Experts push for resilient, accessible and future-ready healthcare at AYUSMAT 2026
The sixth edition of IIMB Exec Education’s healthcare leadership summit brought together policymakers, clinicians, industry leaders, entrepreneurs and investors
8 July, 2026, Bengaluru: ‘How can healthcare move from fragmented excellence to coordinated system performance?’ is the question that set the tone for AYUSMAT 2026, the sixth edition of IIM Bangalore Executive Education's flagship healthcare leadership and innovation summit, hosted by the alumni of the General Management Programme for Healthcare Executives (GMHE).
The summit convened clinicians, policymakers, healthcare leaders, entrepreneurs, investors and innovators for a day of discussions on the future of healthcare delivery in India. Through special addresses, panel discussions, a start-up showcase and networking sessions, the event examined opportunities to build more resilient, accessible and future-ready healthcare systems.
IAS Gurudatta Hegde, Commissioner, Health and Family Welfare Services, Bengaluru, inaugurated the summit with a special address, setting the stage for conversations on expanding quality healthcare beyond metropolitan centres, the opportunities and challenges of digital health, affordable healthcare, evolving ownership models and a patient-first approach to care.
The summit featured three panel discussions addressing some of the sector's most pressing challenges. 'Redefining Healthcare Beyond Metros', moderated by Prof. Chetan Subramanian, Economics area and RBI Chair Professor in Economics, examined strategies for expanding quality healthcare beyond urban centres. Panellists included Dr. Ananth N. Rao, VP-Business Head, Fortis Hospitals Bangalore; Dr. Sudha Chandrashekar, CEO, Swasti, Public Health Specialist & Economist, and Senior Consultant, The World Bank; and Dr. Riyaz Basha, Registrar (Evaluation), Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences and Professor of Community Medicine, BMCRI.
The session on 'Clicks, Care & Consequences: The 3 Cs of Digital Health', moderated by Dr. Uma Nambiar, CEO, IISc Medical School Foundation, and Chairperson, DHI Association, explored the opportunities and complexities of digital health. The panel featured Vivek Rajagopal, Group Chief Analytics & AI Officer, Narayana Health; Bhoopendra Solanki, Chief Information Officer, Sakra World Hospital; and Shrinath Honnavalli, Co-Founder, Trawello Healthcare.
A third panel titled, 'Quality Care @ Low Cost: Management Challenges', moderated by Prof. Sourav Mukherji, Dean, Faculty and faculty of Organizational Behavior & Human Resources Management (OB&HRM), brought together Dr. Pradeep B. S., Department of Epidemiology and Deputy Medical Superintendent, NIMHANS; Dr. Archana Prabhakar, Deputy General Manager, Clinical Operations and Excellence, Apollo ProHealth; and Sumana Ray, Head, Investment Committee, Klarus Capital, to discuss balancing affordability with quality in healthcare delivery.
The programme also featured a talk by Vishal Bali, Executive Chairman, Asia Healthcare Holdings, on 'Evolving Ownership of Indian Healthcare', and a fireside on 'Patient First: A Vision or A Reality?', in which Prof. Gopal Mahapatra, former faculty in the OB&HRM area at IIMB, was in dialogue with Dr. B. S. Srinath, Founder, Chairman and Managing Trustee, Sri Shankara Cancer Hospital & Research Centre.
A key highlight of the summit was SMartTANK by IIMB. This curated start-up showcase provided promising healthcare and health-tech ventures an opportunity to present their innovations before a distinguished jury of healthcare leaders, investors, mentors and ecosystem experts.
Organized under the aegis of GMHE Programme Directors Prof. Haritha Saranga, Chairperson, Sustainability Taskforce and faculty of Production & Operations Management, and Prof. Ashok Thampy, Chairperson, Tony James Centre for PE and VC and faculty of Finance & Accounting, AYUSMAT 2026 brought together diverse stakeholder perspectives from across healthcare, academia, government and industry.
