Tribedi & Roy, a household name in medical diagnostic services in the city, is all set to expand with a new partner, Nicholas Piramal Pharmaceuticals. Francis Pinto, chief executive officer of Nicholas Piramal, said his company has acquired a major stake in Tribedi & Roy, the 44 year old- pathological laboratory on Park Street, but declined to elaborate on the size of its investment. ?T & R enjoys tremendous goodwill. We are going to plug into that goodwill and further it by investing in modern technologies, systems and equipment,? Pinto told The Telegraph in Mumbai. Nicholas Piramal?s statement brought to an end speculation on Tribedi & Roy, especially its senior partner, Subhendu Roy. There was talk in medical circles that Roy was relocating himself abroad after relinquishing his stake in the proprietory concern. ?Some of the rumours were very wild... They had me resettled even in New Zealand, but I?m staying put,? said Roy. As is the case, the majority ownership of T & R will continue to be held by the present partners, Roy and his wife Vatsala, both well known pathologists who have been running the laboratory since A.R. Roy (Subhendu?s father) died in 1994. Nicholas Piramal, Pinto said, would have a profit-sharing arrangement with the Roys as part of which the company would equip T & R with new technology and a centre for training . Besides, after 44 years of spartan existence, T & R will go through large-scale alteration in appearance and structure. The changes are likely to be completed in another year. ?I?m just getting prepared for the future and trying to lessen the burden that I face today,? Roy says, explaining why he had decided to divest holdings. ?After all, everything changes at one time or the other. And considering that I am not getting any younger, I thought it was time some contingency planning was done.? His son has not touched medicine as yet, studying computer engineering at MIT. ?It is unlikely that he ever will,? Roy added, , implying that he would not be involved in the working of the laboratory. Tribedi & Roy has been a family enterprise ever since B.P. Tribedi, a well-known professor in pathology and founder of the diagnostic laboratory, retired in 1972. He passed everything to partner A.R. Roy. The laboratory was first established in 1956 in a small room on Kyd Street. In 1961, it shifted to its present premises on the first floor of 91 Park Street. With the entry of Nicholas Piramal, the lab will become a private limited company. ?This step will enable us to offer the same services in a faster, better and more professional manner in future,? Subhendu Roy claims. Their equity participation will enable procurement of state-of-the-art equipment in diagnostics as well as the setting up of a network of computers. ?The sophisticated machines will be restricted to pathological testing as of now,? he says. Roy, however, could not say the extent of investment the Piramal group would be making. ?The deal has been struck but the details are being worked out.? Roy has not arrived at a deal with Ajay Piramal, chairman of the Piramal group, and Francis Pinto, chief executive officer of the pharmaceutical division, in a hurry. ?I was on the lookout for a partner for several years,? says Roy. ?When I could not find anyone suitable in Calcutta, I approached leading names in the field of pathology working abroad but hailing from Bengal. Though a few of them were willing, family issues stopped them from going ahead.? It was then that he decided to go in for a joint venture. ?We?ve more or less worked out the arrangements, including an exchange of expertise.? Nicholas Piramal, ranked no. 3 in the pharmaceutical industry, plans to set up a national health grid with satellite linkups. ?We have realised that the government alone cannot improve health care systems. The private sector has to come in,? the official said.