India Diagnostic Laboratories Market Outlook to FY’2025

Analyst at Ken Research in their latest publication “India Diagnostic Laboratories Market Outlook to FY’2025- By Government and Private Labs, By Radiology and Pathology, By Organized and Unorganized Players, By Business Model (Standalone, Hospital Based and Diagnostic Chains), By Cities (Tier I, Tier II and Tier III cities) and By Payment Method (Out of Pocket Expenditure, Insurance based and Corporate Spending” believe that the market is highly fragmented and there is a dire need for strict regulations. These regulations would help bring about uniformity along with high quality testing standards in the industry. The report further talks about the ecosystem of the diagnostic labs present in India along with a number of segmentations such as radiology and pathology, types of models used, organized and unorganized players and many more. It also provides an investment model for a franchise lab to open up in India. There have been a number of research projects focusing on innovative and less invasive forms of testing. Some of the challenges faced by this industry include price differentiation, lack of knowledge at the consumer end and lack of regulations. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, this industry sees a bright future. People will be more aware of their health & lifestyle choices and hence, there would definitely be a rise in wellness/preventive testing, helping the diagnostic laboratory market of India to grow further in the coming years.

Industry Overview

The market is highly fragmented with only four major PAN-India level players. It is still at its’ growing stage. However, the unorganized sector dominates the market’s revenue currently. The highest penetration of the labs is in Tier I cities, which is also the place for their reference labs. Digitalisation in the chain of diagnostics has helped remove mistakes from the time the samples have been collected to the last process of delivering the report to the customer. The major drivers for this market include the high elderly population and the shift from non-communicable to communicable diseases in India. Radiology test market has evolved over time with the advancement in the existing technology of imaging machines such as PET-scan which added more clarity in the diagnosis of the patient’s disease. Whereas for pathology, the segment has gained dominance in the market owing to the fact that it is the preferred line of diagnosis for the majority of diseases prevalent in India including infectious diseases.

Industry Segmentation

The report explores segments such as government and private diagnostic labs within the country. It is the private diagnostic lab market which is further broken down into various segments. The market is dominated by unorganized players. Medical insurance in the country is currently focused upon the clinical side and not so much towards the diagnostic sector. As of now, majority of the payment is done through out of pocket expenditure. There are a number of standalone centers in the market which hold the highest share. The diagnostic chains are further split into regional and PAN-India level labs. Within the Indian market, there are a number of doctors who have tie ups with labs and hence the customers coming from a referral hold a prominent share in the overall market. The revenue earned by a lab from a referral customer is split between the doctor and the lab. In the future, it is expected that testing for wellbeing would increase as people are now making a conscious effort to stay fit, however testing for sick care would still dominate the market. 

Bottlenecks Faced in the Industry

Due to lack of regulations, there are hardly any barriers to entry. As a result there are a number of labs which have opened throughout the country. Majority of them fail to follow protocols and lack accreditations. There is also a lack of price standardization due to which there is a high level of discrepancies between diagnostic test prices of Tier I and Tier III cities. The penetration of labs in the rural parts of India is also low. When compared to a developed market like that of UK wherein 80% of the medical expense is incurred by the government, India falls behind in both aspects and is inclined towards out of pocket expenditure.

Competition Scenario in the Industry

The market structure is highly fragmented with unorganized players dominating the industry and has presence majorly in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. In the past few years, there have been a number of acquisitions and mergers with larger players acquiring smaller players helping the organized sector grow. It also facilitates a larger reach and more comprehensive test menus. There are majorly four PAN-India players which are well established in the market, they include Dr. Lal Pathlabs, Thyrocare Technologies, Metropolis Healthcare and SRL Diagnostics. These labs give utmost focus on research and development in order to introduce new and less invasive tests.

Future Strategies-The Way Forward

Government regulations are in focus which would help in streamlining the market in the coming years. As more companies enter the organized sector, there would be an increasing emphasis on the hub and spoke model in order to bring in volumes required for a commercial entity to survive in the market. Growth of 3D printing, which allows radiologists and clinicians to bring to life body parts and tumors which were previously available only as flat diagrams, will help revolutionize the market. India is set to increase its public health spending to 2.5% of its GDP by 2025 which would help cut down on out of pocket expenditure on healthcare services. This would be a major boost to the diagnostic sector of the industry. Consumer satisfaction would be a focus point in order to retain brand equity. Home sample collections are expected to further increase thereby bringing in convenience to the patient and facilitating further penetration of organized players in the market.

Key Topics Covered in the Report

• Spread of Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases in India
• Market Sizing Analysis of Diagnostic Labs in India
• Ecosystem of Diagnostic Labs in India
• Operating Models in India Diagnostic Labs
• Pricing Analysis in India Diagnostic Labs Market
• Value Chain Analysis of India Diagnostic Labs Market
• Decision Making Parameters for a Diagnostic Lab
• Issues and Challenges in the Industry
• Government Regulations in the Industry
• Segmentation by Radiology and Pathology
• Segmentation by Type of Business Model (Standalone, Hospital Based Labs and Diagnostic Chains)
• Upcoming Trends and Technologies in the Market
• Competition Scenario and Market Share
• Investment Model for a Franchise Lab in India
• Success Stories of Diagnostic Labs in India