Navigating India’s Healthcare Sector Performance
- July 10, 2024
- 1079 Views
- by Manaswi Agarwal
The healthcare industry is growing at a tremendous pace in India. The Indian healthcare sector presents various investment opportunities with an evolving landscape owing to its strengthening coverage and services. The sector has evolved dramatically during the last few years as the need for medical services has seen potential growth. The healthcare industry in India comprises several hospitals, medical services, health insurance, medical equipment and other health services. Look at this blog to get informed about the evolving landscape of the healthcare sector in India.
History of Healthcare Sector in India
According to several data and analysis, the Indian healthcare industry has shown a healthy growth in 2022 both in private as well as government sectors. The industry is quite large as it employs a total of 7.5 million people contributing towards the growth of the sector. Moreover, as per the economic surveys, the public expenditure on healthcare reduced from 2.2% to 2.1%
In the healthcare sector, the hospital industry accounts for 80% share indicating a huge demand in the industry from global as well as domestic investors. Apart from this, 33.33% share of the health segment is acquired by the gross written premiums earned in the country.
What influences the healthcare sector?
The growth of the healthcare sector has pushed the Indian economy by creating job opportunities for individuals. The demand in healthcare sector has been influenced by several factors which include:
Lifestyle Changes
The country has observed a shift of millions of people towards a healthy lifestyle. This change has led to the increase in demand of superior healthcare which drives the sector’s expansion. Additionally, a significant rise in chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart ailments has redirected the investments towards prevention and care.
Government Initiatives
Government has taken several initiatives by leveraging technology to reshape delivery and infrastructure towards healthcare facilities. The government aims to widen healthcare access in rural areas by leveraging technology in the medical sector.
Where to Invest in the Healthcare Sector?
Investment in the medical sector is a great opportunity as in the long term it is expected to grow significantly while giving a high amount of returns to the investors. To invest in the healthcare in stock market, investor can get their hands into these opportunities:
Hospitals and Healthcare Chains
Interested individuals who want to invest in the healthcare sector of the stock market can look up to some of the leading players such as Apollo hospitals, Fortis healthcare, and Max healthcare. Based on an individual’s research, an investor can look forward to these opportunities as they present exciting growth prospects.
Medical Equipment
Medical industry makes massive use of technology which holds immense growth opportunities for individuals. You must have a great understanding about the medical landscape before investing into MedTech related companies. Moreover, diagnostics and healthcare IT companies such as Metropolis healthcare can be a great opportunity.
Pharmaceuticals
The pharmaceuticals industry of the healthcare sector is involved in drug manufacturing and the investors have the opportunity to invest in companies such as Cipla, Sun Pharma, with due diligence.
Top Healthcare Companies in India
Investors should conduct a proper research and analysis before investing in a company. The top down approach of each stock is necessary along with sector analysis to determine if the stock has a potential to provide returns in future or not. List of some top performing healthcare companies in India:
Companies | Market Capitalization (INR Crores approximately) |
Apollo Hospitals | 84737 |
Sun Pharmaceuticals Ltd. | 103738 |
Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd. | 83821 |
Fortis Healthcare Ltd. | 31267 |
Cipla Ltd. | 105986 |
Positives of investing in healthcare sector in India
The Indian economy is a vast economy which provides numerous advantages due to the evolving medical landscape in the country. A growing demand for quality healthcare services in the country provides investment opportunities to the investor looking at its growth and demand.
Rise in Demand
One of the main positives of investing in the healthcare sector in India is the rapidly growing demand of medical services in the country. India is a vast country and the need for medical services is driven by growing population, increasing life expectancy, and rising cases of chronic diseases. A continuous growth in the demand of medical products and services ensures a robust growth in the healthcare sector.
Steady Returns
Healthcare is one of the sorted sectors in the Indian stock market as it provides steady returns in any market. The need for medical products and services is never going to end which makes this sector to be consistent by providing steady returns.
Technological Advancements
The healthcare sector is now more concerned towards providing easy digital access to the people and hence widen its reach all over the country. The constant transformation in healthcare delivery, medical technology and digital health is creating new opportunities for the investors to look upon this sector.
Increasing Health awareness
The majority of the population has increased its focus towards living a healthy lifestyle which has resulted in rising the needs of preventive and curative health services.
Also Read: Infrastructure Sector
Negatives of Investing in Healthcare Sector in India
Investors can gain long term benefits by investing in the healthcare sector as it promises potential growth in the future. Here are some cons of investing in healthcare companies in India:
Regulatory Uncertainties
The companies are obligated to follow legal rules and regulations and frequent changes in policies creating an unpredictable business environment that leads to delay in projects affecting the market sentiments.
Infrastructural Challenges
India is not a well developed nation and infrastructure development is one main challenge faced by the companies as they strive to reach a wide population. Inadequate infrastructure limits the reach and effectiveness of healthcare services.
High Costs
High initial investment costs are required to set up healthcare facilities. A high operating cost is incurred to maintain regular working of hospitals and diagnostic centers which includes the cost of medical equipment, technology, labor that can impact the profitability of the business.
Conclusion
Healthcare sector in India has performed consistently since decades as the need for medical facilities has risen over the years. Investors can make effective use of demand and supply theory to recognize the company in the healthcare sector where they can invest. Demand and Supply theory can be learned in depth from the Trading In The Zone course by GTF.
FAQs
How to invest in the Healthcare Sector?
Before investing in any sector, a proper top down approach must be carried out of the sector as well as the stocks. Investors can learn the concept of demand and supply which guides them to make their positions while investing.
How has the healthcare sector performed in India?
In India, the healthcare sector has constantly evolved and after the pandemic digital healthcare has expanded rapidly. Several major Indian healthcare players have adopted telemedicine technology to offer enhanced medical services.
Which are top healthcare sector stocks in India?
The top healthcare stocks in the Indian stock market includes: Sun Pharmaceuticals, Apollo Hospitals, Metropolis, Torrent Pharmaceuticals, Fortis Healthcare, etc.
Is there growth in the healthcare sector of the stock market in India?
India is a growing economy with an immense population and hence the need for medical products and services remain consistent in the market. An increase in the number of diseases ensures the growth of the medical sector to a high extent.