In February 2025, the IHF Governing Council meeting was hosted by Apollo Hospitals Group in New Delhi, India, providing an opportunity for a programme of executive learning. Council members and invited guests from across the globe were able to hear about, and witness, the latest developments in Indian healthcare delivery. 

The IHF Governing Council is made up of 25 hospital and healthcare leaders from different countries. The diverse expertise and experience that they bring helps shape the direction and focus of the organization. By facilitating global learning that inspires local action, the IHF pursues its vision of a world of healthy communities served by well-managed hospitals and healthcare services, where individuals can reach their highest potential for health. The Governing Council’s visit to Delhi in February 2025 provided an invaluable opportunity for the delegation to learn from a health system undergoing rapid transformation, and to explore the potential for future collaborations and international exchanges.

A vision for Indian healthcare

Kickstarting the executive learning and exchange, Dr Preetha Reddy, Executive Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals, welcomed the delegation to Delhi. Dr Reddy has been on the IHF Governing Council since May 2021, contributing expertise and insights from Asia’s foremost integrated healthcare provider.

Beginning the learning sessions, Kiran Gopal Vaska, Joint Secretary of the National Health Authority (Department of Health and Family Welfare), gave an overview of the Indian health system. This was complemented by the words of Dr Anupam Sibal, Group Medical Director at Apollo Hospitals, who introduced the Indian Government’s vision for the future “Viksit Bharat 2047” (“Developed India” by 2047).

As the seventh-largest country by area, and the most populous country (from June 2023 onwards), India contends with complex levels of healthcare management at the national, state, and local levels, as well as the public and private sector.

There are four components of the national vision for the healthcare sector:

1. Comprehensive primary healthcare – delivered by a system that is community-based versus hospital-based.
2. Health insurance for the poorest 40% of the population (more than 550 million citizens) that is cashless and paperless. Citizens receive a card worth 500,000 INR per family for access to any healthcare facility. This enables them to purchase healthcare services at the primary, secondary and tertiary level, and provides access to preventative or early intervention.
3. Integrated digital health infrastructure – a country-wide, unified interface for the exchange of health information and national health claims, which eliminates the need for a layer of administrative cost that other systems have embedded.
4. Building new infrastructure and strengthening existing institutions.

A panel discussion between Parijat Ghosh, Managing Partner of Bain & Company’s India, Dr Preetha Reddy, and Dr Anupam Sibal, enabled the visiting delegation to learn more about the public and private healthcare sectors in India.

Spotlight on innovation

More than 95% of the villages in India have internet access; and there are around 30 million smartphone purchases every quarter. This level of connectivity and access to cutting-edge digital devices makes for a highly innovative society, which can only benefit healthcare delivery.

Facilitated by Dr Anupam Sibal, four guest speakers from industry leading organizations shared exciting insights into the spirit of innovation in India. The group heard from: Dr Amulya Panda, Associate Director, Panacea Biotec about vaccines and the pharmaceuticals industry; Manish Deshmukh, Head of Marketing, Meril Group, about medical devices; Dr Sujoy Kar, Chief Medical Information Officer and VP, Apollo Hospitals, about the applications of artificial intelligence; and Dr Gautam Wankhede, Director of Medical Affairs, Mylab Discovery Solutions, about laboratory diagnostics.

Indian companies are making a significant impact in local and international markets. India-made products continue to fuel the lower cost of providing healthcare – including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and equipment.

Showcasing local hospital care and cancer care

The Governing Council members and invited guests were able to tour Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in New Delhi. The fine facilities, efficient patient flows, and latest equipment in use served to demonstrate Apollo’s commitment to cutting-edge quality of patient care as well as the technologies accessible at home.

The international delegation was welcomed by Dr Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals, who shared insights into trends driving the future of healthcare.

Dr Dinesh Madhavan, Group President of Oncology, Apollo Hospitals, also chaired a panel discussion on the future of cancer care. The projected cancer burden in India is expected to rise to 29.8 million in 2025. Industry leaders shared their perspectives on the current challenges, critical advancements in care and technologies, and opportunities to enhance patient outcomes by humanizing cancer care. The panel included: Dr Rishi Jain, Medical Director, Novartis; Bala Manikandan, Senior Vice President, Region TIMEA elekta; Shirish Arya, Co-founder and Director, ImmunoACT; Malti Sachdev, Senior Managing Directorm Varian Medical Systems, Rohitt Mahajan, Vice President and General Manager India, Intuitive; and Vidhi Prasad, Managing Director India and Subcontinent, Accuray. Their insights about driving smarter, safer, and more effective treatment included discussion on early diagnosis, molecular oncology, personalized treatments, minimally invasive techniques, and high-precision radiation therapy. Dr Madhavan also outlined the ways that India is adopting global to local approaches as well as partnering with institutions globally for research.

Models for collaboration

In a panel moderated by Siddhartha Bhattacharya, Secretary General, NATHEALTH, financial models for global partnership were explored. The session brought together voices from across the financial landscape to share their views on the engagement of stakeholders and policymakers that is required to power universal healthcare delivery. Speakers included Visalakshi Chandramouli, Managing Partner, Tata Capital Healthcare Fund; Dr Dinesh Arora, Principal Health Specialist, Asian Development Bank; Mohit Khullar, Managing Director, Corporate Finance, Alvaraz and Marsal India Pvt Ltd; and Sunil Thakur, Partner, Quadria Capital.

Acknowledgements

The IHF Governing Council members convey their sincere appreciation to Apollo Hospitals Group for organizing and hosting this enriching, educational, and inspiring visit to Delhi. With special thanks to Dr Preetha Reddy and Dr Anupam Sibal, as well as Printindira Kaur, Regional Quality Head, and Karan Thakur, Group Sustainability Lead & Vice President – Public Affairs.