Bavaguthu Raghuram Shetty (known as Dr. B. R. Shetty) is the Founder and Non-Executive Chairman Abu Dhabi based NMC Healthcare and Chairman of UAE Exchange. He is Founder, CEO and MD of Neopharma and Chairman of BRS Ventures. UAE Exchange, Dr. Shetty when he initially started in 1975 was interested in hospitals and hospitality, but since then has diversified into sectors including pharmaceuticals, global financial services, retail, advertising and information technology. Shetty was included on the Forbes list of India’s 100 Richest People in both 2015 and 2016.
Early life
Born in Kaup, Udupi Karnataka India to Shambhu Shetty and Koosamma Shetty in the 1940s to an ethnic Tuluva family, Shetty completed his pharmaceutical education in India and also served as the Vice-Chairman of the Municipal Council in Udupi where he worked toward providing proper sanitary facilities, building concrete roads, schools, underground drainage and septic tanks which would increase health and quality of life within the community. He moved to the UAE in 1973 with only a few dirhams to his name. He married C. R. Shetty and has four children.
Career
Dr. Shetty arrived in the UAE in 1973. As a trained pharmacist he quickly spotted an opportunity in the country’s healthcare sector and realising that healthcare facilities in the UAE were rudimentary at that time and foreseeing tremendous potential, he established New Medical Centre (NMC) in 1975 which expanded significantly over the years and is today the UAE’s largest private healthcare provider. Owing to the reputation and popularity of NMC Healthcare (as NMC is now known), its hospitals and medical centres cater to over two million patients annually across 12 facilities spread over 5 cities and 4 emirates. It is the first healthcare company from the GCC and the first company from Abu Dhabi to be listed on the premium segment of the prestigious London Stock Exchange and is part of FTSE-250 index.[4]
Dr. Shetty set up UAE Exchange, a remittance and foreign exchange brand with a presence in over 30 countries with almost 700 direct offices, touched USD 27 billion in 2013 making it a top player in the global market including USD 8 billion to India accounting for 12% of the foreign inward remittances.
Dr Shetty founded Neopharma, the UAE based pharmaceutical manufacturer in 2003.
Summary
| Born | 1942 Kaup, British India |
|---|---|
| Residence | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |
| Known for | Founder and Non-Executive Chairman of NMC Health |
| Net worth |  US$ 3 billion (as of April 2017) |
| Website | brshetty |
- Former pharma salesman B.R. Shetty immigrated from Karnataka in south India to Abu Dhabi in 1973 to set up a healthcare empire.
- His biggest asset is London-listed NMC Health, one of the UAE’s largest hospital chains.
- Shetty has brought his money remittance firms UAE Exchange and Travelex Group under a new holding firm called Finablr.
- Shetty also owns healthcare firm BR Life, which has a presence in India, Nepal, Africa and the Gulf region.
- In May 2018, Shetty signed the Giving Pledge.
Source: