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Dr Reddy's joint venture to make India processing hub

P.T. Jyothi Datta

NEW DELHI, Dec. 12

PATHNET India Pvt Ltd (PIPL) - a diagnostic joint venture company between Australia-based Gribbles Group Ltd (GGL) and Dr Reddy's Laboratories (DRL) - is exploring the potential of making India a data processing hub for its international operations.

PIPL is a 51:49 joint-venture between the Australian diagnostics company and DRL, set-up in November 2000. But operations commenced in the first week of December, 2001 only.

Mr Peter Anargyros, representative with Gribbles Pathology, told Business Line that PIPL was exploring the potential of making India the hub for data warehousing to support its international centres. He expected to firm up plans in about 12 months' time.

He said that both the partners in the diagnostic alliance were open to the idea of making India a hub for data processing. And, while DRL did not have a background in pathlabs, he said that the Hyderabad-based company's contribution was its expertise in the domestic market and its long-term financial committment.

The paid-up capital for PIPL was Rs 13 crore and the company expects to see an investment of $ 25 million over the next four years.

PIPL would not venture into research and development; however, it was networking with local laboratories to make it a referral stop. Meanwhile, already on the anvil are plans to develop 28 laboratories and 300 collection centres over the next four years.

Earlier this month, the company's laboratory in Gurgaon commenced operations with 25 collection centres in the Capital. Over the next nine months, an additional five laboratories and 55 collection centres would be opened in the city.

This would be followed by laboratories and collection centres in the other metros and these would be entirely operated by Pathnet, without franchises.