3 min readMumbaiFeb 21, 2026 11:57 AM IST
First published on: Feb 21, 2026 at 11:54 AM IST
King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital, which made history in 1986 when Dr. Indira Hinduja delivered India’s first officially documented test-tube baby here, is now setting up a dedicated IVF department — more than four decades later. Despite its pioneering achievement, the hospital did not continue IVF services at scale due to lack of infrastructure, trained embryologists, and sustained funding. That gap is now being addressed with the inauguration of the Malpani Anjali and Aniruddha (MAA) In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) Centre on February 23.
The centre has been set up by gynaecologists Dr. Anjali Malpani and Dr. Aniruddha Malpani, alumni of the hospital, to expand access to fertility treatment in the public sector.
The inauguration will be carried out by Public Health and Family Welfare Minister Prakash Abitkar in the presence of Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde.
Dr. Anjali Malpani said, “This is the first BMC-run municipal hospital to have a full-fledged IVF centre. We are working to bring down the cost of In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) to about ₹40,000–₹50,000 per cycle, compared to ₹2–3 lakh in private clinics, so that couples from lower-income groups who cannot afford private treatment have the possibility of becoming parents.”
She explained that the centre has been established on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, with the Malpani family contributing about ₹1 crore annually for the first five years. “Running an IVF unit requires continuous investment in laboratory media, injections, and equipment. These costs are not just doctors’ fees but the essentials needed to keep the clinic functioning. That is why we have committed to putting in about ₹1 crore every year for the first five years. I have already invested ₹1.25 crore this year, including equipment and interiors. The unit is 4,000 square feet and designed with state-of-the-art facilities,” she said.
The centre will provide IVF, Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI). Applications have been made for approvals to expand into embryo freezing, sperm and egg banking. It will also serve as a training hub for gynecology residents and a research centre. “There are three aspects to this partnership: affordable care, teaching, and research. Residents will rotate through the unit and learn IVF procedures,” Dr. Malpani said.
On February 18, KEM Hospital resumed offering Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) services after many years, with the first procedure performed on a 27-year-old woman from Sewri who had been trying to conceive for six years. State-run hospital Cama & Albless Hospital launched IVF services in 2024.
The centre has been set up by gynaecologists Dr. Anjali Malpani and Dr. Aniruddha Malpani, alumni of the hospital, to expand access to fertility treatment in the public sector. (Express Photo) 
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