Cent plans 20–25 MRI-led preventive health centres across India in 6–9 months

Bengaluru-based Cent, which charges ₹27,500 for its annual MRI-led screening protocol, is targeting expansion from three diagnostic centres to 20–25 new locations across the top seven cities, backed by about $5 million in seed funding.

— Source publishedTue, 21 Jul, 2026, 16:36 IST·First seen Tue, 21 Jul, 2026, 18:17 IST·Source Inc42

What happened

Bengaluru-based Cent, a D2C preventive-health diagnostics startup, plans to open 20-25 centres across seven major Indian cities within six to nine months.

Key facts

  • ~$5 million seed funding
  • 3 diagnostic centres
  • up to 3,000 scans per centre per month
  • ~7,000 scans completed
  • ~3,000 monthly scans
  • ₹27,500 annual protocol price
  • 20-25 new centres planned
  • top 7 cities initially
  • further 15 cities targeted
  • 25% of customers flagged with major issues
  • 3% flagged with critical conditions
  • 30-minute MRI scan
  • ₹50,000-₹60,000 conventional full-body MRI cost

Why this matters

Cent’s growing preventive-diagnostics network could make it a compelling partnership or acquisition target for hospital chains, insurers and diagnostic platforms seeking an MRI-led entry into premium preventive healthcare.

What to watch

  • Announced city list, opening cadence and whether centres are owned, leased or partner-operated.
  • Monthly scan volumes per operating centre versus the 3,000-scan capacity target.
  • Corporate wellness, insurer or hospital-network partnerships that lower customer acquisition costs and validate demand.
  • Changes in price, financing options or bundled follow-up services that indicate demand elasticity or competitive pressure.
  • Radiologist hiring, report turnaround times, incidental-finding rates and patient follow-up conversion.
  • Competitive MRI-led preventive packages from diagnostic chains, hospital groups and digital health platforms.
  • Additional funding or equipment-financing arrangements, which may be needed if the rollout is predominantly owned-centre based.
  • Prioritize asset-light MRI partnerships or managed-service agreements where possible to reduce upfront capex and accelerate city entry.
  • Build centralized radiology, quality assurance and follow-up navigation capacity before opening multiple sites, since reporting consistency and clinical trust will determine referrals and retention.
  • Target employer health-benefit partnerships and affluent member communities to secure predictable scan volumes rather than relying primarily on direct-to-consumer acquisition.
  • Create structured post-scan care pathways with specialists and hospitals; abnormal findings need fast follow-up, and this can become a defensible service layer beyond imaging.
  • Track city-level contribution margins tightly and stage rollout based on booked scans, repeat/referral rates and radiologist turnaround times.

Also reported by