Manipal Group has entered the healthcare retail sector under the brand name Manipal Cure and Care (MCC) with an investment of Rs 50 crore. The business model has been conceived to offer an integrated mix of services and products in preventive, wellness and beauty along with a pharmacy under one roof.
A seed capital of Rs 50 crore has been allocated for 50 outlets in the next four years. Two outlets, one each in Bangalore at Koramangala and Ahmedabad at the Himalaya Mall will come up in July this year. Another 10 will become functional by 2007 end in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad. While the 50 outlets spread over 7,500 sq ft each will be company-owned, the group is also looking at franchisees for spreading its tentacles further.
MCC retail outlets are designed in two formats known as club-class and shop-in-shop across malls, mega-cites, health cities, hyper markets and high streets. The preventive services are health checks and walk-in flexi checks for diabetics, cardiac, liver, HIV, lung and vaccinations. The wellness services will include immunizations, antenatal care, baby clinic, adolescent clinic, eye care, hormonal management, dietary counselling and sexual health advise. The outlets will have consultants from general medicine, dermatology, dentistry, paediatrics, gynaecology, ophthalmology, endocrinology and lab medicine among others.
"This format is first-of-its-kind in the country and possibly a one-of-its-kind in the world with comprehensive offering of services from immunization to drug abuse check. Retailing is the next big industry taking off in India. We feel that there is a huge opportunity in this space and would integrate our skills in healthcare to ride the wave of retail boom, stated Dr Ranjan Pai, CEO, Manipal Education and Medical Group.
MCC has tied up with ICICI Prudential and ICICI Lombard to offer insurance products including an outpatient insurance scheme, which is being worked out. Also the Group will launch a range of its own products (nutraceutical and therapeutics) under the brand Manipal Cure & Care which will be manufactured at US FDA approved units in the country. Besides, agreements have been signed with Johnson and Johnson, Abbot, Bausch and Lomb, Essilor and Zeiss, Colgate and Oral B, Vichy and Truste. Oscar Murphy International will offer soft skills training in retails to doctors, nurses and paramedics. Manipal University will also offers the same as a certified course, informed Dr Satish Amarnath, medical director, MCC.