The Indian healthcare industry has grown manifold during the last few years. Although there is a yawning divide between healthcare facilities available in rural and urban India and in the demand and supply of healthcare services across the country, overall the Indian healthcare infrastructure is fast improving with initiatives by the government and the private sector. The entry of private players has further spurred the development of the healthcare sector.

The striking feature of the sector is that it has the potential to grow at a much faster rate in the foreseeable future and will present new ‘ sectors of opportunity’ within healthcare, which will emerge as growth drivers. The Indian healthcare industry overview indicates it has the same exponential growth potential as software and pharmaceutical industries in the country. Till now only 12% of the opportunities in the Indian healthcare sector have been employed.

With abundant opportunities for businessmen, equipment makers and service providers to invest in curative and preventive services and possibilities of investing in medical infrastructure and medical tourism, it becomes imperative for providers to get a feel of what’ s happening in the industry to make informed decisions on investment options.

The India Healthcare Trends 2008 aims to be an informed view of trends and drivers for the Indian Healthcare industry by delving into how providers like hospitals and physicians conduct their business and the issues they face in doing so, as well as dissect it in terms of what healthcare means to the end consumer.

The opportunities for private investment in healthcare facilities and services are ever increasing. Because the Government has opened the insurance sector to private companies, the availability of private health insurance is expected to increase access to private healthcare facilities for millions of families. Max Healthcare and Apollo Hospitals are examples of providers already offering services in each of the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors.

Health insurance is grossly unde…