Photo by Hiraman/Getty Images Aknamed, a cloud-based healthcare supply chain platform in India, has acquired pharmaceutical products distributor Vardhman Health Specialties. It bought the company for $35 million, according to a report. WHY IT MATTERS In a joint statement, the companies said the combination comes at a time of "high demand" for medical supplies. "[T]he need of the hour is to build a strong healthcare supply chain management in the country," they said. The companies will work towards building a "robust hospital-focused supply chain in India", leveraging technology, data, high-quality infrastructure and scale. Besides distribution, Vardhman also develops medical devices, as well as healthcare platforms that run on new technologies, such as artificial intelligence and the internet of things.