Early Life and Education
Devi Prasad Shetty was born on May 8, 1953, in Kinnigoli, Karnataka, India. Growing up as the eighth of nine children, his interest in medicine was sparked in his school years. He pursued his MBBS and post-graduate work in General Surgery at Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, completing them in 1979 and 1982 respectively. Driven by his ambition to become a cardiac surgeon, Shetty sought specialized training at Guy's Hospital in London.
Rise to Success
Returning to India in 1989, Shetty began his career at B.M. Birla Hospital in Kolkata. In 1992, he made history by performing India's first neonatal heart surgery on a 21-day-old baby. He later became the personal physician to Mother Teresa, performing angioplasty on her in 1996. Shetty's vision led him to establish Narayana Hrudayalaya (now Narayana Health) in Bangalore in 2001.
Key Business Strategies
Shetty's approach to healthcare focused on affordability and efficiency. He implemented economies of scale and innovative strategies to reduce costs, aiming to make healthcare accessible to a wider population. Narayana Health expanded rapidly, with multiple hospitals across India and an international presence in the Cayman Islands. The group has also been investing in technology and digital innovation to improve healthcare delivery.
Philanthropy
Devi Shetty is a strong advocate for affordable healthcare, and he helped design the Yeshasvini micro-insurance scheme, a program designed to make healthcare more affordable for the underprivileged in his home state of Karnataka.