The Burman family, promoters of one of the country's top domestic fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) company Dabur India Ltd, is foraying into the healthcare space in the country with a joint venture with UK-based ‘Healthcare at Home’ with plans to invest around Rs 200 crore.
In the joint venture—Healthcare at Home India—the Burman family will hold a 65 per cent stake while the rest will be with Healthcare at Home UK’s founders Gareth Jones and Charles Walsh.
"Healthcare is a sector in which we have a heritage and great interest; it is a sector in which India is at its early stages of growth and we are keen to invest aggressively in this sector," Gaurav Burman, a member of the Burman family, told PTI.
Healthcare at Home India will work with corporate hospitals and doctors offering homecare services in oncology, pulmonology, post-operative care, critical care and palliative care.
"We believe that this venture will not only be successful but will have a beneficial influence on the healthcare industry in India," Burman said.
According to sources quoted by PTI, the joint venture company will invest over Rs 200 crore in establishing a pan-India presence over two to three years.
The company will start from Delhi NCR and then expand to other cities. The JV would also add services like maternity and elderly care.
"Charles and I are hugely excited about the potential for high quality, patient-focused homecare services in India," said Gareth Jones.
Healthcare at Home has around 1,000 employees and cares for more than 150,000 patients a year. It is one of the biggest companies in the home healthcare segment in the UK.
However, Healthcare at Home is not the only company exploring opportunities in the Indian healthcare space.
Earlier US-based Bayada Home Health Care bought around 26 per cent stake in Chennai-based India Home Health Care Pvt Ltd. Other firms in this space include Portea Medical which was acquired by entrepreneurs Meena and K Ganesh and InQvent Holding-backed Alacurity Services.
In a separate development, the Burman family is also starting a new venture in education. The family has joined hands with Andrew Branagh, founder of the American healthcare-training firm Boston Reed College, to set up Berkeley HealthEDU, which will focus on developing and delivering high-end training for healthcare professionals including doctors and nurses. The first centre is going to be established in Delhi. The family has picked up 65 per cent in this joint venture as well, according to an earlier report by The Economic Times ET.
(Edited by Joby Puthuparampil Johnson)
