The transformation of India’s healthcare landscape—particularly across Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities—took centre stage during the panel discussion “The Great Healthcare Shift: Capital, Capacity and Care Expansion Across Bharat,” a deep dive into how investment, infrastructure expansion, and new care delivery models are reshaping access to quality healthcare beyond metros. The session was moderated by Dr. Arjun T., Medical Director, Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ).
Gaurav Khurana, Group CEO, Amandeep Hospitals in partnership with Ujala Cygnus said, “From my experience in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, the biggest gap isn’t infrastructure—it’s people. Hospitals invest in buildings and equipment, but without investing in trained doctors, nurses, and systems, quality of care suffers.
One effective solution is the hub-and-spoke model. I’ve seen this work well, where smaller hospitals are digitally connected to centers of excellence, allowing timely decisions and saving lives without losing critical golden hours.
Affordability is equally important. Through partnerships, insurance, EMI options, crowdfunding, and CSR initiatives, we ensure that no patient is denied care due to lack of money. Sustainable healthcare growth depends on investing in people, systems, technology, and access—all moving together.”
Rajiv Nath, Managing Director of Hindustan Syringes & Medical Devices Ltd., Forum Coordinator, Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AiMeD) stated “Our work aligns closely with the 2023 National Medical Device Policy, which aims to reduce India’s import dependence from around 70% to below 30% and establish India as a global manufacturing leader. The government has a six-point strategy, and we are actively supporting it.
Several states—14 so far—are setting up medical device clusters and parks, with six already having physical infrastructure. Most of these are in tier-2 and tier-3 towns rather than metro cities, which will boost regional economic growth and promote specialized manufacturing capabilities.
On the investment side, the government has launched and recently renewed schemes for master investments, skill building, R&D, and clinical studies support. Manufacturers looking to benefit from these programs should apply now, as this is a key opportunity to grow in India.”
Ashish Taneja, Founding Partner & CEO, GrowX Ventures said, “When we look at investments in India over the last decade, most growth has been in metro cities, which made sense at the time. Large facilities in big cities attracted doctors, centralized world-class care, and offered easier access. But over time, people realized that heavy capital-intensive assets aren’t always efficient—they were relevant 20 years ago, but today, they often lead to losses.
I believe that in the coming decades, growth in India will shift toward asset-light models. These will leverage the centers of excellence in big cities, using technology and networks to reach patients efficiently across the country—similar to the tech distribution models seen in other countries like Thailand or Indonesia. By relying on technology and expertise developed in major cities, we can deliver high-quality care more effectively and sustainably.”
Abhishek Kapoor, Chief Executive Officer - Regency Healthcare stated, “healthcare investments have evolved over time. Today, with asset-light models, the same capital can create three hospitals for the price of one. Technology also plays a key role, and though India was initially late to adopt these innovations, we are catching up fast.
Sustainable growth in healthcare isn’t just about building hospitals—it requires the entire ecosystem to expand together. Medical schools, training for doctors, paramedics, and nurses, as well as digital infrastructure, all need to keep pace. Otherwise, mismatches occur—too many trained professionals without enough hospitals, or vice versa.
Hospitals remain capital-intensive, but AI and technology can improve efficiency, optimize operations, and support better patient care. Ultimately, sustainable expansion requires coordinated growth across assets, human resources, and technology, with everyone moving steadily in the right direction.”
Dr. Sanjeev Gupta, Group Medical Director , Action Group of Hospitals (Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute & Action Cancer Hospital, New Delhi), Principal Assessor , Quality Council of India(QCI) - National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers emphasised, “The challenge is more acute in smaller cities than in metros because resources are limited. Not only is it difficult to find the right staff, but often even trainers are not adequately prepared to teach. As a result, we struggle to assess training effectiveness or identify real training needs.
Many errors happen simply due to lack of basic training—for example, a biopsy sample being discarded as biomedical waste because the nurse was not trained on specimen handling. These are simple but critical gaps. We need to be clear about what to train, whom to train, and how to monitor outcomes.
Quality is under pressure across healthcare. Doctors and nurses are often preoccupied with exams, career progression, and workload, which impacts care delivery. What we need are strong checks and training mechanisms to ensure that quality of care is never compromised, regardless of location.”
The session formed part of the VOH National Healthcare Summit and Awards 2025 held at Hyatt Regency, New Delhi on 17 December, 2025.