Narayana Hrudayalaya (Narayana Institute of Cardiac Sciences)

Narayana Institute of Cardiac Sciences (NICS), commonly known as Narayana Hrudayalaya, is India's most celebrated cardiac care institution and the flagship hospital of Narayana Health, located in the Bommasandra Industrial Area, Bangalore, Karnataka. Founded in 2000 by Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty — one of India's most respected cardiac surgeons, known for performing operations on Mother Teresa — the hospital was built on a revolutionary philosophy: delivering world-class cardiac surgery at costs affordable to ordinary Indians, regardless of economic background.

With 606 beds at the Bangalore flagship, including the world's largest 80-bed paediatric cardiac intensive care unit, 16 dedicated cardiac operation theatres, and six advanced digital catheterization laboratories, NICS performs one of the highest volumes of heart surgeries of any single cardiac hospital in the world. Narayana Health has since grown into a major multi-specialty healthcare network with hospitals across India and internationally, spanning more than 5,000 beds. In June 2023, Narayana Health achieved Joint Commission International's Enterprise-wide Accreditation (EA) — one of the highest international quality designations — with eight hospitals individually JCI accredited, making it one of the most accredited healthcare groups in Asia.

Narayana Institute of Cardiac Sciences is globally renowned for its cardiac surgery programme, which covers coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), valve repairs and replacements, congenital heart defect corrections in children and adults, aortic surgeries, heart transplantation, and mechanical circulatory support (LVAD). The interventional cardiology department performs high volumes of coronary angioplasties, complex PCIs, structural heart interventions (TAVI, MitraClip), electrophysiology, and device implantations.

Beyond cardiology, the hospital offers comprehensive neurosciences (neurology, neurosurgery, neuro-oncology), nephrology with dialysis and transplantation, haematology and bone marrow transplant, gastroenterology, pulmonology, vascular surgery, endocrinology, reproductive medicine, medical genetics, and paediatrics. The paediatric cardiac programme — supported by the world's largest 80-bed paediatric cardiac ICU — is internationally recognized for managing congenital heart disease in infants, children, and adolescents with outcomes comparable to the best global centres. A dedicated oncology programme covers surgical, medical, and radiation oncology with modern treatment protocols.

The Narayana Institute of Cardiac Sciences Bangalore campus features 606 beds, with dedicated areas for cardiac surgery recovery, paediatric cardiology, adult cardiology, and critical care. The 80-bed paediatric cardiac ICU is the world's largest, specifically designed for postoperative management of children with congenital heart disease, staffed by paediatric cardiac intensivists and specialised cardiac nurses around the clock.

The hospital operates 16 dedicated cardiac operation theatres, reflecting the extraordinary surgical volume — making it one of the highest-volume cardiac surgical programmes globally. Six advanced digital catheterization laboratories, including one hybrid cath lab, support the breadth of interventional cardiac procedures performed daily. Imaging capabilities include 3D echocardiography, cardiac MRI, CT coronary angiography, and nuclear cardiology. A homograft bank provides biological tissue for cardiac valve reconstruction in children and adults. The hospital's blood bank, central pharmacy, and NABL-accredited laboratory support the complex medical needs of its high-volume cardiac patient population.

Narayana Health Bangalore has a well-established international patient services department that has assisted patients from across South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, South-East Asia, and the Indian diaspora globally. The hospital's philosophy of affordable high-quality care is particularly attractive to patients from lower-income countries who require complex cardiac procedures such as open-heart surgery, congenital heart corrections, and valve surgery.

Narayana Health's international patient team provides end-to-end support: pre-arrival teleconsultation, medical visa support letters, airport transfer coordination, dedicated care coordinators fluent in English and Hindi, transparent cost estimates for planned procedures, and accommodation guidance near the Bommasandra campus. The Kempegowda International Airport in Bangalore is approximately 60 km from the hospital; the hospital team arranges transportation. Patients from Bangladesh and Nepal especially find Narayana Health an accessible and affordable option for cardiac care. The hospital can be contacted through its dedicated international patient portal at narayanahospitals.com.

Narayana Health is one of the most accredited healthcare groups in Asia. The Narayana Institute of Cardiac Sciences Bangalore is individually accredited by both JCI (Joint Commission International) and NABH (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers). In June 2023, the Narayana Health group achieved JCI Enterprise-wide Accreditation (EA) — a prestigious group-level quality designation — with eight hospitals across the network individually JCI accredited.

NABH accreditation confirms adherence to national Indian quality standards, while JCI accreditation benchmarks the hospital against the most rigorous international standards in patient safety, clinical quality, and hospital management. The hospital has received recognition from the Cardiological Society of India and international cardiac surgery societies for its clinical outcomes in complex congenital cardiac surgery and adult cardiac surgery. Narayana Health's founder, Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, has been recognized with the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan by the Government of India for his contributions to affordable healthcare. The hospital's business model for making cardiac surgery accessible has been featured by Harvard Business School as a case study in healthcare innovation.