Meet Dr. Velu
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The Roots of Resilience
Gomathy Babu Sadacharam Kulandaivelu Velu’s success story is an example of the young entrepreneurs who dream of making it big. He was born in a poor traditional Tamil family in a remote village called Aralvaimozhi in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu. His father was a librarian who worked for the Tamil Nadu government. He was posted in a village near Madurai. Velu was admitted to a primary school, run by the corporation in the area. Velu completed his education in Tamil medium.
He wanted to become a doctor to serve his village as he observed the nearest doctor from his village was 25 km away. But his dream was shattered when he missed the MBBS seat by two marks due to the entrance exam which was introduced in Tamil Nadu in 1984. “It is a regret in my life that I could not become a medical doctor,” Velu expressed.
Modest Roots, Mighty Breakthroughs
Driven by his passion for life science, he got himself enrolled in a B. Pharmacy (Hons) course in BITS Pilani and completed his graduation. “My mother had to sell her last piece of gold in mangalsutra for my admission to Pilani. But after that, I managed my education through scholarships. The only asset my family had was a bicycle.” He recalls.
Velu also did an internship at the Cancer Institute Chennai, under Professor Dr. Shantha, a well-known oncologist as his guide. Velu considers her as his mentor. After graduation, he was compelled to take a job in a medical device supply company called IMI in 1988 to support his family with a monthly salary of Rs. 2,100.
He later earned an MBA from Loyola Institute of Business Administration and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from IBAM, Kolkata, along with an honorary Ph.D. from Vel’s University Chennai.
Revolutionizing Indian Healthcare
After a brief entrepreneurship partnership venture started in 1990 with his first boss in the name of Allied Healthcare Pvt Ltd, Dr. Velu returned to the corporate world as regional head of Chiron Diagnostics Ltd in 1992. He spent a substantial amount of time in China and during his time there, he gained valuable insights into international markets and recognized India’s heavy reliance on imported healthcare equipment, which made diagnostic tests and treatments either unavailable or unaffordable.
Seeing an opportunity, he founded Trivitron Healthcare, initially a trading and distribution venture, which grew into a major global med-tech company. Today, Trivitron is one of the largest indigenous medical device solution companies in India, with an annual revenue of Rs. 1,000 crore.
Global Diagnostics Trailblazer
He entered into the diagnostic space in 1998 and co-founded Metropolis- a pathology chain. During this time the sector has seen the entry of large players through consolidation.
In 2015 Velu sold his stake in Metropolis and founded Neuberg Diagnostics in 2017 with a focus on Next Generation diagnostics techniques like Genomics, Proteomics, Metabolomics, and Molecular Diagnostics.
Today Neuberg Diagnostics is one of the top 4 diagnostics companies of Indian origin with annual revenues of over 1000 crores and a presence in 4 countries viz India, USA, UAE and South Africa.
Active Lifestyle, Creative Soul
Dr. Velu’s hobbies encompass a variety of activities keeping him both physically active and creatively engaged. He enjoys playing badminton, which not only provides a great workout but also offers a fun way to compete and socialize. Singing and dancing are his passions, allowing him to express himself artistically and emotionally.
He regularly goes to the gym at his home and practices yoga, both of which help him maintain his fitness and mental well-being. Additionally, he loves reading books, which broadens his knowledge and provides a wonderful escape into different worlds and ideas. He also loves traveling, whether it is related to work or leisure. He believes that meeting people in person has a greater impact and fosters more meaningful connections.
“Mastery is essential, yet the true mark of excellence lies in shifting direction seamlessly, without hesitation or regret”
Dr. Velu is a parallel entrepreneur having founded/ running several healthcare and financial services organizations viz Trivitron,Neuberg, Maxivision, Apollo Dental, Apollo Dialysis, Kauvery Hospitals, Stake Board Capital, GSK Ventures, and others.
Dr. Velu’s vision, determination, and futuristic approach to make healthcare accessible and affordable to one and all made it possible for the tens of thousands of people across the globe to have cost effective access to medical technology, diagnostic services, eye care, dental care, super speciality hospital care and dialysis services.
