Homeopathy to be 2nd largest healthcare system in India, says Dr Mukesh Batra

From a single-doctor clinic in Mumbai, Dr Batra’s Healthcare has transformed into the world’s largest chain of homeopathic clinics. It is at the forefront of modernising homeopathy by harnessing contemporary medical practices and technological advances to maximise the benefits of this holistic science to its patients. It is the world’s first ISO-certified homeopathic institution.

In an exclusive interview with Bizz Buzz, Padma Shri Dr Mukesh Batra, Founder & Chairman Emeritus, Dr Batra’s Healthcare, tells about his experience, research and innovative work to spread homeopathy across North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and Africa. As a pioneer of modern homeopathy, he has changed the lives of over 15 lakh people over 45 years of homeopathic medical practice

How has the homeopathy industry evolved in India?

Homeopathy was discovered in 1796 by Samuel Hahnemann in Germany, 225 years ago. There were barely 200 medications available that time. Now, there are more than 20,000 basic medicines in use. Today, a homeopath spends five and half years in a homeopathic college to qualify. The preparation of homeopathic medicines is standardised as per international homeopathic pharmacopeia.

Around the nineteenth century, homeopathic therapies were introduced in India. Today, about 50 crore people use homeopathy across the world of which 10 crore are Indians. While homeopathy originated in Germany, it has the largest followers and homeopathic doctors in India. It is a part of the government’s Ayush Ministry and is funded for research and growth.

Presently, homeopathy is the third largest healthcare system in India after allopathy and Ayurveda. But, it is the second largest in the world with an estimated market size of over Rs 26,000 crore. It is practiced in over 80 countries of the world. With its growth rate of 25 per cent in India, I’m sure the time is not far when it will become the second biggest medical treatment in our country as well.

The homeopathy industry in India has seen a remarkable evolution over the years, from its humble beginning to becoming an integral part of the healthcare system. There are over two lakh registered homeopathy practitioners with 20,000 new homeopaths being added every year. This has increased awareness about homeopathy among people, which has further fuelled its growth in the country.

When did you establish Dr Batra’s? How has it become a globally trusted brand in homeopathy treatment?

I had founded Dr Batra’s Positive Health Clinic Private Limited as a patient-driven institution and the world’s first branded homeopathic clinic in Mumbai in 1982. Hailing from a family of doctors, I have been practicing homeopathy since 1974. I have standardised and professionalised homeopathy by combining with cutting-edge technologies to offer holistic healthcare solutions.

Dr Batra’s Positive Health Clinics has added a new dimension to the homeopathic industry by providing credibility and status to the science of homeopathy. Recognising the market needs of the current millennium and the developments in homeopathic health care, it endeavours to be a trend setting, world-class homeopathic health clinic, offering quality and high standard treatment to its patients.

It enables the patients to improve and maintain their health, with due regard to post treatment concerns. It provides homeopathic solutions for medical problems and globalises the benefits of positive health by growing its international footprint. It has now become almost an authority in prophylactic and therapeutic homeopathic treatment owing to its distinctive practices and competencies.

Today, Dr Batra’s is a chain of over 225 clinics spread across 133 cities in seven countries – India and abroad - with over 350 full-time doctors, of which 45 are MD-Homeopaths. It has specialists like trichologists, dermatologists, endocrinologists, pediatricians and nutritionists – collectively making it the most unparalleled expertise within a single institution.

How do you choose the right team of doctors for your clinics?

The doctors are handpicked by the senior management team and trained under the institution’s Continued Medical Education (CME) Program where they undergo regular training sessions to keep them abreast of the latest developments, technologies and methods of treatment in homeopathy. We offer individualised treatment and care to over a million patients across the globe.

What are the latest technologies adopted by the company?

As a first generation entrepreneur, I tried to standardise and formalise a largely informal homeopathy market by bringing modern technology and protocols to the science. We started the world’s first branded and computerised homeopathy clinic in 1982. We introduced medical-protocol software to ensure better patient outcomes.

Our clinics were India’s first to receive an ISO certification in the service sector. We set up the world’s first cyber clinic in 1997, which received mention in the Limca Book of Records for treating the largest number of patients worldwide - 4.5 lakh in 87 countries. We introduced Geno Homeopathy which is the world’s first DNA-based homeopathic treatment.

The medicines prescribed and dispensed to patients are obtained from leading suppliers, with test certificates as per National or International Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia Standards. Blister-packaging is used to ensure that the medicine remains in its purest form till the time it is consumed. We have recently launched mHealth, the wireless application protocol (WAP)-enabled mobile application.

This innovative service brings healthcare solutions available to multitudes at the touch of a button. This quick and efficient online service would include multiple facilities at the same time such as registration, case history in brief, online chat with doctors for medical queries, appointment requests, and most importantly even for commencing or renewing treatment plans.

The launch of Dr Batras Tele-Homeopathy Clinic, the first of its kind in the world, has employed the power of technology to provide medical consultation on request. Tele-homeopathy connects our patients, the consulting doctor and the specialist through interactive videoconferencing with critical information/ reports of the patient being available online.

How digitisation of the medical system is shaping the healthcare sector?

The digitisation of the medical system has been a game-changer for the Indian healthcare sector. It has made telemedicine more accessible and convenient than ever before to deliver medical treatment from a distance. The patients can interact with medical professionals through video conference, e-mail or chat, eliminating the need for meeting in person.

During the pandemic, when many patients were unable to see their doctors in person, we were able to do 1,000 tele-consults daily with our patients so that their treatment was not disrupted. Now, the healthcare practitioners may gather and analyse vast volumes of data. Thanks to the digitisation of medical systems.

With data analytics and electronic health records (EHRs), the healthcare practitioners may use the information to spot trends, enhance patient outcomes and cut healthcare expenses. The broad deployment of the EHRs is one of the most significant effects of digitalisation in the medical system. This ensures that the patients receive better coordinated and efficient care.

How homeopathy is disrupting the aesthetic treatments industry?

Aesthetic therapies are currently the fastest-growing sector of healthcare. Between services, machines, and products, this is a Rs 40,000-crore business opportunity that is increasing at a rate of close to 10 per cent each year. The industry's post-Covid recovery was remarkably swift, demonstrating the high need for these therapies.

The aesthetic clinic industry's compound annual growth rate is currently at 40 per cent year on year. The number of non-surgical treatments greatly outnumbered the number of surgical procedures. Today, even in a business setting, you must always seem crisp and smart. As a result, more and more people are becoming interested in these treatments.

Dr Batra's is the first company in India, and perhaps the world, to apply homeopathy in aesthetic treatments. The growth of aesthetics in our clinics has been over 50 per cent. The New You range of treatments includes the world’s first Homeopathic Hydrafacial treatment equipped with the latest Korean technology and European-made serums that nourish, hydrate and replenish skin in 45 minutes.

Dr Batra's HydraFacial treatment treats early signs of aging, pigmentation, acne scars, acne, and inflammation of the skin with natural homeopathic ingredients such as Ginko Biloba resulting in lightening, brightening, and tightening of the skin. Similarly, the latest technology in aesthetics is used in conjunction with homeopathy in the treatment of hair loss.