Metropolis Healthcare Ltd., which operates a chain of pathological laboratories and preventive healthcare centres in India and abroad, is planning to scale up its operations substantially both in the domestic and international markets to leverage on the growth opportunities, a top executive said.
“Building on our successful hub-and-spoke model for expansion, we have decided to focus on five critical cities [in the west and in the south] and eight focused markets across the country,” Ameera Shah, MD, Metropolis Healthcare said in an interview.
“For example, in a high- potential priority market such as Mumbai, we have 700 centres and we want to do the same in other critical cities. We have a network in 250 cities which we will keep expanding. We want to enhance our presence in Punjab, Delhi and Kolkata,” she said.
In the international market the company is already present in African countries such as Kenya, Ghana and Zambia. “We used our learning and insights to make strong inroads into these markets. We will soon have presence in Nigeria and East Africa,” she said.
Tapping potential
The company also gets samples from West Asia. Now, it wants to expand into different countries having potential.
She said in the last three years the company had undergone ‘transformational changes’ after getting a clear ownership and capital structure.
“We have made several acquisitions and integrated them well. We have hired a professional team and have created an organisation with strong values where our people get freedom and respect,” she said.
“I wanted to create a professional platform where the promoter is leading the business and the team is executing the strategy.
“We have 4,500 employees today and the institution is characterised by good governance and strong growth. The results are showing,” she said.
The company has grown from 300 centres to around 2,100 centres and has more than 100 labs. It has around 8,000 collection centres.
“We have created a sustainable profit-centric growth oriented business model and continue to be inspired by institutions such as HDFC and Kotak Mahindra,” she said.
Stating that the company had rewarded its investors well, she said: “The idea is to transform Metropolis from being a brick-and mortar services firm to a digitally empowered, omnichannel, healthcare and wellness focussed company.”
Asked whether the company was mulling for a listing she said: “Our PE partner Carlyle has been very supportive and closely involved in our progress. Any company in a growth phase explores various fund raising options and IPO is just one of them.”