http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/ Knowledge@Wharton is an online resource that offers the latest business insights, information, and research from a variety of sources. Content includes analysis of current business trends, interviews with industry leaders and faculty, articles based on the most recent business research, book reviews, conference and seminar reports, and links to other websites. en-us Copyright (c) 2007 The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania Thu, 23 May 2013 00:00:00 EST Thu, 23 May 2013 10:01:11 EST http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/globals/images/katw_white.gif http://Knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/category.cfm?cid=6 125 45 Knowledge@Wharton Health Economics Research Health Economics http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4734 The statistics tell a stark tale: India's population is 1.2 billion and growing. The country has a GDP of US$1.85 trillion but health care spending is only about 5% of that. India's nine hospital beds per 10,000 people are far from adequate. Although much attention is focused on infectious diseases like malaria or HIV, incidences of chronic or "lifestyle" ailments such as diabetes and heart disease are growing. At the recent Wharton India Economic Forum held in Philadelphia, a panel of experts discussed various models for the country to capitalize on its own innovation and expertise to deliver affordable care to those most in need. Thu, 09 May 2013 12:30:25 EST Health Economics http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4722 Some 700 million people live in India's 636,000 villages, which have only 23,000 primary health care centers among them. The Wockhardt Foundation has started Mobile 1000, an initiative to provide free primary health care to remote regions in rural India using mobile medical vans. So far, it's working. But can it be scaled up? Thu, 14 Feb 2013 12:19:43 EST Health Economics http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4719 Primary health care in India has been a rather neglected sector, suffering from poor quality and low service levels in many areas. As a result, patients tend to go to large hospitals for even the most basic health care needs, a practice that leads to unnecessary medical interventions and also higher medical spending. A new breed of entrepreneurs is now looking to revive the concept of the family physician in the country. The biggest challenge they face is attracting good doctors and the ability to scale their operations. Thu, 24 Jan 2013 11:41:12 EST Health Economics http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4709 India accounts for around 20% of maternal deaths worldwide. It has also failed to achieve its goal of reducing its infant mortality rate to 28 per 1,000 live births by 2012. A recent study says that the country will not reach this target until the end of 2016. There is urgent need for affordable and quality maternity and infant care in the country. LifeSpring, a chain of maternity hospitals, is looking to address this need. But it has challenges by way of attracting capital and management. Wed, 31 Oct 2012 14:12:40 EST Health Economics http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4704 Safe drinking water is a precious commodity in India. According to a recent report released by UNICEF and the World Health Organization, 97 million people in India don’t have access to an acceptable drinking water source. The 2011 census estimates that over 50% of the households in India don’t have access to drinking water in their homes. Nonprofit group WaterHealth is trying to address this need with its innovative and low-cost solution. Thu, 27 Sep 2012 10:22:14 EST Health Economics http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4681 Multinational pharmaceutical companies are closely following India's recent grant of a "compulsory license" to Indian mid-sized firm Natco Pharma. This license allows Natco to make sorafenib, a low-cost version of Bayer's patented cancer drug, Nexavar. The Indian government maintains that the initiative, which awards licenses based on circumstances including a drug's affordability and accessibility, is compliant with the World Trade Organization's intellectual property rules. But experts at Wharton and elsewhere say questions persist over the impact of such licensing. Thu, 19 Apr 2012 09:25:48 EST Health Economics http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4675 India's record in health care is dismal: A vast majority of its population does not have access to quality and affordable treatment. Experts believe that with developments in technology, telemedicine could be one possible solution to lessen this problem. India could also provide telemedicine solutions for the world. But observers also caution that telemedicine is still very nascent in the country and the right ecosystem has to be developed for it to show significant results. Thu, 08 Mar 2012 09:51:30 EST Health Economics http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4674 Running India's most prominent biotechnology company in a risk-averse investment environment is a constant balancing act for Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, the founder, chairman and managing director of Bangalore-based Biocon. Mazumdar-Shaw has crafted a business model for Biocon that balances stable revenues from its drugs and research services with relatively higher-risk drug discovery programs. In a conversation with India Knowledge@Wharton, Mazumdar-Shaw discusses her business hurdles and the roadmap to make Biocon India's leading company for diabetes and cancer drugs. Thu, 01 Mar 2012 11:08:58 EST Health Economics http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4612 In this opinion piece, Ravi Aron, a professor at Johns Hopkins University and a senior fellow at the Mack Center for Technological Innovation at Wharton, argues that until affordable universal health care is a reality in the U.S., Americans will continue to travel abroad for health-related services. Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:02:18 EST Health Economics http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4615 U.S. President Barack Obama recently encouraged Americans to use the country’s health care system for their operations and procedures, instead of going to India and Mexico. But for many, medical tourism is not a matter of choice: They simply cannot afford treatment in the U.S., experts point out. In India, meanwhile, the medical tourism industry is booming, even as controversies erupt over quality and environmental issues. Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:02:18 EST Health Economics http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4510 Enhancing affordability and access to health care in India presents both challenges and opportunities for private companies like Apollo Hospitals, a 50-hospital chain with 8,500 beds. Apollo has already expanded its reach with telemedicine and reengineered its services to lower costs. Its next endeavor is to help create healthy living environments by promoting clean drinking water, better sanitation and appropriate immunizations, says Sangita Reddy, executive director, in an interview with India Knowledge@Wharton. Sun, 15 Aug 2010 23:23:45 EST Health Economics http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4501 Delivering affordable health care to India's billion-plus people presents enormous challenges and opportunities for service providers. Innovative technologies, processes and partnerships have begun bridging the health care gap, according to a panel discussion at the recent Wharton India Economic Forum in Philadelphia. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:39:02 EST Health Economics http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4493 Cardiac surgeon Devi Shetty is on a mission to build 5,000-bed "health cities" across India, encouraged by the success of his nine-year-old Narayana Hrudayalaya hospital in Bangalore. He has contained costs at that facility by tweaking pricing and salary structures, driving hard bargains with vendors and negotiating creative partnership deals. Despite the challenges he faces in replicating what he calls "the Walmart approach" to medical services, Shetty believes using economies of scale could lead to a new health care model not only for India, but perhaps also for the world. Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:56:36 EST Health Economics http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4484 In May, U.S.-based Abbott Labs secured the top spot in India's growing pharmaceutical industry -- and a potential springboard into other emerging markets -- with its US$3.72 billion takeover of Piramal Healthcare's branded generics business. At the same time, hopes that one of India's pharmaceutical majors would emerge as a global player have receded. According to Wharton faculty and industry experts, changing global business models and the resources needed to develop blockbuster drugs are propelling Indian companies to join forces with multinationals through strategic alliances or as targets for acquisitions. Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:24:46 EST Health Economics http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4476 GE Healthcare is taking steps to make its India operations a center for "reverse innovation" -- in which cutting-edge products are first used in the developing world before spreading to more industrialized nations. At GE's John F. Welch Technology Centre in Bangalore, it has 1,100 engineers currently working on six medical equipment technology products; the goal is to cover each of its 30 categories in the next three years. While India's huge domestic market may justify the investment, GE Healthcare will face challenges in the distribution and servicing of its products, experts say. Thu, 20 May 2010 15:35:01 EST Health Economics http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4461 It began nearly 20 years ago with three old, wooden carriages donated by Indian Railways. Since then, Lifeline Express -- the world's first hospital on rails -- and its 100,000 volunteers have offered state-of-the-art medical services to nearly 600,000 patients to help address the enormous gap in rural health care. As Zelma Lazarus, CEO of Impact India, the foundation that set up Lifeline, notes, "People are so desperate for medical treatment they lie on the tracks to stop the train from leaving." But without policy changes and more state funding, are services such as Lifeline's sustainable? Thu, 25 Mar 2010 12:58:05 EST Health Economics http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4447 Highly qualified doctors and scientists, state-of-the-art technology and low costs have made India an attractive global hub for medical tourism, clinical studies and R&D. Now, however, Indian health care is at a critical turning point, putting its innovative acumen to the test, said a range of medical experts who spoke during a three-day course jointly conducted by Wharton and the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad. Sustaining India's competitive advantage in health care, they agreed, hinges on the ability of hospitals, drug manufacturers, biotech firms and non-governmental organizations to continuously find new and efficient ways to build their businesses while addressing the needs of the millions of Indians without adequate access to medical services. Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:53:46 EST Health Economics http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4419 A few years ago, Indian pharmaceutical companies seemed to be on the takeover trail. But if recent headlines are any indication, the same firms are now targets for multinational suitors. According to some industry experts, an increasing number of acquisitions by multinational companies (MNCs) is almost certain once valuations improve -- whether for diversification, exposure to emerging markets or other purposes. Meanwhile, questions concerning the impact of the growing presence of MNCs in the Indian health care market -- particularly on drug affordability -- loom large. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:11:49 EST Health Economics http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4370 India's health care industry ails from severe under-penetration among its population, especially in rural areas. But according to panelists who spoke at the recent Wharton India Economic Forum in Philadelphia, there are many positives in the current health care environment that merit the attention of pharmaceutical firms, hospital chains and investment funds. These include the country's low-cost base for crafting new drugs, its strengths in alternative medicine, and new technology that is helping to grow the market. Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:59:43 EST Health Economics http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4363 By continually adopting cutting-edge technology and entering new sectors such as health insurance and pharmaceutical retailing, Apollo Hospitals, Asia's largest health care provider, has helped to shape India's medical landscape. At the recent Wharton India Economic Forum in Philadelphia, India Knowledge@Wharton spoke with Shobana Kamineni, the company's executive director of new initiatives, about Apollo's recent ventures and what the future holds for health care in India. Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:41:36 EST