B S Ajaikumar

Dr. BS Ajaikumar is the Executive Chairman of HCG. Dr. B S Ajaikumar founded HCG to realize his vision of making advanced cancer care accessible to all. He has been the driving force behind HCG’s growth since its inception. He has served as the CEO from 2005 to Jan 2021.

Formative years :

Following his MBBS from St John’s Medical College, Bangalore, Dr. Ajaikumar completed residency training in Oncology from the University of Virginia Hospital in Charlottesville, and Fellowship in Radiation and Medical Oncology from the renowned MD Anderson Hospital in Houston, Texas. While building his practice in the US, he founded Bharath Hospital and Institute of Oncology, a Mysore-based not-for-profit hospital in 1989. At the same time, along with a group of oncologists, he incepted the Bangalore Institute of Oncology (BIO). As this centre grew from strength to strength, Dr. Ajaikumar sensed the need for improving accessibility, affordability, and quality of cancer care in India.

Big Leap forward :

In 2003, Dr. Ajaikumar moved back to India with his family armed with a vision of expanding cancer care services in India. He realised his dream through Healthcare Global Enterprises Ltd, a hub-and-spoke institution headquartered in Bengaluru, with multiple centers spread across India to make cancer care accessible and affordable, while also ensuring high quality through linear accelerators even in Tier2/Tier3 cities. HCG is a sterling validation of Dr. Ajaikumar’s unflinching belief that cancer can be treated only one way: the right way, the very first time, to help patients achieve longer and better lives.

HCG has revolutionised cancer care in India through high-end technologies like CyberKnife™ and TrueBeam™, as also advanced bone marrow transplant therapies and molecular imaging. With an eye on end-to-end delivery of cancer care, HCG acquired Triesta, a leading molecular diagnostic lab. Today, HCG is at the forefront of molecular diagnostics and is working towards building a strong Genomics practice to pave the way for precision and personalized medicine.

While HCG has established 26 comprehensive cancer care centers, HCG’s infertility treatment unit Milann is soon expected to grow to 10 centers. Dr. Ajaikumar is now working towards building and strengthening his network of comprehensive cancer centers across the world, beginning with Africa.

Recognition, Awards, and Accolades :

Dr. Ajaikumar has been conferred the prestigious E&Y Start-Up Entrepreneur of the Year Award as well as the Asian Health Care Leadership Awards. Harvard Business School has done a series of case studies on HCG’s unique focused factory model. Dr. Ajaikumar has given incisive talks at reputed academic and corporate organizations including Harvard Business School and Babson Business School.

Social Commitment :

Dr. Ajaikumar continues to encourage and mentor other doctors and entrepreneurs in their own specialties. Under his pioneering stewardship, cancer care in India has undergone a paradigm shift, having been relegated to a level of a chronic disease. Being a social entrepreneur and philanthropist, Dr. Ajaikumar has incepted several NGOs engaged in developmental work in the Gundlupet district, Karnataka. His organizations have till date provided financial aid for needy cancer patients, empowered 20,000 women through microfinance, sponsored the education of 550 children, besides striving to eliminate the prevalent social ills.

HCG’s independent non-partisan think tank Antardhwani, another brainchild of Dr. Ajaikumar, is committed to bring about a sustainable change in the society at large. The think tank is focused on resolving challenges related to health, education, livelihood, and governance in India.

Leisure Pursuits :

Dr. Ajaikumar is an avid marathon runner, compulsive trekker, and a voracious reader.