Early Life
Devi Prasad Shetty was born on May 8, 1953, in Kinnigoli, Karnataka, India. He was the eighth of nine children. His exposure to the world of medicine began early. He was inspired to become a heart surgeon after learning about Christiaan Barnard, who performed the world's first heart transplant.
Rise to Success
After completing his MBBS from Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, and his FRCS from the Royal College of Surgeons in England, Dr. Shetty returned to India in 1989. He founded Narayana Hrudayalaya (now Narayana Health) in 2000, which has since grown into a large network of hospitals. His innovative approach to healthcare delivery focuses on economies of scale to reduce costs, making life-saving procedures accessible to a broader population. He also performed the first neonatal heart surgery in India in 1992.
Key Business Strategies
Dr. Shetty's key business strategy revolves around providing affordable healthcare. He implemented economies of scale, reduced overhead costs, and utilized advanced technology to streamline operations. His vision included the use of cross-ventilation instead of air conditioning and purchasing cheaper scrubs. Narayana Health has expanded across India and internationally, including a hospital in the Cayman Islands.
Philanthropy
Dr. Shetty is dedicated to philanthropy. He designed the Yeshasvini micro-insurance scheme to provide affordable health insurance to rural farmers. He has been the personal physician of Mother Teresa for the last five years of her life, which further inspired his dedication to making a difference in the lives of the poor.
