The pharmacy business of Apollo Hospitals group will touch ₹10,000 crore in revenue this year, the group’s Chief Financial Officer, Akhileswaran Krishnan, told businessline today.
There are some 5,790 Apollo Pharmacies today, making it the largest pharmacy chain in the country. The group is adding pharmacies at the rate of 400-500 every year.
However, the healthcare group wishes to grow its online pharma sales business. “We are growing the ‘online’ now; the online business is just beginning to grow,” Krishnan said.
He said this while answering a question as to whether the group’s pharmacy business would come out with an IPO and list separately. Stressing that there is no plan for an IPO now, Krishnan said that a public issue would “eventually” happen, but the group would first like to grow the pharmacy business into a much bigger business.
PAT rises 60 per cent
Apollo Hospital Enterprise Ltd today reported a 60 per cent increase in its consolidated net profit for the third quarter of this year—to ₹245 crore, from 153 crore in the comparable quarter of last year. This resulted in a 14 per cent increase in revenues (₹4,850 crore against ₹4,263 crore previously). The net profit gives an earning per share of ₹17.06 (not annualised).
On the BSE today, the Apollo Hospital Enterprise Ltd share closed at ₹6,229.75, which was ₹50.40 (0.82 per cent) higher than the previous close.