Devi Shetty’s Narayana Model: Cardiac Care at One-Tenth the Cost.

Dr Devi Shetty is often described as the man who brought affordability to heart care in India. At a time when advanced surgeries were priced out of reach for millions, his Narayana Health model revolutionized how hospitals viewed scale, costs, and access. By rethinking the economics of medicine, Shetty built one of the most respected healthcare enterprises in India, proving that social entrepreneurship can thrive without losing financial discipline. His journey has become a reference point for business leaders studying how Indian startups can grow while still addressing critical social gaps.

The Narayana model rests on an elementary idea. By performing a high volume of cardiac surgeries, the hospital could spread its fixed costs across a larger number of patients. This allowed them to charge one-tenth of what similar procedures might cost in Western countries. For patients, it opened doors to world-class treatment at affordable rates. For doctors, it created an environment where they gained unparalleled experience by conducting multiple surgeries each day. The scale was not just about numbers but about building excellence while keeping costs in check.

Dr Shetty’s leadership also shows the entrepreneurial mindset applied to healthcare. Instead of following existing hospital models, he borrowed practices from industries like aviation where scale and process drive down costs. By sourcing cheaper medical equipment, building large facilities in strategic locations, and cutting down on unnecessary expenses, Narayana Health became an enterprise that balanced profit with purpose. It is not surprising that business schools across the world use his story to highlight what social entrepreneurship looks like when done with clarity and discipline.

The growth of Narayana Health reflects another side of Indian business, one where startups and enterprises are not only about technology but also about solving deep rooted challenges in society. Access to affordable healthcare is as much a part of nation building as digital payments or consumer tech. By bringing leadership into healthcare, Dr Shetty created a system that encouraged doctors and staff to see themselves not only as professionals but as change makers in the growth of India.

What makes this model so remarkable is its impact beyond hospital walls. Many young entrepreneurs now draw inspiration from it, building ventures in education, fintech, and agriculture with the same principle of scale lowering cost. For the Indian startup world, it shows that leadership is not always about chasing valuation but about finding ways to serve the largest section of society. Dr Shetty’s Narayana Health continues to grow, and with it grows the belief that entrepreneurship can change lives while still building sustainable businesses.