Asia Healthcare Holdings has acquired a majority stake in Asian Institute of Nephrology and Urology (AINU), marking its entry into a fourth speciality.

Funded by TPG Growth and GIC (Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund), AHH is a single speciality healthcare delivery platform whose strategy has been to flow against the tide and invest and grow single speciality networks, rather than multispeciality operations. AHH will make an investment of ₹600 crore in AINU, through a mix of primary and secondary infusion. The transaction will give AHH about 70 per cent equity in AINU.

Vishal Bali, AHH-Executive Chairman told businessline, that they continue to have an appetite for investment in more single speciality networks, as their “counter policy” has gained momentum in their three other investments - in oncology (CTSI ), women and children’s health (Motherhood Hospitals), IVF and fertility (Nova IVF).

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AINU is present in four locations in India, across metro and smaller cities, proving the model can be scaled up, said Bali. And with facilities like robotic surgeries that the network offers, he explained, it would take these facilities closer to patients who would not have to travel to a larger city.

AINU was founded in 2013 by a team of leading urologists and nephrologists led by Dr C Mallikarjuna and Dr P C Reddy. It operates seven hospitals across Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Siliguri and Chennai. The network has more than 500 beds, has treated more than 400,000 patients and completed over 50,000 procedures, a note on the transaction said.

“India is amongst the top three nations globally that has the highest incidence of urological disorders, the high incidence of diabetes and hypertension is also accelerating the prevalence of chronic kidney disease, said Bali, indicating that growing AINU would help bridge the demand-supply gap.    

“Indians have a high incidence of kidney stones, and non-cancerous prostate enlargement issues. Increasingly we have observed a rise in the incidence of urological cancer in the last decade. Cancer of the prostate and bladder are becoming more common. Our team has performed over 1,000 robotic surgeries for urological cancers. We are making Robotic Urology surgery accessible to patients not just in urban India but also in tier 2 cities. Broadly we see a higher incidence of Uro-Oncology, Uro-Gynaecology and Paediatric Urology in the years ahead,” said Dr C Mallikarjun, AINU chief consultant urologist and Managing Director.

“Around 10 per cent of the Indian population suffers from Chronic Kidney Disease and every year over one lakh cases of renal failure are reported which makes nephrology care a key focus area for patients in India. With increase in chronic kidney diseases, technological advancements in dialysis and transplants are much needed to improve clinical outcomes and better patient care” added Dr P.C .Reddy, AINU Senior Urologist and Executive Director.

India is estimated to have recorded about 1.89 crore nephrology and urology procedures (2022), the note said. There are 6,000 qualified urologists and 3,500 nephrologists in India, and approximately 350 urologists and 250 nephrologists graduate each year, it added.

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