About 40 years after Dr Indira Hinduja delivered India’s first officially recorded test-tube baby in 1986, King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital in Mumbai is opening a dedicated IVF department. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)-run hospital provided IVF services only on a smaller scale due to limited infrastructure, a shortage of qualified embryologists, and inconsistent funding.
The new facility opened today, February 23 and is called the Malpani Anjali and Aniruddha (MAA) In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) Center. It is founded by gynaecologists Dr Anjali Malpani and Dr Aniruddha Malpani, both alumni of KEM Hospital.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde. Public Health and Family Welfare Minister Prakash Abitkar will conduct the event. This is the first municipal hospital under the BMC to have a complete IVF centre. The goal is to provide affordable treatment for couples from lower-income groups.
IVF cycles at the facility are expected to cost around INR 40,000 to INR 50,000. This is much lower as compared to private clinics, which typically charge INR 2 to INR 3 lakh per cycle.
The MAA IVF Center is built under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The hospital has already seen strong interest. In the two months after outpatient consultations began, over 100 women registered for treatments.
The facility spans 4,000 square feet and features modern equipment. It offers IVF, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and intrauterine insemination (IUI). Applications have been submitted to add sperm and egg banking, as well as embryo freezing. The centre will also serve as a research and teaching facility. Gynaecology residents will learn IVF techniques while rotating through the unit.
The Malpani family is contributing about INR 1 crore per year for the first five years. Running an IVF unit involves continuous expenses, including equipment, injections, and laboratory media. These costs cover both operations and physician fees. As per reports, Dr Malpani said she has already spent INR 1.25 crore this year on interiors and equipment.