Healthcare Global Enterprises Ltd

Guided by our vision of making oncology more accessible, affordable, and affable, we have underscored the need for cancer to be treated the right way the first time.

Dear Shareholders,

I feel a surge of delight rooted in fulfilment as I take stock of yet another momentous year of cancer care of key triumphs at HCG.

The year gone by has seen HCG achieve breakthrough feats and launch pioneering initiatives across the spectrum of cancer care. This year, we were honoured as the ESG Champion of India in the healthcare sector at the esteemed Dun and Bradstreet ‘ESG Leadership Summit 2024' for our outstanding ESG initiatives aimed at achieving sustainable development goals. Our strategic acquisition of Indore-based SRJ CBCC Cancer Hospital marks our footprint in the key Indian geography of Madhya Pradesh. Our ground-breaking pilot study combining standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy with low-dose Nivolumab immunotherapy is all set to transform the treatment landscape for head and neck cancer patients. This breakthrough has the potential to enhance the quality of life and longevity of patients with locally advanced carcinoma of the buccal mucosa.

That our cancer centre in Ongole completed 2000 plus oncology surgeries (including Whipple surgery, huge abdominal sarcoma excision, partial nephrectomy, and total gastrectomy, composite resection, gastrectomy/ colectomy, APR/ LAR, breast thyroid, head and neck surgery and hepatobiliary) is reflective of our phenomenal regional reach, as also value-based care for cancer patients from tier 2 and 3 towns of India. Talking of inroads into India's lesser known geographies, our HCG Care app has been a radical innovation, the first of its kind app in the oncology care space, which facilitates expert, individualized cancer care proactively and seamlessly to cancer patients irrespective of their location, and it is accessible even when they are in transit. On the cancer awareness front, we have been extremely proactive with landmark initiatives like "The Power of Good Wishes" campaign and the Glow Walk Night Walkathon on the eve of International Women's Day.

It has truly been a fascinating voyage over the years, tirelessly serving the larger cause of cancer care through breakthrough innovation and value- based care. Going against the prevalent norm of multi-speciality hospitals, HCG has shown that it is possible to get sustainable cancer care outcomes at par with premier centres of the West, if patients are given the best treatment at the right time using best of breed talent, knowledge, technology, and infrastructure. Today, our strong presence across 18 cities in nine states, with one-third of our centres in tier-ll and tier-ill cities, is a resounding triumph of our unique focused factory approach and hub and spoke model of cancer care.

Guided by our vision of making oncology more accessible, affordable, and affable, we have underscored the need for cancer to be treated the right way the first time, irrespective of the patient's socioeconomic situation. We took the lead in bringing linear accelerators to India and our unique hub-and-spoke expansion model became a major Harvard case study, now an integral part of curriculum at more than 60 business schools. In the process, we have taken PET scans, centralised radio surgery units, and other high-end equipment to tier 2 and tier 3 like Ongole, Ranchi and Vijayawada, and extended cancer care to remote parts of the country by setting up 26 cancer care centres, including Day Care Clinics as a single group. Our low-cost, high-quality cancer care has disseminated rapidly within India and Africa.

One of the most striking value propositions of HCG is how we make the most of technology to bridge cancer care disparities. Our Virtual Tumor Boards bring together 150 oncologists every week to discuss complex cases, recurrences, and mortalities and reduce learning curves. Our Central Radiation Planning ensures centralized Radiotherapy treatment plans for all HCG centers, Digital Pathology and PETCT enables central review of Imaging and Pathology from smaller units, Microsoft Hololens provides Virtual OPD / Surgical guidance from Centres of Excellence to smaller units via Augmented Reality, Electronic Medical Records help with auditing and creating cohorts' patients based on clinical, molecular and genetic parameters, as also for bucketing patients to analyse outcomes and Centralized Genomics helps with prognostication and deciding appropriate treatment pathways.

No wonder, our patients' outcome and our significantly low post-operative mortality are one of the best globally. Specific outcomes like in the case of triple negative breast cancer are better than even the most advanced cancer care facilities in the West. Going forward, we are determined to create more centres of excellence apart from the ones we have set up to scale in Bangalore and Ahmedabad. Use of streaming data to treat Indian and Asian ethnic groups is one of our key initiatives as we believe Caucasian protocols don't apply to Indian ethnicity. We have already seen remarkable responses in many head and neck cancers.

Cancer prevention is one of the most important but least emphasized aspects of oncology. Early detection of cancer is a key element of the spectrum of cancer prevention. Over the last century, despite the therapeutic and technological advancements, 80 per cent of the cancers in low-and-middle income countries are invariably detected at an advanced stage. Notwithstanding the rapid progression in the science of medicine, a decisive way of improving clinical outcomes is early detection, more so given the slow pace at which technology travels from the developed to the developing populations.

HCG has carved a niche as the cancer care destination of choice across all key areas of clinical, research, and academic excellence. Our phenomenal growth over the years bears testimony to the fact that cancer can be treated just like any other chronic disease, provided the emphasis is on early detection. Research is an integral part of our DNA as reflected by our 100+ publications each year, as also our active participation in clinical trials. HCG specializes in understanding the essence and progression of cancer and how it can affect every patient differently.

HCG's value proposition as a leading cancer care chain is rooted in the interdisciplinary nature of our academic pursuits. We have institutionalized a culture of innovation across levels, putting a premium on scientific temper, actionable research, and skill enhancement through our continuing medical and fellowship programmes.

The future is ripe with rapid advances in genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, and we are determined to move up the value chain of cancer staging and grading, as also launch more effective and sustainable therapies based on authentic lab research and clinical breakthroughs. Needless to say, every triumph at HCG has been possible-thanks to the faith our stakeholders have placed in us.

I am more than sure, we will move from strength to strength on the way forward and scale new highs in value- based cancer care.