'We Are Well Prepared To Respond To Healthcare Challenges In India'

- 

What kind of transformation you would like to see in Philips India Healthcare, under your leadership. Share your Latin America experience.

Philips has been in India since 1930; that is almost 88 years in the country. In these years, the company has grown into a trusted home grown brand. With R&D, manufacturing and service assets, we believe we are well poised to further build on our India capabilities and positively influence the lives of 500 million people in our region by the year 2025. With the government’s focus on healthcare in India, there is a lot that companies like ours can help healthcare become more accessible, strengthening the hands of the government. As part of this transformation we have been category creators in the personal health areas, with many new product introductions and new and innovative healthcare solutions to increase access to care, tuned to Indian needs.

Coming from Latin America, I find many similarities. We share similar values like joint families, as well as celebration of our specific culture and customs. At the same time, like in most emerging markets, we need a lot more infrastructure and a systematic approach to extend healthcare to all. As a country, India is fascinating with so much diversity and boundless energy. To harness this positive energy, we need a holistic approach to healthcare - one that takes into account acute care and the rise in chronic diseases. Today, in the metros, one has access to excellent healthcare; there is a lot of awareness of the health benefits of cancer screening, air purifier or, say, an air fryer. The challenge here is to extend these facilities, infrastructure and awareness in tier-II and III cities.