Member of Parliament Dr. Shashi Tharoor called for a healthcare system where excellence is measured not merely by medical breakthroughs or institutional growth, but by the difference it makes to patients’ lives, as he graced the 18th FICCI Healthcare Excellence Awards 2026 at FICCI HEAL 2026.

Emphasizing the need to put patients at the heart of healthcare, Dr. Tharoor said, “The ultimate beneficiary cannot merely be a balance sheet. It must be the patient.” He highlighted that quality healthcare must not remain a privilege determined by geography or income, and stressed that India’s healthcare ambitions must extend beyond technological advancement to ensuring that more citizens can access competent, affordable care. He also underscored the importance of recognising innovations that improve patient safety, strengthen service delivery and inspire institutions across the country to adopt successful practices.

Ms. Jyoti Vij, Director General, FICCI, highlighted the legacy of the FICCI Healthcare Excellence Awards, instituted in 2009, in recognizing outstanding contributions across India’s healthcare ecosystem. She emphasized that meaningful transformation requires collaboration among stakeholders to translate promising ideas into scalable solutions and make healthcare more accessible, affordable and responsive to the needs of every Indian.

Mr. C. K. Mishra, Former Secretary, MoHFW & MoEFCC, GoI, Jury Chair, Awards 2026, stressed that innovation must go beyond promising ideas to deliver improvements at scale. He highlighted the need to encourage wider participation in the awards, particularly from government healthcare institutions, and called for continued innovation in products and processes to address the challenges of healthcare delivery and affordability.

Dr. Y. P. Bhatia, Chairman and Managing Director, Astron Group, and Chairman of the Core Group for the awards, highlighted the robust evaluation process underpinning the awards. With over 150 nominations received this year, he noted that applications undergo expert scrutiny, detailed deliberations and independent validation of claims before shortlisted candidates present their work to the Grand Jury.

FICCI hosted the 18th Healthcare Excellence Awards to recognize individuals and organizations whose contributions are advancing healthcare through innovation, improved patient care and stronger service delivery. By celebrating exemplary work across the sector, the awards seek to encourage the adoption of best practices and reinforce the importance of making healthcare more accessible, affordable and impactful for all.

FICCI Healthcare Excellence Awards 2026 List:

Healthcare Humanitarian

•        Dr Prakash Baba Amte & Dr Mandakini Amte, Lok Biradari Prakalp

Healthcare Personality of the Year

•        Dr Sudeep Gupta, Director, Tata Memorial Cancer Centre, Mumbai

Lifetime Achievement in Healthcare Industry

•        Dr Harsh Mahajan, Founder & Chairman, Mahajan Imaging & Labs

Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Leadership in Healthcare

•        Prof (Dr) Anoop Misra, Chairman, Fortis C-DOC

•        Dr D S Rana, Chairman, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital

FICCI Healthcare Excellence Awards 2026 – Excellence in Patient Care and Service Delivery

Sub category	Name of the Organization
Private Hospitals	Bhagirathi Neotia Woman & Child Care Centre
Public Hospitals	Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences
Public Hospitals	Gujarat Cancer & Research Institute
Public Hospitals	JIPMER (Certificate of Appreciation)
Other Healthcare Providers	Apollo Telehealth

FICCI Healthcare Excellence Awards 2026 – Excellence in Patient Safety

Sub category	Name of the Organization
Private Hospitals	Manipal Hospital, Bangalore

FICCI Healthcare Excellence Awards 2026 – Training & Skill Development Initiative of the Year

Sub category	Name of the Organization
Hospitals / Health Tech Companies / Other Healthcare Providers	Terumo India
Medical Institutes / Colleges	MGM Medical College Hospital, Navi Mumbai

FICCI Healthcare Excellence Awards 2026 – Excellence in Community Engagement

Sub category	Name of the Organization
For-profit Organizations	Kasturba Hospital, Manipal
NGOs & Not-for-profit Organizations	Indian Cancer Society, Delhi

FICCI Healthcare Excellence Awards 2026 – Excellence in Nursing Services

Sub category	Name of the Organization
Private Hospitals	Aster Medcity, Kochi
Public Hospitals	National Institute of Nursing Education, PGIMER, Chandigarh

FICCI Healthcare Excellence Awards 2026 – Technology Transformation Initiative of the Year

Sub category	Name of the Organization
MedTech & Device Companies / Software Developers	Lifebridge Group
Hospitals / Other Healthcare Providers	Manipal Health Enterprises Pvt Ltd