Due to the major rapid urbanisation of Gujarat and the increasing demand on the existing infrastructure, four major hospitals have expansion plans. Apollo Hospitals, Shalby Hospitals, Zydus Hospitals and Sterling Hospitals have opportunities for property and site development, design and signage, hospital management system, IT infrastructure, medical devices and medical education.

So why Gujarat? Rajiv Sharma, chief executive officer, Sterling Hospitals explains: "In comparison to 37.4% of the state's population living in urban areas according to 2001 state census, the 2011 census data released by the state government shows that around 42.6% of the population now lives in cities".

Two models for expansion have emerged in the recent years, whilst some hospitals have gone in for brownfield facilities others have chosen new facilities.

"The brownfield option where the infrastructure is developed by a partner while the hospital is managed by the healthcare provider, gives one advantage. It is asset-light and also offers a faster entry into a market. We are trying to adopt a hub-and-spoke model for our expansion. While patients can go to the district hospitals for general health issues, in case of speciality care, they can be brought to our city hospital in Ahmedabad," Sharma explained.

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