Interview

'We Would be Numero Uno PACS Company in India by 2013'

Since its inception in 2004, Ashva Technologies Ltd had a very steady growth both in terms of products and customer base. The company has a suite of products at the utility, application and enterprise level catering to all segments of the radiology IT market and customer base over a 1,000 installs today and growing. Sunder Natrajan, CEO, Ashva Technologies Ltd talks about company's expanding product portfolio and expansion plans to Express Healthcare. Excerpts:

Sunder Natrajan CEO, Ashva Technologies Ltd

In which segments of radiology does your company focus on?

With the radiology and imaging services growing at 25 per cent annually and a significant shortfall in the availability of radiologists/technicians, there is a definitive need for solutions to improve productivity and efficiency of both devices and the vradiologists/technicians. Ashva's products map the entire workflow in imaging centers and hospitals, empowering the radiology centers to take control.

What is the uniqueness of the technology used for these products?

The digital image management (PACS) market and technology is very mature. The advantages to go digital is well documented and experienced by the developed markets. The challenge in India is to get this technology to the mass market (imaging centers), so they can also reap the benefits of going digital. Ashva's solutions enable imaging centers of all sizes to take advantage of this technology.

Any technology that you pioneered in radiology? What is the USP of your company?

Ashva's goal is to take existing proven technologies and build relevant, world class and cost effective solutions around these technologies for the developing markets such as India. Our efforts are bearing fruit and have been recognised recently by Frost & Sullivan, who named Ashva the 'Indian PACS Company of the Year 2009'. We are also excited about our partnership with Teleradtech, with whom we are building one of the most advanced teleradiology platforms in the world. Ashva would like to be a proof that Indian product companies can deliver world class solutions and be recognised for it.

What market opportunities and trends do you witness in Indian radiology market? How do you plan to tap it?

PACS is a growth segment in the radiology market with the market expected to grow at 25 per cent annually for the next five years. The need for higher productivity and efficiency is driving this growth. Teleradiology is also an integral part of this productivity drive.

There is significant growth in the diagnostic imaging centers which would benefit the most from PACS and teleradiology technologies. Ashva is aligning its business to cater to this market through innovation in both distribution and business models.

In how many countries are you present and what is the company's strength in India?

Ashva has a significant presence in Malaysia and the Middle East. By adapting our products to the requirements of the US markets (where we have a growing presence), Ashva has been able to bring FDA-approved solutions to the Indian market along with the best practices and processes that shape such solutions in the developed markets.

How has your penetration been in the Indian radiology market with respect to your customers?

Ashva has more than 800 installations in India across its entire product line. Some of our notable PACS installations include the Vikram Hospital group, AIIMS, Kidwai, Padhamashree Diagnostics to name a few.

What are your expansion plans? What strategies you plan to adopt for expansion?

Ashva's growth would come by adopting a Blue Ocean strategy which includes new products, new geographies and new verticals.

New geographies like the South American and Asian markets would involve language localizations, besides other adaptations to serve those local markets. New verticals such as orthopeadics, veterinary, dental, chiropractic to name a few are discovering the advantages of going digital and Ashva's product line would cater to these markets.

Today's challenging business environment also calls for adoption of new business models and providing solutions as a service (popularly known as SaaS). Ashva would like to pioneer such technology and business models in India and that's the kind of innovation that would be a significant growth driver for Ashva.

How have the hospitals and many imaging centres responded to your technologies? Where is the gap?

The response has been fantastic. Our installed base is of over 1,000 customers and is growing which is a testimony to that. Our 'ear to the ground approach' enables us to respond swiftly to the needs of our customers and helps us to bridge any gap that exists between their requirements and our solutions.

Tell us something about your new PACSBox that you will be soon unveiling at IRIA 2010. What are its salient features?

While the benefits of PACS technology are well documented, penetration has been low and India has been slow to adopt these sorts of solutions. The challenges to adoption have been high cost of installation, infrastructure challenges, lack of budgets for IT, and lack of education in terms of the ROI (return on investment) possible for imaging centers.

Ashva plans to take on these challenges head on with the introduction of PACSBox. PACSBox is plug and play technology that manages and empowers the entire workflow in an imaging center, from scheduling to providing seamless reporting to the patient. With innovative business models, the return on investment would be very visible

Tell us about the significant achievements of Ashvatech as global PACS player

Since its inception, Ashva's focus has been to bring out high quality solutions in healthcare IT. Ashva is the first Indian company to get its PACS FDA cleared. Ashva has been consistently participating at many prestigious radiology conferences such as the IRIA, RSNA etc where our products have been well received.

The feather in our cap has been the Frost & Sullivan Award for 'The Indian PACS Company of the Year 2009'. We will continue to raise the bar and strive for excellence in the years ahead.

Can you brief us on your partners or alliances that you have in the country today?

Ashva works with many equipment manufacturers to provide image management solutions in the Indian market. Teleradiology has gained much significance globally and Ashva is excited to announce its partnership with Teleradtech to develop and deploy one of the most advanced teleradiology platforms in the world today.

What position would you like to attain in your specialised field in future.

Ashva's goal is to be the numero uno PACS company in India by the year 2013.

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