Kerala's Azad Moopen among India’s top 5 promoter-investors

Dr. Azad Moopen, Founder & Chairman, Aster DM Healthcare is now among India’s top five promoter-investors in India in FY25, with a dividend income of Rs2,594 crore. He is the only entrepreneur from Kerala to be featured on the prestigious list, which includes prominent industrialists like Mukesh Ambani, Anil Agarwal, and Azim Premji.

The company had declared a special dividend of Rs.118.0 per equity share, a final dividend of Rs.2.0 per equity share and an interim dividend of Rs.4.0 per equity share in FY25. The promoters currently hold 42% stake in Aster DM Healthcare.

This milestone reflects not just personal wealth creation, but the robust financial health and operational performance of Aster DM Healthcare-an integrated healthcare organisation built with the mission of providing accessible, high-quality care across India and GCC.

The same year Aster also announced its landmark merger with Quality Care India Ltd. (QCIL). The merger positions Dr. Moopen led Aster DM Quality Care Ltd. (the combined entity) backed by Blackstone among India’s top three hospital chains, with 38 hospitals and over 10,300 beds across 27 cities.

Unlike many other promoters in the list, Dr. Moopen’s rise stems from an enterprise that prioritizes clinical excellence and community care. From a single clinic in Dubai in 1987 to 900+ healthcare facilities across India and GCC and employing over 34,000+ professionals across seven countries, Dr. Moopen’s journey exemplifies sustainable, impact-driven entrepreneurship.

Dr. Moopen is recipient of Padma Shri, 4th highest civilian award by the Government of India in 2011 and has also been honoured with the ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Samman’ by the Government of India.

Dr. Moopen’s initiatives have played a pivotal role in expanding access to healthcare for underserved communities, underscoring his dual legacy as both a compassionate healer and visionary business leader. Recognising the urgent need for quality medical education and infrastructure in Wayanad, he established Dr. Moopen’s Medical College, the first medical college in Kerala to be set up in a hilly, tribal, and backward district, marking a transformative step in uplifting healthcare access in Wayanad.

He set up Aster Volunteers in 2016 which has grown to become one of the largest volunteering organisations globally with 85,000+ volunteers working to provide disaster and improve medical access to remote areas. Following the devastating floods in Kerala in 2018, he pledged to rebuild lives by constructing homes for those affected, a promise he fulfilled in 2022 by handing 255 homes across the state. During the 2023 landslides in Wayanad, Dr. Moopen led from the front, directing his team and medical professionals to ensure swift deployment of aid and critical healthcare services.

As Aster DM Healthcare enters its next phase of growth, Dr. Moopen’s journey stands as a powerful example of how healthcare, rooted in purpose, can also become a powerful engine of sustainable financial value.