Who is Devi Shetty? Narayana Health founder set to enter UK market in Rs 2200 crore deal

Narayana Health, founded by billionaire cardiac surgeon Devi Shetty, is acquiring the UK's Practice Plus Group Hospitals for Rs 2200 crore, marking its entry into the UK market. The deal involves Narayana Hrudayalaya UK buying 60,001 shares, representing a 100% stake, at Rs 363479 per share. As part of the deal, both companies aim to provide accessible private healthcare to those who struggle to afford it, bridging the gap between affordability and accessibility.

“Like Narayana Health, Practice Plus Group recognised that the majority of patients were struggling to access healthcare, while only a minority could afford costly private healthcare. We have both been working to meet the demands of those in between, and to offer a choice of more accessible private healthcare," Shetty, chairman of Narayana Health, said in a statement.

Who is Devi Shetty?

Born on May 8, 1953, in Kinnigoli, India, Devi Shetty is a renowned Indian cardiac surgeon and the founder of Narayana Health. He pioneered high-quality, affordable healthcare through Narayana Health. He successfully performed India's first neonatal heart surgery in 1992 and performed over 100,000 heart operations throughout his career. 

He also founded Narayana Hrudayalaya (now Narayana Health) hospital in Bangalore in 2001, which expanded with a network of over 21 medical centers across India and an international facility in the Cayman Islands. He has been honoured with Padma Shri (2004) and Padma Bhushan (2012), and also featured in the Netflix docuseries "The Surgeon's Cut" in 2020. He served as personal physician to Mother Teresa, and designed the "Yeshasvini" micro-health insurance scheme for poor farmers. 

Narayana Health and Practice Plus Group

Narayana Health runs 18 hospitals in India with over 5,200 beds and one hospital in the Cayman Islands with 169 beds. The company's revenue jumped 12% to ₹54.8 billion in the year ended March 2025. With the acquisition, Narayana Health is set to become one of India's top three healthcare providers by revenue. Meanwhile, Practice Plus Group, a UK-based healthcare provider, generated £229 million in revenue in the year ended September 2024, with 93% coming from NHS patients, making it the fourth-largest NHS provider. The company expects revenue to reach £250 million this year. It operates 10 hospitals and surgical centers with 330 beds and employs 2,500 staff.