In view of the growing incidence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer and diabetes, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd will invest ₹6,000 crore over five years to add 3,500 beds across key urban centres with a focus on high-burden specialties such as oncology, cardiology, neurosciences, and gastroenterology.
Speaking to Mint, Sangita Reddy, joint managing director, Apollo Hospitals, said that the group is actively working to expand its presence through a strategic two-phase growth plan to bridge the country’s critical hospital infrastructure gap. “Apollo is focused on strengthening its centres of excellence in cardiac sciences, oncology, neurosciences, orthopedics and gastro sciences,” she said. “The expansion will add 3,512 beds through a combination of asset acquisitions, greenfield projects and brownfield developments.”
The first phase, to be completed by FY26, involves a ₹2,880 crore investment to introduce 1,737 beds in cities like Pune, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Gurgaon. The second phase, to roll out over the following 3–4 years, will add 1,775 beds in Chennai, Varanasi, Mumbai, and Lucknow, with an additional investment of ₹3,220 crore. While the primary focus remains on tier-1 metropolitan cities, Apollo also plans targeted expansion into tier-2 locations in India.
Shares of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise ended 1.15% higher at ₹6,755.90 apiece on the BSE on Tuesday.
Apollo flags health risks
Apollo Hospitals’ latest report, Health of the Nation 2025, has highlighted a concerning trend — a large number of individuals in India are living with chronic non-communicable diseases (also known as chronic diseases such as hypertension, obesity, heart and respiratory diseases, depression, and anxiety) without showing any symptoms.
Among the 2.5 million individuals it screened, approximately 27% were found to have three or more of these five risk factors – high blood glucose, elevated blood pressure, high body mass index, low HDL (high-density lipoprotein or good cholesterol), and high LDL (low-density lipoprotein or bad cholesterol) levels, —a strong indicator of elevated NCD risk. This is a significant finding and highlights the silent, clustering nature of chronic conditions in the Indian population.
These findings highlight the growing burden of NCDs in India, which have emerged as the leading cause of death and disability. The World Health Organization estimates that NCDs account for nearly 74% of global deaths annually, while in India, they are responsible for 63% of total fatalities.
The report also provided striking health data from Apollo’s nationwide screenings. Of the 257,199 asymptomatic individuals, 65% showed early signs of fatty liver disease, with 85% of those cases attributed to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Also, 26% had undiagnosed hypertension, while 23% were newly identified with diabetes.
Around 285,000 students across six states and ten cities — ranging from primary school to college — were screened and the data revealed a steady rise in childhood obesity with 8% of primary students classified as overweight, increasing to 28% by college age. Alarmingly, 9% of high school students and 19% of college students were pre-hypertensive, while 2% of college students showed early signs of diabetes through elevated blood glucose levels.
“These numbers point to the urgent need for structured, school-based preventive health programs, lifestyle education and regular screening starting at a young age,” Reddy said.
Apollo now plans to share these findings with government authorities to support the development and implementation of nationwide NCD screening programs. The aim is to improve early detection, prevention, and management of chronic diseases across India, she added.
