HCL enters healthcare with HCL Avitas

Technology giant HCL has announced plans to enter the healthcare market in India with the launch of HCL Healthcare.

The Shiv Nadar-promoted HCL group has formally announced its plans to enter the health care sector through HCL Avitas, a subsidiary of HCL Healthcare.

The company already has a tie-up with US-based Johns Hopkins Medicine International for medical research and training. It advises HCL Avitas on best practices and medical quality as also training of staff.

HCL Avitas, originally Bharat Family Clinic, was bought out by the HCL group. At present, HCL Avitas runs two outpatient clinics in the National Capital Region, at Noida and Gurgaon.

Bharat Family Clinic, which already had joined hands with Johns Hopkins Medicine International to open around 100 clinics at an investment of Rs250 crore, started inducting HCL board members and also allocated shares to HCL Healthcare, owned by Nadar's family.

The HCL venture aims to capture the wellness and preventive health care market, it is learnt. The chain might focus on value-added services like doctor-on-call at home, among others.

HCL plans to expand the healthcare network across India, with plans to "provide care for over 20 million people by 2020".

Shikhar Malhotra, married to HCL founder Shiv Nadar's daughter Roshni and a board member of group holding company HCL Corporation, will be in charge of the venture.

Avitas will focus on value-added services like doctor-on-call at home in the wellness and preventive health care market.

Health care sector in India is poised to grow to $100 billion by 2015 and to $276 billion by 2020.