Healthcare platform CureBay acquires Saveo’s pharma distribution business to deepen rural reach

Healthcare platform CureBay has acquired the pharmacy distribution business of Saveo Healthtech in a move aimed at tightening medicine supply chains across semi-urban and under-served regions.

The deal brings into CureBay a network that serves more than 10,000 retail pharmacies across southern India, along with distribution hubs in Bengaluru and Hyderabad, procurement systems, and a technology-enabled ordering platform.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The acquisition underscores a broader push by healthcare startups to control critical parts of the value chain, particularly drug distribution, where stock-outs and fragmented logistics often disrupt patient care outside large cities.

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CureBay, which operates over 190 eClinics across 15,000 villages, claims to have served more than a million patients. The company said the integration of Saveo would help improve inventory visibility, reduce supply gaps, and accelerate fulfilment cycles, especially for chronic therapies and essential medicines.

“Medicines are central to continuity of care,” said Founder and Chief Executive Priyadarshi Mohapatra, adding that the deal would strengthen procurement and enable faster expansion into new geographies.

The combined platform is expected to allow tighter demand planning and working capital management, areas that have historically constrained pharmacy access in rural markets. CureBay has built its model around clustered expansion, with two clusters reportedly achieving operating profitability in eastern India.

For Saveo, the transaction marks a shift from operating an independent distribution network to embedding its infrastructure within a broader healthcare delivery platform. Its existing pharmacy partners will continue within the integrated system, while CureBay’s clinics gain access to a more robust backend supply chain.

As part of the transition, Saveo Co-founder Amit Kumar will lead pharmacy technology at CureBay, and senior executive Deepak Tiwary will oversee operations.

The move also highlights the increasing consolidation across India’s fragmented pharmaceutical supply ecosystem, wherein startups are trying to blend digital tools with physical distribution to reach smaller towns more efficiently.

Backed by investors including Bertelsmann India Investments, Elevar Equity, and British International Investment, CureBay is positioning itself as an integrated healthcare provider, combining consultations, diagnostics, and pharmacy services, targeted at populations often overlooked by traditional healthcare infrastructure.