By: IPP Bureau
Last updated : March 25, 2026 6:07 pm
The timing of the partnership is crucial, as Kerala’s fertility rate has dropped to approximately 1.35–1.7 children per woman, below the replacement level of 2.1
AHH-owned Nova IVF Fertility is making a bold move into Kerala, acquiring Craft Fertility, a 30-year-old leader in reproductive medicine.
The deal sets the stage for 10 new centres over the next 3–5 years, combining Nova’s rapid growth with Craft’s trusted clinical expertise to deliver advanced fertility solutions across the state.
“This is not just an entry for Nova in the state of Kerala, but access to 4 decades of transformative clinical practices in reproductive medicine,” said Vishal Bali, Executive Chairman of Asia Healthcare Holdings (AHH).
“Craft Fertility is a treasure trove of clinical excellence. Dr Ashraf has made phenomenal contributions in this field for over 40 years. The science of reproductive medicine is advancing at a very fast pace globally. The strong clinical and patient-centric approach followed by both enterprises promises to bring more advancements to fertility & IVF care to patients in the country.”
The timing of the partnership is crucial, as Kerala’s fertility rate has dropped to approximately 1.35–1.7 children per woman, below the replacement level of 2.1.
“Since 1999, CRAFT Fertility has been committed to providing ethical, evidence-led care for thousands of couples,” said Prof. Dr. C. Mohamed Ashraf, Chairman and Medical Director at CRAFT Hospital & Research Centre.
“Our partnership with Nova IVF is built around a common ethos of 'clinical excellence.' As the fastest-growing IVF chain in the country, Nova is the right partner to help us scale quality fertility care into tier 2 and tier 3 regions of Kerala. Together, we will also focus on clinical innovations and cross-collaboration through our multiple fellowship programs.”
Nova IVF’s CEO, Shobhit Agarwal, added: “We have long admired Craft Fertility and Dr Ashraf for their leadership in clinical science related to reproductive health. Their IVF treatment protocols are respected across the country and we are delighted to partner with them for our expansion in the state of Kerala.
'With the drop in fertility rate in the state there is growing awareness of fertility treatments in Kerala and we believe this partnership will provide new generation clinical protocols and technologies like AI based embryo selection to IVF patients in the state. Collectively, we will expand our presence to 10 cities in the state.”
India now performs 2.5–3 lakh IVF cycles annually, and the field has evolved from a niche treatment to a widely accessible, technology-driven solution. Advances such as improved embryo culture techniques, vitrification, preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), and AI-based embryo selection are raising success rates. Fertility care is increasingly personalized, tailoring protocols to each patient for better outcomes.
With this acquisition, Nova IVF Fertility and Craft Fertility are poised to set a new standard for reproductive medicine in Kerala.