Dear Stakeholders,
The world has been volatile in 2021-22. Looking back at the past two years, we all have witnessed tumultuous times due to the Covid-19 pandemic. After the three waves of the pandemic, the Indian economy is finally reviving with a positive trend in all macro indicators. This shows that the country is on the path of growth. Further, larges cale vaccination drives and rising economic activity have collectively boosted public morale. The Indian Government has also contributed to the country’s growth story through various policies and budgetary allocations
The diagnostic companies have rapidly expanded to respond and maintain pace with the increasing demand for testing volumes. Additionally, an increased emphasis, seriousness and awareness of personal health are equally responsible for providing diagnostics industry with an opportunity to expand and facilitate the best solutions in the non-Covid-19 testing segments.
When it comes to Covid-19 and identifying the variants of concern, the technology used for sequencing matters the most. Several labs across the country have upgraded to cater to this growing need and serve the nation at this crucial time. Another big shift has been the fact that these services have been brought to homes, thereby reducing infection chances further. The turnaround time has also been brought down to bare minimum and special testing packages have also helped ensure familial health without burning a hole in people’s pockets. On the other hand, non-Covid-19 testing volumes have seen a surge, where regular check-ups have gained popularity – assuring to help the nation, one individual at a time.
The Indian diagnostic industry has been rapidly evolving over the years and has emerged to be the key component of the healthcare segment. As a scientific-driven healthcare organization, Metropolis has always been at the forefront in clinical validation of technologies, tests and platforms that directly ensure an accurate timely diagnosis to the patient, including Digital Pathology (Whole Slide Imaging), FDA approved Immunotherapy, targeted therapy biomarkers, liquid biopsy, medical genetics by array cGH, analytical chemistry, pharmacogenomics, COVID diagnostic & prognostic assays etc. We aim to nurture and expand the scope for Oncology, Pre-natal testing, Transplant Immunology, Infectious and Chronic diseases through next-generation sequencing and artificial intelligence. To realize this goal and to catalyze optimal patient management, we have established ‘Metropolis Innovation Cell’ to focus on Molecular Genomics, Super Specialty Pathology and Companion Diagnostics. We will continue to build our capabilities in different areas and will look out for more opportunities to offer ‘affordable’ testing to patients as we penetrate further into tier 2 and tier 3 cities.
Identification of the root cause of any disease is a battle half won. That is where the diagnostics sector comes in. We not only identify the root cause but also study patterns and can suggest preventive measures to curb the situation. The information, hence gathered, can be relayed to respective sectors of clinicians, pharma, and disease experts, among others, to nip the problem right in the bud. The study of long-term data equally helps the Government to mandate well-informed city-specific or nationwide decisions and protocols.
Metropolis is a science-based diagnostic lab chain and has always been a pioneer in introducing specialized tests. We started our journey as a specialized test lab and have slowly and steadily earned the trust of doctors over the last 40+ years. Our primary motive is to provide accurate test results that help our customers make better health decisions. We are becoming a reliant world-class pathology services provider driven by robust R&D, technological capabilities and industry experience.
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has changed people’s perspectives on many things. Due to lockdowns, curfews, and Covid-19 restrictions, people have realized that there are a lot of things that can be done in the comforts of their homes. Gone are the days, when people used to stand in queues for a visit to the doctors or to submit their samples in the lab. Our digital and other initiatives are aligned with this trend and are further streamlining processes to help our patients and customers serve better.
At Metropolis, we remain compassionate to all our stakeholders. We have always prioritized people and will continue holding on to this value that helps us navigate and overcome challenges. We ensure that all our employees are encouraged to view safety as a shared responsibility. We recognize the importance of our employees in shaping a sustainable future and strive to foster a corporate culture that aligns business goals with the growth and development of our people.
Over the years, we have worked efficiently and provided best-in-class pathology services to our customers. Our optimistic mindset is what drives us towards continuous improvement for our Company and new diagnostic test solutions for our customers. We strive to provide better service by adapting newer technology. We have brought our new patient app with a revamped, user-friendly interface. This app will help our customers constantly monitor their test results’ status and navigate many more features. This action will further lead us to achieve our next leg of growth.
We recognize that acting responsibly and sustainably is part of being a responsible steward of our planet. We have taken numerous steps over the years to reduce our environmental impact, both in our operations and in the services which we deliver to our customers. We have been attempting this through energy efficiency and biomedical waste management. We acknowledge that our operations have an indirect environmental impact and are working towards reducing the same. I would like to take this opportunity to let you know that we are now embarking on our ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) journey with a vision to create a wider impact for the greater good.
Our corporate governance structure promotes accountability and transparency with a strong and diverse Board of Directors, best practices – internal and external – and leading diversity disclosure practices. All of this is not only the right thing to do, but it is also good business. Our culture and industry-leading social and environmental practices enable us to attract top talent and strengthen our industry leadership while making the world a better place.
We are committed to the Metropolis philosophy of customer centricity in all that we do. We are completely dedicated to serving our customers. I am extremely grateful to the employees, doctors, leadership team, Board members, and all stakeholders who have supported us during our challenging times. As an exciting future awaits, I look forward to playing a role in the Company’s next growth phase and assisting the team in building a long-term sustainable business.
Warm regards,
Dr. Sushil Shah
Founder & Chairman