CHENNAI: Having entered the organised pharma retail business a year ago, nascent Lifetime Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. has drawn up plans to go national in three years even while focussing on spreading its wings in the South this year.

Lifetime, established in April 2005, has 25 `LifeKen' brand of company-owned pharmacy retail outlets in Bangalore and three in Chennai.

According to M. C. Kini, Chief Executive Officer and Promoter, Lifetime would increase the number of LifeKen outlets to 200 in the South by the end of the current financial year. This would involve an investment of around Rs. 40 crore, he said. Over a three-year period, Lifetime would have an all-India presence with more than 750 LifeKen outlets, he added. Mr. Kini also indicated that Lifetime would go in for a franchisee arrangement later. Promoted by three individuals — M. C. Kini, A. Suryanarayanan and Pranabh Mody — Lifetime has an equity base of Rs. 10 crore.

In an interaction with this correspondent, Mr. Kini said the company's present investors had committed to bring in the funds for expansion.

LifeKen outlets would sport a standard look and would be supervised by certified pharmacists. Each outlet — open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. — would require an investment of around Rs. 12-15 lakh. The personnel manning these outlets were employees of the company. LifeKen stores, he said, would also offer free home delivery, health camps and wellness programmes.

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