Guwahati: Marking a strategic healthcare milestone for Assam and the Northeast, the Ambuja Neotia Group marks the group's first foray outside West Bengal into the region’s private healthcare sector with the inauguration of the Rs 80 crore Neotia Bhagirathi Women and Child Care Centre- the first in Guwahati on Thursday. This 100-bed super-speciality hospital exclusively catering to women and children aims to bridge the persistent gap in high-end reproductive, pediatric, and neonatal healthcare services across the region.
Coming at a time when the Assam government is aggressively building public health infrastructure, the group’s entry underlines a converging momentum of public-private partnerships to meet the region’s surging demand for specialised healthcare, especially in IVF, neonatology, and reproductive medicine. With healthcare demand consistently outpacing capacity in government facilities, this move also signals a broader shift of Tier-II cities in Northeast India into the strategic lens of private healthcare majors.
Speaking exclusively to Business North East (BNE) at the launch, Harshavardhan Neotia, Chairman of Ambuja Neotia Group, said, “We are delighted to be in Assam with our first centre outside Bengal. This 100-bed hospital will cater exclusively to women and children, providing services in key areas including reproductive medicine, IVF, and postnatal care. “We hope the people of Assam and the region benefit from the medical protocols and care models we’ve developed,” he added.
Neotia added, "The hospital includes advanced postnatal care and focuses exclusively on specialised services rather than general care. This is only for specialized care, not normal things”.
The Guwahati facility will generate direct employment for over 250 personnel, including around 50 doctors (both full-time and part-time), according to Neotia. While the project cost is pegged at Rs 80 crore, the hospital is expected to serve not just Assam but the broader Northeast region and neighbouring ASEAN countries over time.
He further elaborated, “Apart from healthcare, we are involved in real estate development, hospitality and education. Most of our work has been in West Bengal, but we’ve also done a lot in North Bengal and Sikkim".
Inaugurating the hospital, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hailed the facility as a “timely and much-needed” private investment that complements the state’s aggressive expansion in public medical infrastructure.
“There is a growing demand for high-quality, specialized services like IVF and reproductive medicine. In the reproductive and IVF sector, which is seeing a fast-growing demand, with the Neotia Bhagirathi Centre, people will no longer need to travel to Delhi, Mumbai or Kolkata for such treatment,” said CM Sarma.
“This facility will bring advanced clinical care, cutting-edge technology, and specialised services to women and children, not only in Assam but across the neighbouring states."
Highlighting the state’s aggressive focus on healthcare infrastructure Assam is currently implementing expansion of public medical infrastructure with 24 medical colleges planned by 2029, out of which 14 are already functional and the rest are in various stages of development. “Guwahati will have two medical colleges, Guwahati Medical College and the upcoming Pragjyotishpur Medical College. We have also taken up a major initiative with an investment of Rs 4,000 crore to upgrade GMCH (Guwahati Medical College and Hospital) into a 5,000-bed super-speciality hospital,” mentioned Sarma during the launch.
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Despite this growth, Sarma acknowledged the persistent gap between demand and supply in terms of quality and specialised healthcare. “Even then, I see people not getting enough seats or access to care. The demand is always rising. That is why private investments such as Neotia Bhagirathi Hospital play a critical role in bridging the healthcare gap, especially in areas where demand outpaces government capacity. We are committed to supporting such ventures for operational ease and future expansion.”
According to the Assam Budget 2025–26, the Health and Family Welfare Department has been allocated Rs 5,393 crore, with a major focus on rural health systems, pediatric intensive care, maternal health, essential drugs, diagnostics, and health infrastructure development. An additional Rs 4,449 crore has been earmarked for Women and Child Development, making maternal and child health a key policy priority.
The Neotia Bhagirathi Hospital thus fits seamlessly into this dual public-private growth narrative in Assam’s healthcare. It signals a maturing of Assam’s medical ecosystem, where the government expands access and scale, while the private sector brings in depth, technology, and focused specialisation. As Sarma affirmed, “With this launch, a new standard of excellence in women and children’s healthcare has been achieved. I assure the group of all possible support for the hospital’s operations.”
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