Founder, managing director and CEO of People Tree Hospitals, Dr. Jothi Neeraja, has begun facilitating an exit for BlackRock, which invested ₹210 crore (US$24 million) in the hospital network in March this year. The investment supported People Tree’s expansion and enhanced super-specialty services, marking BlackRock’s first significant healthcare investment in India.
A first-generation entrepreneur & obstetrician – gynecologist from Kadapa, Dr. Neeraja built People Tree a 300+ bed multi-specialty institution, she established a culture of transparency, patient trust, and disciplined financial governance.
“I started with no legacy, no network just intent and integrity,” Dr. Neeraja said. “So, when investors place trust in you, you honor it. Completing BlackRock’s exit is part of that commitment.”
With People Tree’s transition underway, she is also focusing on Maarga Mind Care, scaling a 1,000-bed, 25-dedicated mental health hospital network a bold move to address India’s 70–90% mental health treatment gap.
“India has built world-class super specialty care in cardiology, urology, gastroenterology, oncology & neurosciences,” she added. “Our next decade must belong to mental health with the same quality, urgency, and seriousness.”
From navigating complex investor structures to building ethical healthcare institutes of excellence and now scaling a nationwide mental health network, Dr. Jothi Neeraja represents a pragmatic and purpose-driven model of healthcare leadership and entrepreneurship — grounded in trust, impact, and long-term vision.
