Q1. Could you start by giving us a brief overview of your professional background, particularly focusing on your expertise in the industry?

I have donned leadership roles in multi-industry verticals with over 2.5 decades of IT experience in: 
• Healthcare: Clinical, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, HR, and Legal 
• Banking: Retail, Commercial, Payments, Capital Markets, and FOREX Trading 
• P&C Insurance 
• Life Sciences (CRO Tech) and Pharma 
Led numerous efforts in hiring the right people, enhancing and migrating enterprise apps that were fit for purpose, fit for use & fit for the future. Drove efficiency, highly communicative, energetic, warm, caring attitude, and earnest in on-time delivery. Initiated, implemented, and maintained patient and physician-facing mobile apps for a pan-Indian multi-hospital chain. Overseen a transformation initiative to migrate legacy on-premises HIS to cloud-enabled mobile apps for patients (online appointments & payments) and doctors (ordering medicines, lab and diagnostic tests). 
Assumed complete responsibility for departmental budgeting/business unit P&L. Established solid vendor management credentials with 28+ manpower, goods & services partners. Responsible for pre-sales activities for BFSI customers that included responding to RFQ/RFP & bid management processes. Managed pan-India team responsible for talent acquisition, skills development, and performance management.  

Q2. How do you interpret the current expansion of the digital-health market, and what signals help you understand which segments are gaining disproportionate momentum?

As I work in the industry, I gain real-time experience with trends in the digital health market.

Q3. As patients increasingly expect retail-like digital experiences, which technological trends are redefining patient engagement and satisfaction metrics?

Yes, patients do expect the convenience of a retail-like digital experience; however, these are not directly comparable, as healthcare delivery is vastly different and highly personal compared to a retail digital experience. 

Q4. Where do you see the most untapped opportunities for IT to transform clinical and operational outcomes in hospitals over the next 3–5 years?

Patients expect their end-to-end health records to be accessible and centralized, with their privacy taking center stage. 

Q5. How do considerations around regulatory compliance, data privacy, and operational risk influence your prioritization of purchasing decisions?

Top priority, as there is a high penalty for non-compliance.

Q6. How do you see the competitive landscape evolving for healthcare technology providers, and what factors seem to determine which players gain long-term advantage?

Those healthcare technology providers who offer innovative, patient-centric solutions at a lower cost will reap a longer-term advantage; otherwise, they risk losing their existing customer base.

Q7. If you were an investor looking at companies within the space, what critical question would you pose to their senior management?

The critical question I would pose to them is the uniqueness of their product compared to competitors' offerings, and their ability to innovate and stay ahead of the curve constantly.