Bengaluru: Aster DM Quality Care began operations on Thursday after the completion of the merger between Aster DM Healthcare and Blackstone-backed Quality Care India (QCIL).The merged entity brings together four healthcare brands -- Aster DM, CARE Hospitals, Evercare and KIMSHEALTH, the company said in a stock exchange filing.Highlighting the strategic benefits of integration, Moopen said the merger significantly strengthens procurement and operational efficiency.“Leveraging the combined purchasing power of hospitals significantly strengthens our procurement leverage, enabling better vendor negotiations, cost optimisation, streamlined sourcing operations and enhanced inventory efficiency,” Moopen told ET in an email response. “We believe that these efficiencies will lower operational expenses and directly improve our supply chain margins,”He added that the integration goes well beyond procurement. “Beyond procurement, the restructuring will drive operational integration, the sharing of best practices, standardisation of clinical protocols and cross-speciality collaboration,” Moopen said.The board will have equal representation from Aster's promoters and Blackstone. Azad Moopen will continue as executive chairman.The National Company Law Tribunal's Hyderabad bench approved for the formal process of the merging in January this year. The combined entity operates more than 10,600 beds across 39 hospitals. These are spread across 28 cities in nine states.Management has set a multi-year target to expand capacity to over 14,710 beds in the coming years.Aster board members met Quality Care representatives in March to finalise key decisions on the merger. Promoters said the combined company will become one of India's top three hospital chains.