In 2006, Novartis set out on an ambitious plan to bring dozens of essential medicines—basic remedies to fight diarrhea, parasites, nutritional deficiencies, and respiratory ailments—to rural India. From a philanthropic standpoint, the goal was laudable, but Novartis wanted it to be sustainable: It had to stand on its own as a business. The challenge? Health education was low, doctors were scarce, and distribution channels were nonexistent. Novartis brought in physicians—who have treated nearly a million patients since 2010—and raised awareness of the critical need for hygiene in preventing infection. Just 31 months after the launch of Arogya Parivar (“healthy family” in Hindi), the venture broke even. It’s now being rolled out in Kenya, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
