A Paradigm Shift in Ayurveda

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Imagine this: You are a budding and ambitious entrepreneur in your mid 30s and you are interested in healthcare or say Ayurveda, to be more precise. The best part is you are also sanctioned an appreciable fund to set-up a chain of Ayurveda centres across India. Sitting in your boardroom, you are thinking about the locations for your new centres. Which places are you likely to choose, keeping in mind that you have sufficient funds? Maybe a place where there are high-income group residents or where tourists flock, simply because you know that Ayurveda is more popular with foreigners or affluent residents than our ’aam janta’. Even if this answer does not match your imagination, it is not likely that you will have in mind, Mumbai-based Dharavi, Asia’s largest slum, in your imagination!

Well, that is where Rajiv Vasudevan, CEO, of AyurVAID hospital chain begs to differ, as he has gone ahead and done exactly that! He opened a centre in Dharavi, as a part of his hospital-chain expansion plan. He aims to build a fortune from the bottom of the pyramid and that too through Ayurveda route. And the PE firm which is helping him to realise his vision is Acumen, which has invested Rs 4.5 crore in his pet project. Currently, AyurVAID has opened six hospitals in all, with the bed-strength totaling to 150.

Source: Express Healthcare Management (link opens in a new window)