EXCEPTIONAL MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY LEADING TO ONE OF THE INNOVATIVE MEDICAL DEVICES MANUFACTURING FIRM

What was the rationale behind your career move towards being one of the Med-tech influential leader?

My stint with healthcare began when I joined BITS Pilani in 1984 for a Bachelor’s Degree in Pharmacy with a specialization in Bio-Medical Engineering. After my graduation in 1988, I joined the medical instruments distribution company IMI and became a partner in that company in 1990. Over the years, through my position as South Asia Head of a US-based MNC Ciba Corning, I saw the medical device industry in India being dominated by large multinational companies. They had a monopoly in terms of pricing, positioning, and product line. That made me feel that now India needed an indigenous health technology company, which was “local by heart but global in its vision”. And then I decided to provide healthcare solutions at affordable costs to a large section of the Indian society, and started Trivitron Healthcare in 1997. I always believed in following my passion for healthcare entrepreneurship and learning from failure as It is difficult to learn from success. I am convinced that if one follows their passion and perseveres against all the odds, then the money will follow.

Science, Service and Support, how these three main features of Trivitron has contributed in providing affordable

I have always believed in following my passion for healthcare entrepreneurship.

healthcare solutions during this pandemic?

As a health technology organization, Trivitron has developed rigorous contingency plans to slow the progress of a pandemic and limit its impact on employees, partners, consumers, and communities. Keeping in mind the still-evolving healthcare system of our country, we have scaled up production to yield more COVID-19 centric products. Trivitron has been a flagbearer of “Make in India” and has been working to manufacture COVID-19 related products in its manufacturing facilities in Chennai, Mumbai & Visakhapatnam. Trivitron Healthcare has been working and made available a range of Covid-19 RT PCR Test Kits, RNA Extraction Kits, and Specimen Collection Kits, COVID-19 Antigen test kits, PCR systems, and other laboratory products, for COVID-19 diagnosis & confirmation. Trivitron has also started a Ventilator manufacturing facility to fulfill the demands of the current healthcare ecosystem. Further to this, Trivitron has also introduced hand sanitizing products, personal protection equipment (PPE), and other required modalities for COVID.

These unprecedented times affected the healthcare industry to its core. How can the Med Tech industry helping contribute to patient care?

The Covid-19 situation has severely impacted several business verticals, healthcare being the one under enormous strain. It has become challenging for other healthcare services to keep their financial wheels turning during the lockdown period due to less revenue churn and the general uncertainty in the global financial environment. In these testing times, business leaders have adapted to a new set of rules and have been mindful of various business aspects to alleviate risks and to survive the slowdown caused by the impact of COVID19. To ensure business continuity, businesses are keeping a track of expenses against revenue status in a more detailed manner to have a clear picture of the financial status of the organization and thus plan future goals and business approach. Secondly, business leaders are digging deeper into the existing supply chains to know the vulnerabilities of the existing supply model and available supplier options that can be collaborated, once the primary supplier collapses. And most importantly, organizations are now setting more effective communication channels so that they remain connected with teams, clients, and all other business partners.

What are your key learning during this unprecedented times?

COVID-19 Pandemic has stretched the healthcare infrastructure of even the most developed countries and is expected to cause an economic recession unparalleled in recent history. The rapidly increasing demand for health facilities and health care workers threatens to leave some health systems overstretched and unable to operate effectively. Every day we come across news of hospitals getting overburdened, lack of sufficient hospital beds, and so on. On the positive side, this pandemic has made people aware of hygiene practices. After the disease ends, policymakers shall invest more in the healthcare sector, realizing the importance of lives over everything else. Indigenous medical device manufacturing shall see more considerations from governments all around the world. It's a wake-up call for all of us to be better prepared for the possible third wave of Covid in India.

A brief about yourself and your organisations.

Started my career to make healthcare available and affordable to the common man across all nationalities. I lost out on many golden opportunities in my life due to circumstances beyond my control but I chose to follow my heart and render Yeomen's service to fellow humans and it has been 33 years of my life I am serving with all my heart with full dedication, hard work, and passion.

I am the founder of Trivitron Healthcare Group of companies, which is known to be one of the largest Indian Medical Technology Company in the world with over 100 Years of combined manufacturing experience, 13 manufacturing facilities of international standards located in India, Finland, Turkey & China. Also, the Chairman of Neuberg Diagnostics, a global pathology brand operating in India, UAE, USA, Sri Lanka, South Africa.

At Neuberg Diagnostics, we perform 6000+ varieties of pathological tests, promoting prevention and early diagnosis. Mentor & Shareholder of Kauvery Group of Hospitals, which is a Chain of Multi-Specialty Hospitals with a presence in 6 cities, 9 Hospitals & 1500+ Beds. Holding the chairman position at Maxivision Eye Hospitals, National chain of Eyecare super specialty Hospitals, one of the leading centres for advanced eye care specializing in Lasik surgery in India with World-Class technology.

Holding Founder and Director position at Apollo White Dental & Apollo Dialysis. Apollo White Dental is India’s largest chain of Dental Clinics & unique dental spas with 80+ Dental Clinics and Apollo Dialysis have 100+ Dialysis centres across the country. Running Stakeboat Capital as an anchor investor, Private Equity Fund, and GSK Ventures. Stakeboat is a valueoriented, alternative investment firm, focused on small and medium companies in select regions. Total of $100+ million funds, with Healthcare & Technology, focused investments in growth markets. Honorary Consul to the Republic of Estonia in India (Honorary Consul jurisdiction states - Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana). Recently, I have been honoured as the chairperson to FICCI (The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) Tamil Nadu State Council for the Year 2021.