Investor perception about Aster DM Healthcare is 'very upbeat': CEO

Group will avoid being 'one of those players' with a token presence through a single hospital, says Nitish Shetty

Hospital and pharmacy chain operator Aster DM Healthcare said in November it will sell its stake in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) business for $1 billion, as part of a strategy to separate its India and Gulf businesses to unlock value. The hospital chain, led by Azad Moopen, got 73 per cent of its business from Gulf operations in the first half of Financial Year 2023-24 (FY24) and the rest came from India. Dr NITISH SHETTY, group chief executive officer of Aster DM Healthcare, India, told Sohini Das about the company’s plans for the country post the separation. Edited excerpts