Experts push for resilient, accessible and future-ready healthcare at AYUSMAT 2026
The sixth edition of IIMB Exec Education’s healthcare leadership summit brought together policymakers, clinicians, industry leaders, entrepreneurs and investors
8 July, 2026, Bengaluru: ‘How can healthcare move from fragmented excellence to coordinated system performance?’ is the question that set the tone for AYUSMAT 2026, the sixth edition of IIM Bangalore Executive Education's flagship healthcare leadership and innovation summit, hosted by the alumni of the General Management Programme for Healthcare Executives (GMHE).
The summit convened clinicians, policymakers, healthcare leaders, entrepreneurs, investors and innovators for a day of discussions on the future of healthcare delivery in India. Through special addresses, panel discussions, a start-up showcase and networking sessions, the event examined opportunities to build more resilient, accessible and future-ready healthcare systems.
IAS Gurudatta Hegde, Commissioner, Health and Family Welfare Services, Bengaluru, inaugurated the summit with a special address, setting the stage for conversations on expanding quality healthcare beyond metropolitan centres, the opportunities and challenges of digital health, affordable healthcare, evolving ownership models and a patient-first approach to care.
The summit featured three panel discussions addressing some of the sector's most pressing challenges. 'Redefining Healthcare Beyond Metros', moderated by Prof. Chetan Subramanian, Economics area and RBI Chair Professor in Economics, examined strategies for expanding quality healthcare beyond urban centres. Panellists included Dr. Ananth N. Rao, VP-Business Head, Fortis Hospitals Bangalore; Dr. Sudha Chandrashekar, CEO, Swasti, Public Health Specialist & Economist, and Senior Consultant, The World Bank; and Dr. Riyaz Basha, Registrar (Evaluation), Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences and Professor of Community Medicine, BMCRI.
The session on 'Clicks, Care & Consequences: The 3 Cs of Digital Health', moderated by Dr. Uma Nambiar, CEO, IISc Medical School Foundation, and Chairperson, DHI Association, explored the opportunities and complexities of digital health. The panel featured Vivek Rajagopal, Group Chief Analytics & AI Officer, Narayana Health; Bhoopendra Solanki, Chief Information Officer, Sakra World Hospital; and Shrinath Honnavalli, Co-Founder, Trawello Healthcare.
A third panel titled, 'Quality Care @ Low Cost: Management Challenges', moderated by Prof. Sourav Mukherji, Dean, Faculty and faculty of Organizational Behavior & Human Resources Management (OB&HRM), brought together Dr. Pradeep B. S., Department of Epidemiology and Deputy Medical Superintendent, NIMHANS; Dr. Archana Prabhakar, Deputy General Manager, Clinical Operations and Excellence, Apollo ProHealth; and Sumana Ray, Head, Investment Committee, Klarus Capital, to discuss balancing affordability with quality in healthcare delivery.
The programme also featured a talk by Vishal Bali, Executive Chairman, Asia Healthcare Holdings, on 'Evolving Ownership of Indian Healthcare', and a fireside on 'Patient First: A Vision or A Reality?', in which Prof. Gopal Mahapatra, former faculty in the OB&HRM area at IIMB, was in dialogue with Dr. B. S. Srinath, Founder, Chairman and Managing Trustee, Sri Shankara Cancer Hospital & Research Centre.
A key highlight of the summit was SMartTANK by IIMB. This curated start-up showcase provided promising healthcare and health-tech ventures an opportunity to present their innovations before a distinguished jury of healthcare leaders, investors, mentors and ecosystem experts.
Organized under the aegis of GMHE Programme Directors Prof. Haritha Saranga, Chairperson, Sustainability Taskforce and faculty of Production & Operations Management, and Prof. Ashok Thampy, Chairperson, Tony James Centre for PE and VC and faculty of Finance & Accounting, AYUSMAT 2026 brought together diverse stakeholder perspectives from across healthcare, academia, government and industry.