India’s private healthcare sector is increasingly turning to women-focused hospital models as rising health awareness, greater financial independence among women and growing demand for specialised care reshape
the country’s healthcare market.
The latest entrant is The Women’s Hospital, launched in May with a model centred on women’s healthcare needs. The facility joins a growing ecosystem of specialised healthcare platforms that includes Fortis La Femme, Apollo Athenaa Women’s Cancer Centre, women-and-child specialty chain Cocoon Hospital, Motherhood Hospitals, Cloudnine Hospitals and Surya Hospitals.
Industry executives told News18 that the shift reflects changing healthcare consumption patterns among women, who are increasingly prioritising preventive care, fertility services, hormonal and menopause treatment, wellness programmes and specialised healthcare environments designed around privacy and continuity of care.
According to Sujay Shetty, global health industries advisory lead at PwC India, the growing focus on women-centric hospitals mirrors a wider transformation underway across healthcare and pharmaceuticals, where companies are increasingly building products and services specifically around women’s needs.
“The focus on women’s health is getting much sharper, and the market is growing. One reason is that women’s spending power is increasing. This is also leading to greater innovation in this segment,” he said.
Healthcare providers say the demand is no longer limited to maternity care and is increasingly extending into lifelong healthcare needs.
Anika Parashar, founder and CEO of South Delhi based The Women’s Hospital, launched in May, said the idea behind the institution emerged from years of observing how women often deprioritised their own healthcare.
“The idea did not come to me in one single moment. In many ways, The Women’s Hospital has been building inside me for more than 25 years. It began every time I saw a mother put her own health last, every time a young girl felt embarrassed to ask a question, every time a woman’s pain was dismissed as stress, age or hormones, and every time menopause was treated like an ending instead of another stage of life,” she said.
Unlike traditional maternity-focused centres, newer women-centric hospitals are positioning themselves as long-term healthcare destinations spanning adolescence, reproductive years, menopause and ageing.
The 30,000-square-feet hospital houses 10 life-stage clinics, 16 specialities, three modular operation theatres, three labour delivery suites while also incorporating privacy-led layouts and a “Zero Indoor AQI environment”.
Parashar said The Women’s Hospital was intentionally designed around a life-stage approach. “What sets The Women’s Hospital apart is that it is not built around one stage of a woman’s life. It is built around her entire journey, from menarche to menopause and beyond. We wanted to create one trusted, judgment-free healthcare home where women could find preventive care, fertility, maternity, oncology, menopause, wellness, aesthetics and long-term health support under one roof,” she said.
Many other top executives echoed similar thoughts.
Women-Centric Health Models Gaining Ground
Dr Alok Khullar, group CEO of RJ Corp Healthcare, which operates Cocoon Hospital, said focused healthcare models are gaining traction because women now want expert-led and connected care experiences.
“Currently, we are seeing strong demand in obstetrics, gynaecology, fertility support, high-risk pregnancy care, breast health, hormonal disorders, adolescent health, and preventive health check-ups.”
He added, “Women are becoming more proactive about PCOS, menstrual irregularities, pregnancy planning, menopause-related concerns, and lifestyle-linked health issues. There is also growing awareness around early screening, ultrasound-based diagnosis, cervical cancer prevention, and lactation support. This shift shows that women are no longer seeking care only during pregnancy, but across every life stage.”
Executives also see women-and-child healthcare as a long-term relationship-driven segment that allows hospitals to build continuity with patients over many years.
Dr Bhupendra S Awasthi, chairman and managing director of Surya Hospitals, said there remained a significant shortage of dedicated women-and-child super-speciality hospitals in cities such as Mumbai despite growing demand.
“Families today are increasingly looking for hospitals that can provide complete and specialised care under one roof, whether it is high-risk obstetrics, gynae surgeries, adult intensive care, neonatal and paediatric intensive care or paediatric super specialities,” he said. The hospital launched a new wing exclusively for women at Surya Hospitals, Mumbai, on May 15.
Awasthi said women today were becoming “far more aware and proactive about their health needs”, particularly in areas such as foetal medicine, preventive healthcare and neonatal services.
“Women and child healthcare is a long-term relationship-driven model. A family’s journey can begin with fertility or pregnancy care and continue into neonatal and paediatric care for many years, creating deep trust and continuity,” he said.
