India’s big hospital chains think small to expand in booming market

India's prominent hospital chains are shifting their focus to smaller centres and facilities as they chase growth in the booming healthcare market while coping with higher real estate costs and a dearth of land space in its cities. Though healthcare facilities are still in short supply in most parts of India, and especially so in its towns and smaller cities, patients in the world's most populous nation are showing a greater preference for specialised-but-accessible amenities in the post-COVID pandemic era. That trend is expected to form the bedrock of demand in the Indian healthcare market, which, according to forecasts by global consulting firms Boston Consulting Group and B Capital, is expected to grow near three-fold over eight years to $458 billion in 2030.