AJUBA at Hyderabad

AJUBA to set up healthcare BPO plans to hire 1,500

Healthcare business process outsourcing (BPO) services company Ajuba Solutions, the Indian subsidiary of the US-based over $100-million MirMed Global Services Group, is planning to set up a facility in Hyderabad. It is expected to commence operations in the next 12-18 months, according to chief executive officer Tony Mira.

The company, which offers revenue cycle outsourcing services to over 10,000 physician practice groups, to some 700 hospitals and billing receivables management companies in the US, presently has a BPO centre in Chennai’s Tidel Park with a capacity of 2,700 operational seats across three shifts.

“We right now get close to full utilisation in Chennai. And, with our clientele base growing rapidly in the US, we are looking at Hyderabad as our next premier destination to expand. We are in the process of leasing a 40,000 sq ft office space and the facility will be up and running in the next 12 months,” he told Business Standard.

The company will make an incremental investment of $5 million (approximately Rs 25.5 crore) in the Hyderabad facility which will be funded through internal resources. As part of the two-layer expansion, the centre will have 1,000 professionals initially and it will be scaled up to 1,500 in Phase-II in 18 months from now.

Healthcare, an around $70-billion market which is growing at 20 per cent year-on-year, is a significant piece of the gross domestic product of the US. Besides, Barack Obama’s 2010 healthcare reforms in the US that is triggering growth opportunities is increasing demand for outsourcing because of the complexity in regulatory requirements, including insurance claim submissions and client verifications, Mira said.

“This requires a high-level of expertise and quick deliverables that are available aplenty down south, besides giving us 20-25 per cent cost benefits,” he said, adding that Ajuba was also looking at entering the pharmaceutical and payer insurance space, hopefully in the next 24 months. “Right now, we are evaluating opportunities in the areas of payer verification for insurance and new drug trials for pharmaceuticals. We hope to win at least five clients in the insurance segment and potentially three in pharmaceuticals in the US market, services for which will be offered both from our Hyderabad and Chennai centres,” he said.