Fortis Malar Hospital is planning to augment its bed capacity by December 2012. The company is likely to raise its bed capacity from existing 300 to 1,000 at a cost of Rs 300 crore. The equity portion of the capex will be Rs 60 crore. The company is looking at various options to raise rest of the funds.

The company will add another 50 beds to its 200-bed Chennai facility and 200 beds in its 100-bed hospital in Puducherry. It has acquired land adjacent to its existing property in Chennai and is holding discussions with potential collaborators. Also, it has identified a building in Chennai which will be taken on long lease and converted into a 250-bed hospital. Besides, the expansion plan includes setting up hospitals in Madurai, Coimbatore and Trichy (Tamil Nadu) - a combination of greenfield projects and acquiring hospitals. The combined strength of these will be 300 beds.