Metropolis Health plans to open labs in Dubai, Nairobi & Colombo

Metropolis Health Services, a chain of diagnostic labs, plans to open labs in Dubai, Nairobi and Colombo in the next few months to kick off its international business.

In addition to the new labs, Metropolis is also in the process of trying to in-source lab work from the UK and US.

G S K Velu, managing director of Metropolis, said the labs in Dubai and Nairobi would act a hub for a larger region. The Nairobi lab, for instance, would in-source business for the entire East African region. The three labs would be up and running by June this year, added Velu.

Metropolis also hopes to draw a significant quantum of international revenue through in-sourcing work from the UK and US. As a step in the direction, the company has begun the process of getting its Mumbai lab accredited by the US' College of American Pathologists.

Velu felt that in-sourcing from the UK could start before business from the US comes in. "In UK, in one or two months something may happen," he said. The current hurdle in Indian companies in-sourcing lab work from the UK has to do with their regulations. Once the regulations are changed, in-sourcing should take off, he felt.

Metropolis has also forayed into the business of site management of clinical trials. The company has tied up with M S Ramaiah Hospital in Bangalore to develop some infrastructure for clinical trials. Velu said about Rs 15 crore had been spent on the infrastructure, and the company would play the role of a site maintenance organisation.

Other than international business, the company, which expects a revenue of Rs 45 crore this year, plans to expand its Indian network to Kolkata soon. Velu said that an acquisition there was possible. Metropolis has expanded its network in country by often absorbing successful local diagnostic labs.

Some labs that come in to the fold retain their orignal name in some form to allow the company to cash in on the brand equity.

The next lab that the group plans to open is in Coimbatore. Velu said a new lab there would start in mid-April under the name Lister Metropolis, the company's brand in Chennai.