Ankura Hospital to raise Rs 170 cr to fund growth plans
Aims to expanding to 5 new cities increasing the bed count to 1,800 in next 18 months from 1,300 at present
Krishna Prasad Rao Vunnam, MD, Ankura Hospitals
Hyderabad: Ankura Hospital, a healthcare provider for women and children, has charted out plans to raise $20 million (Rs 170 crore) over the coming six months to fund its business growth and expansion across India. Established in 2012, the Hyderabad-based hospital chain currently has presence in more than 14 locations in three States – Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.
According to its management, Ankura Hospital is expanding to five new cities – Bhubaneswar, Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam, Nagpur and Pune – increasing the overall bed count to 1,800 in next 18 months from 1,300 at present. Each hospital would have 100-110 beds and it would cost Rs 35-40 lakh per bed. So, the company is going to invest roughly around Rs 35-40 crore on the new hospitals. “To meet our growth plans, we are looking to raise about $20 million. We are in talks with both existing and new investors. It may take another six months to finalise the deal,” Dr Krishna Prasad Rao Vunnam, neonatologist & pediatrician and Founder & Managing Director of Ankura Hospitals, told Bizz Buzz. Four years ago, the company had raised Rs 120 crore from healthcare-focused private equity firm InvAscent.
He further said: “We also aim to enhance our team size from 3,100 to 5,000 during next one and half years. Ankura has over 250 full-time doctors, including 38 qualified neonatologists and 30 pediatric intensivists. Almost two-third of our doctors are pediatricians, while the rest of them are gynecologists. Another 250 part-time doctors are also working for our chain of hospitals.”
Ankura Hospital is recognised for its accreditation by the National Accreditation Board for Hospital and Healthcare Providers (NABH). Over the past 11 years, Ankura has earned a reputation as a trusted institution by providing high-quality services in multiple specialised areas. It is well-known for all pediatric super specialties, obstetrics and gynecology with all specialisations including fetal medicine. Early this year, Ankura has forayed into infertility treatment services and introduced 9M Fertility Centres in Hyderabad (Gachibowli) and Pune. It has also set up 9M Premium Birthing Centres for expert maternity care at both the cities. 9M is an initiative which provides the most modern medical facilities and infrastructure that adheres to international standards for effectiveness and safety.
Krishna Prasad says, “With the late marriages and other social issues, the infertility care is growing exponentially in India at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 20-25 per cent during the last five years.”
Understanding the need for the infertility treatment in the country, we are planning to set up 5-6 fertility centres in the coming one and half years. We may invest Rs 4 crore on each centre.”
“Our hospital was profitable since the beginning. All our centres have so far achieved breakeven within six months of establishing them. Last year, our company has clocked a turnover of Rs 320 crore and we are expecting Rs 420 crore during this year. We are maintaining EBITDA margin of 10-15 per cent,” he informed.
