Reimagining What's Possible: Reflections from India

Executive Master in Healthcare Leadership & Management

Reimagining What's Possible

In India, innovation doesn’t wait for resources. It happens despite the lack of them.

“Innovation is not a mere continuation or refinement of what exists. It is, in its truest form, disruption.” This observation was made by Ryu Minha, participant of the Executive Master in Healthcare Leadership and Management (EMHEAL). She was reflecting on what she had seen as part of EMHEAL’s experiential learning segment in India.

As part of the programme’s commitment to immersive, real-world learning, the India segment brought participants into the heart of some of the country’s most innovative healthcare institutions. Over the course of the journey, they witnessed how Aravind Eye Care, Narayana Health, and the Philips Innovation Centre reimagine care delivery through prudence, scale, and purpose-driven design.

With a vast, diverse population and persistent resource constraints, India has become a living laboratory for innovation and creativity, offering EMHEAL participants rich, real-world lessons that cannot be learned in a classroom alone.

“In the midst of chaos and lack of resources was borne opportunity. This kind of innovative thinking doesn’t cost much, yet makes a world of difference.” - Dr Jean Lee, participant of EMHEAL

EMHEAL participants at Aurolab, the manufacturing plant under Aravind Eye Care System.

Purpose-Driven Healthcare at Scale

Aravind Eye Care, guided by a patient-centred mission, prioritises accessibility and affordability by reducing their production costs to offer free or subsidised services. Narayana Health, driven by its commitment to high-quality efficiency, adopted a multi-pronged approach that integrated healthcare provision, health services and education, and health insurance into one holistic model of care.

During the week, participants met with esteemed healthcare professionals Dr Venkatesh Prajna and Dr Devi Shetty, gaining deeper insights into the values and vision shaping both institutions.

“I was especially wowed by the innovative methods of healthcare delivery by Aravind Eye Care,” said Jean Lee, participant of EMHEAL and Senior Consultant, Department of Emergency Medicine, Singapore General Hospital.

In its effort to reach rural populations, Aravind set up Vision Centres, permanent eye care facilities in rural or semi-rural areas. Here, ophthalmic technicians conduct the bulk of routine eye checks, with doctors consulted via videocall for more complex cases.

These centres are vital for communities where long journeys to tertiary hospitals are often impractical, particularly for the young and elderly. Such a deep understanding of real-world constraints spurred Aravind to redesign its care model around the needs of its patients.

“Aravind was committed to looking at healthcare system design from the customer’s perspective,” said Jean. “In the midst of chaos and lack of resources was borne opportunity. This kind of innovative thinking doesn’t cost much, yet makes a world of difference.”

Innovation Beyond Technology

Throughout the week, participants encountered innovation in many forms, not just technological, but organisational and cultural.

“At the Philips Innovation Centre, innovation is no longer just about sharper images or higher resolution,” recalled Minha. “It is a multidimensional perspective that considers technology, ecosystem design, workflow, and patient experience.”

At Narayana Health, Tracy Tan, participant of EMHEAL and Senior Consultant in Paediatric Anaesthesia at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, was struck by the hospital’s mobile-accessible electronic medical records (EMR) system.

“This saves time, reduces communication errors across departments, and allows physicians to act on the go,” said Tracy. As part of the task force looking at integrating patient records into Epic, Singapore’s next-generation EMR system, she reflected, “Seeing how well Narayana Health’s EMR works gives me confidence that Epic can do the same for us.”

Leadership Anchored in Values

These reflections underscore a core realisation for many participants: the future of healthcare leadership in Asia will be shaped not by the abundance of resources, but by the ability to think creatively within constraints.

Meeting Dr Devi Shetty, chairmain and founder of Narayana Health.

The India segment also highlighted the importance of grounding leadership in values. Participants were repeatedly struck by how institutions like Aravind and Narayana scale impact not solely through technology or systems, but through deeply embedded organisational purpose.

“At Aravind, the mission “to eliminate needless blindness” was not just a slogan but a lived reality,” said Lie Sui An, participant of EMHEAL. “Staff producing intraocular lenes in the factory were not merely assembling a product. They saw themselves restoring sight and dignity. This shared sense of purpose fueled intrinsic motivation, resilience and pride.”

At the Phillips Innovation Centre, observing a demonstration of MR, CT, X-Ray, and Cathlab capabilities.

Bringing Lessons Home

For many participants, this journey was more than a study trip. It was a recalibration of what healthcare leadership can look like.

As Programme Director of the Anaesthesiology Residency Programme at Singapore General Hospital, Sui An reflected on the importance of articulating a clear ‘north star’ for his team. While remaining attentive to operational detail, he is now committed to fostering a shared sense of purpose, to develop anaesthesiologists who are clinically excellent, compassionate, and resilient.

“To do so, I plan on continually directing focus to the greater purpose, modelling the values I wish to see, and helping teams see how daily tasks connect to our larger goal,” he said.

Minha, who is Associate Marketing Director at global medical technology company BD, also reflected on how the week reshaped her perspective.

“As BD prepares its three-year strategic plan, the insights from this week will be invaluable,” she shared. “They have encouraged me to think beyond conventional boundaries and explore how bold strategies and disruptive innovation can reshape treatment pathways.”

From India to Asia’s Next Generation of Healthcare Leaders

The exposure to India’s models of care demonstrated that leaders do not need perfect conditions to drive change. They simply need the courage to start.

At EMHEAL, healthcare leaders learn to navigate complexity with clarity, innovate with intention, and remain steadfast in their values even when systems are strained. While the India segment is just one chapter of a broader journey across Asia, for many participants, it was the moment that reshaped their understanding of what is possible.

As Asian HEAL prepares for its second intake, we invite healthcare professionals ready to challenge assumptions, learn from the region’s most transformative institutions, and lead with purpose to join us. If you are committed to making a real, sustained impact, EMHEAL offers the environment, networks, and experiential learning to help you do so.

EMHEAL participants, faculty, and staff with Dr Venkatesh Prajna, Chief, Cornea & Refractive Surgery Services, Aravind Eye Hospital, and Secretary, Finance, Aravind Eye Care System.

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Reimagining What's Possible: Reflections from India

In India, innovation doesn’t wait for resources. It happens despite the lack of them.

Apply Now!

Find Out More

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