In a major push to tackle India’s growing non-communicable disease crisis, Star Health and Allied Insurance has launched 32 Arogya Seva Kendras (ASK) across nine states, bringing structured primary healthcare directly into communities that need it most.
The first clinic was inaugurated in Egmore, Chennai, with additional centres opening across Tamil Nadu in Nagercoil, Thoothukudi, Tiruppur and Karur. The nationwide rollout spans 32 cities, including Mysuru and Hubballi in Karnataka; Nizamabad and Khammam in Telangana; Kurnool and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh; Rourkela in Odisha; Amritsar and Patiala in Punjab; Prayagraj and Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh; Siliguri in West Bengal; and Nashik and Kolhapur in Maharashtra.
The initiative, funded entirely under the company’s CSR programme, is expected to reach over a million lives.
Implemented in partnership with Piramal Swasthya, part of Piramal Foundation, the clinics will offer: MBBS doctor consultations; Screening for hypertension, diabetes and oral health conditions; Laboratory diagnostics for blood sugar, haemoglobin and rapid diagnostic tests; free medicines for common and chronic conditions; and pneumococcal vaccination support for eligible adults -- all for free.
The rollout comes at a critical time. Across the nine participating states, hypertension prevalence ranges between 20% and 40% among adults, while diabetes prevalence in some districts reaches nearly 29%. Much of the burden remains undiagnosed until complications become severe.
Anand Roy, MD & CEO, Star Health and Allied Insurance Company Limited, said: "India’s healthcare conversation must begin within the community. We cannot hospitalise our way out of the non-communicable disease (NCD) crisis; and we believe primary care is where healthcare equity begins.
"When screening, medicines and follow-up are consistently accessible, complications are prevented before they become catastrophic. Institutions across the healthcare ecosystem have a shared responsibility to strengthen this foundation. Through this CSR initiative, we are contributing to that collective effort, and ensuring primary healthcare reaches people early, reliably and close to where they live."
The clinics have been strategically placed in districts with elevated NCD burden and significant gaps in primary healthcare access. Star Health is funding both capital and operational expenditure, while Piramal Swasthya will oversee implementation, staffing and clinical governance.
Ajay Piramal, Chairman, Piramal Group said: "Over the past 17 years, Piramal Foundation has worked across India’s most challenging geographies, guided by deep community engagement and systems transformation. This CSR partnership with Star Health Insurance builds on that legacy - bringing trusted, comprehensive primary care closer to communities, impacting over a million lives through accessible consultations, diagnostics, and free medicines.”
