Building a legacy of innovation and philanthropy
Lal PathLabs has a proud, decades-long history. But Dr Arvind Lal and Dr Vandana Lal are still innovating for a brighter future.
Honorary Brigadier Dr Arvind Lal took over the running of Dr Lal PathLabs (LPL) in 1977, almost 30 years after his father founded the company.
“Initially I wanted to be a fighter pilot in the Navy, but my eyesight made that impossible, so I became a doctor,” he reflects.
At that time, LPL had a single laboratory – the first standalone private lab in north India. Today, it’s the country’s oldest and largest diagnostics chain with over 300 labs serving more than 27 million patients a year. It carried out 79 million tests in 2024, including samples received from 22 other countries.
As pioneers in the sector, LPL is credited with introducing the highest number of new tests in a private lab in India, including tests for HIV, thyroid function, and many others. The company continues to explore innovative ways of doing business.
“We were the first in the world to introduce franchising in healthcare with our collection centres, and the first to digitise lab operations in 1986,” explains Dr Arvind Lal.
“In the beginning, we even had to develop our own tests, equipment and packaging in-house,” adds Dr Vandana Lal, LPL’s Executive Director. “Importing was far too expensive and would have made tests unaffordable for our patients.”
Over the years, we’ve worked with the couple to help manage their personal wealth.
In addition to LPL, Dr Arvind and Dr Vandana established the ALVL Foundation, which focuses on improving primary healthcare for vulnerable rural communities in India. Through LPL’s CSR arm, they have also contributed to job creation through skills-based training for health workers.
“Our philosophy has always been that wealth should be used to create impact not just for yourself or your family, but for the larger good of the society,” says Dr Arvind Lal.