Winning is an achievement by itself, and when that victory comes to you largely because of a differentiation in an area that is otherwise overcrowded, it is most certainly a bigger achievement. Promantra’s example is a case in point.

Like many other small, offshore BPO companies in the southern part of India, Promantra is focused on the healthcare vertical. But, unlike most others, Promantra is one of the very few to target the long-term care area with a portfolio that is not just about medical transcription or coding that most of its peers do, but is also complete with clinical-processes outsourcing, medical billing and collections. It has even ventured into the territory of horizontal-focused BPO companies in healthcare. For example, it provides payroll processing, traditionally a bastion of HR-outsourcing vendors.

Started as late as 2003, this Hyderabad-based company in India, with offices in Los Angeles, CA, expects its revenue to touch $15 to $17 million by December 2006, which is close to 200% growth from its 2005 achievement of $6 million.

Promantra has built an impressive list of customer base. It currently provides clinical, business and software services to more than 20 U.S. healthcare buyers across California, Florida, Idaho and Oregon. End-to-end long-term care services and medical coding are Promantra’s growth engines, and it has plans to add 1000-bed client. With around 300 people in India and the U.S.A., it also plans to take up the headcount to 500 by March 2006.

Having tasted success, Promantra now wants to join the big league. One is its plans is to expand its business to the Philippines by setting up a joint-venture company. According to Dr. Praveen Vadlamudi, CEO, “The newly proposed company might provide high-end medical diagnostics. We will finalize our business plans with regard to the joint venture by March 2006 and are planning to start our operations in the second quarter of 2006.”To expand its market share, Promantra is scouting for right companies to acquire in the U.S.A. and has short-listed six to eight companies and is planning to acquire two of them by July 2006. To cover the East Coast states, Promantra has plans to set up a new marketing office in New Jersey by the end of the first quarter of 2006.

The company’s track record can be gauged from the fact that 80% of its revenue comes from NW Bec-Corp, a U.S. healthcare provider, which has 14 facilities in three U.S. states. The company has a three-year contract with Promantra. It is probably one-of-its-kind.

Dr. Praveen Vadlamudi, CEO, Promantra Synergy Solutions Ltd.

The company plans to go public in the next two years. But a lot will depend on how the company is able to grow the niche that it has identified for itself. Many offshore companies start with a solid focus but fall to the charm of new business that is now coming their way more easily than many of them had imagined when they started.

In the light of impending challenges, Promantra will clearly have to walk the tight-rope between growth and focus, if it has to sustain the high that it currently rides on.