unit of Max Hospitals in North and Medanta Hospital in East. We have taken up with Ruby Hall Clinic of Pune and signed up a fresh partnership with Kohinoor Hospital in Mumbai, an NABH accredited hospital. We are spreading our partnerships with marquee institutions,” he informed.
The company will continue to look at hospital partnerships across India. It plans to add 30-35 centres in the country every year. In the outsourced ties, the company has six out of ten in Hyderabad alone. Several arrangements are in a process now.
