Why India's hospital chains are racing to buy, not build, in Tier II and Tier III cities

Hospital chains in India are increasingly acquiring existing facilities in Tier II and Tier III cities instead of building greenfield projects, citing faster break-even and established patient catchments. Around 22 percent of India's private hospital bed capacity is concentrated in six metro cities, leaving states in the Hindi belt significantly under-served with just seven to eight beds per 10,000 people nationally. Max Healthcare has announced a 700-bed hospital in Lucknow while Aster is expanding at similar scale in under-penetrated regions, with private players expected to add about 35,000 new beds over the next five years.