As the industry gears up for the 66th annual conference of the Indian Radiological & Imaging Association (IRIA), India’s largest radiology and imaging event, we decided to focus the IRIA special edition of In Imaging on the growth drivers of this segment.
The very fact that IRIA 2013 is being held in Indore (as opposed to previous editions at Hyderabad, Delhi, and Ahmedabad, to go back three years) is significant because it proves that the radiology business is venturing beyond the main metros of the country. Our cover story, ‘Radiology: Looking beyond metros’ analyses growth drivers, emerging business models and identifies key Tier II ‘hot spots’ like Jaipur, Lucknow, etc followed closely by Tier III cities like Dehradun and Meerut.
With a mix of strategies like increasing awareness through CMEs and also re-jigging products for these markets, companies are already reaping the results of these forays. For instance, Siemens has its Zero Installed Base (ZIB) strategy well in place and today has a presence in almost 525 districts of the country.
Another not-to-be-missed story in this IRIA special issue is our Spotlight on Dr Arjun Kalyanpur, CEO of the Bangalore-based Teleradiology Solutions. He may be an ‘Accidental Pioneer’ but his success story is a saga of turning adversity into opportunity and steadfast belief in his vision. Entrepreneurs in the healthcare sector might glean valuable insights on how Dr Kalyanpur became synonymous with teleradiology solutions in India.
One great example of his attitude is the way he went about changing the stereotypical negative image of outsourcing to India. Once he was able to convincingly prove that nighthawk remote-based radiologists actually improve service and productivity of US-based hospitals, without resulting in job losses, Dr Kalyanpur was able to change the tide of media coverage and public opinion as well.
As always, we look forward to feedback on this issue’s contents. Do tell us who you’d like to see in the ‘Spotlight’ or other sections of In Imaging.
Just like the push beyond the metros and Dr Kalyanpur’s example of charting new territory, may 2013 be a year of new opportunities and expanding horizons.
Viveka Roychowdhury
Editor
