Telemedicine startup MediBuddy snaps up ‘vHealth by Aetna’ in India

INDIA – Virtual health company MediBuddy has acquired ‘vHealth by Aetna’, the Indian business of US-based Aetna Inc.

vHealth by Aetna, which is run by Aetna’s subsidiary Indian Health Organisation (IHO), offers subscription-based primary healthcare services.

In addition to virtual care, Aetna’s telehealth business offers home delivery of medication involving delivery of medicines, blood tests, and various healthcare products across 38 Indian cities.

It is a leader in the B2B healthcare space offering telehealth consultations, an extensive outpatient network, as well as pharmacy, diagnostics, and dental benefits to customers in India.

In his address, Anurag Khosla, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Aetna India and IHO, said: “We are confident and excited that the coming together of MediBuddy and “vHealth by Aetna” will not only benefit our existing “vHealth by Aetna” customer base but will also advance the combined business with MediBuddy’s expertise.”

Following the latest acquisition, Aetna’s telehealth business in India will soon be rebranded as MediBuddy vHealth.

The existing IHO management team and employees across all functions will become part of MediBuddy to grow its digital healthcare business further.

The all-cash multi-million-dollar deal will allow MediBuddy to widen its distribution channels and scale its operations and product offerings.

The existing and new subscriber base of ‘vHealth by Aetna’ will have direct access to MediBuddy’s technology and scale prowess, ultimately creating breakthrough customer experiences.

On his part, Satish Kannan, Co-Founder, and Chief Executive Officer of MediBuddy stated: “We made a strategic decision to go ahead with this critical acquisition as it is in line with our commitment to making high-quality healthcare accessible to a billion people.”

MediBuddy, founded in 2000, has built an integrated omni channel platform where customers can book lab tests, consult doctors, and order medications seamlessly from the comfort of their homes.

The company claims to have the country’s largest healthcare network, with 90,000 doctors, 7,000 hospitals, and 3,000 diagnostic centers.

MediBuddy’s partner network also includes over 2,500 pharmacies and a surgical care team of 2,400 people.

The latest acquisition will bring on board ‘vHealth by Aetna’s’ customers to MediBuddy’s platform further strengthening the existing customer base of over 30 million.

The recent investment follows MediBuddy’s merger and acquisition spree since last year.

MediBuddy recently concluded its merger with DocsApp, a doctor consultation platform, paving the way for a single umbrella entity with end-to-end healthcare services.

Previously, in June 2022, MediBuddy paid an undisclosed sum for the rural India-focused online consultation platform Clinix.

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