Healthcare investment platform Asia Healthcare Holdings (AHH) has picked a controlling interest in the Asian Institute of Nephrology and Urology (AINU), a renal sciences hospital in India.

AHH will invest Rs6bn ($72.22m) in the institution. This investment, consisting of primary and secondary infusion, marks AHH's expansion into a fourth speciality since its inception in 2017.

AINU chief consultant urologist and managing director Dr C Mallikarjun said: “Cancer of the prostate and bladder are becoming more common. Our team has performed over 1,000 robotic surgeries for urological cancers. We are making Robotic Urology surgery accessible to patients not just in urban India but also in tier 2 cities. Broadly we see a higher incidence of Uro-Oncology, Uro-Gynaecology and Paediatric Urology in the years ahead.”

AINU is a specialty hospital network focused on urology and nephrology care and has expertise in robotic urology surgery.

The acquisition is expected to help address the growing demand for urology and nephrology specialty healthcare in India, where there is a high incidence of urological disorders and chronic kidney disease due to factors like diabetes and hypertension.

AINU currently operates seven hospitals in multiple cities and has completed over 1,000 robotic urology surgeries.

This strategic move aims to provide broader accessibility to advanced urology and nephrology services, including uro-oncology, uro-gynaecology, and paediatric urology, across urban and tier 2 cities.

AHH executive chairman Vishal Bali said: "India is amongst the top three nations globally that has the highest incidence of urological disorders, the high incidence of diabetes and hypertension is also accelerating the prevalence of chronic kidney disease. We are delighted to partner with AINU and bridge the demand-supply gap in the urology and nephrology speciality healthcare delivery in the country.”