S. Senthil Kandeepan

There are entrepreneurs and there are changemakers, but it is only rarely that a marriage of the two comes along in the mainstream, creating something of immense value as well as profound social impact. Senthil is of this rare pantheon, as attested by the feathers of recognition that adorn his young crown.

With multiple postgraduate degrees in business administration, labour management and public administration from Madras University in the nineties, he seemed primed for corporate life, which he kicked off with four triumphant years in the areas of talent management and industrial relations, on stints with the MRF and Taj Hotels by the Tata Group.

But not feeling connected enough to a social cause, for the next three years he immersed himself in rigorous preparation and study for the Indian Civil Services, not knowing that he was destined to throw himself into the service of humanity through a quite different route.

In 2005, in what was a culmination of years of dreaming about making significant positive change to human life, he founded Cardiopulse Heart Care (CHC), a company dedicated to moving healthcare into the future. It was a seminal moment, for the company quickly diversified into multiple entities including Healthwatch Telediagnostics, all of which to this day are dedicated to making healthcare smarter, more effective and affordable, and less intrusive.

But Senthil’s vision is not limited to clients, consumers and its employees who are the very lifeblood of the company but the community at large. A champion of the empowerment of underprivileged women, Senthil is dedicated to gender inclusivity, and his idea of “empowerment through employment” has resulted in a workforce that has more women than men, with most of the women employees being first generation graduates in their families.

For his contributions to bringing innovative healthcare practices to the mainstream in India and other southeast Asian countries in record time, Senthil has been decorated with several recognitions, including a ‘lifetime achievement’ award from several eminent personalities including Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, and an honorary doctorate for humanitarian services from the International University for Complementary Medicine in Colombo.

Senthil is an avid wildlife photographer, and has travelled to several countries in pursuit of the subliminal. He is also a fitness enthusiast, long distance runner and cyclist who has completed a staggering 20 full and half marathons in India and abroad, so his legacy is not the only enduring attribute.

Firmly rooted in experience, with ear glued to heart, his vision is always on a future in which he’ll have made a difference to every human life. And from his New Delhi office, where he’s based, as he marshals a committed team aligned with his vision, it is what occupies his days and dreams.