MDI plans Rs 150 cr expansion

The German clinical lab network plans to open collection centres in Bangalore & Mangalore

German clinical laboratory, Medizinisch Diagnostiche Institute ( MDI), plans to invest Rs 150 crore on expansion in India. It plans to set up collection centres in Bangalore and Mangalore.

“We have drawn up Rs 150 crore expansion plan over the next three years period, of which our German parent Medizinisch Diagnostiche Institute will invest Rs 50 crore. We plan to install world-class automated machines and web-based software in 25 hospital labs across the country,” Devendu Mehta, Director, MDI Laboratories India said.

The expansion will be funded through internal accruals, he said adding that it plans to achieve a turnover of Rs 50 crore in FY13 in its Indian subsidiary.

MDI Laboratories would also provide international standards of services and processes adopted for its operations, added to which is the fact that the Indian lab's doctors and technicians are getting special training in Germany.

The laboratory at Bangalore and Mangalore will offer many new tests as also tests, which are not available in India by sending samples to the laboratory in Germany and all this at affordable prices, Mehta said.

MDI plans to set up over 2,000 collection centres and a logistics network to transport samples and expand its network in Bangalore and Mangalore , Maharashtra and Gujarat, he said. 

The company had earlier made its maiden entry in India by setting up MDI Laboratories India Ltd and installed automated machines and softwares in Mumbai hospital labs.

India's pathological laboratory sector is estimated at $4.8 billion by 2015. The diagnostic and pathological laboratory (path lab) test services market holds 52.1% of share. The pathological sector is projected to contribute $2.5 billion by end of 2012, according to CII-KMPG report.

The diagnostics and pathological lab test market has the potential to grow at a CAGR of 18.9% from FY 09-13. Currently, there are over 12,000 hospitals and 15,000 diagnostic laboratories contributing extensively to the overall healthcare delivery market in India, Mehta said.

The MDI, with workload of around a million tests in a year, has recently upgraded one of the leading hospitals in Mumbai.