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Trustworthy hospital networks and insurance incentives can keep quality healthcare affordable: Shashank ND at Ideas of India’ Summit 3.0
Mumbai: Trustworthy hospital networks and insurance incentives can keep quality healthcare affordable in India, said Practo Health Co-Founder Shashank ND at the ‘Ideas of India’ Summit 3.0 in Mumbai today. While putting the health of the nation at the central agenda, he also highlighted the challenges and opportunities in healthcare during the Summit.
“Two things where inflation is high in the UK and the US are healthcare and education. As the country develops, the costs get higher. In India, people go to hospitals which they trust, leading to a monopoly of a few and high costs. To address this, it is essential for a large network of hospitals to establish and showcase trust. Also, most countries have managed to keep healthcare affordable with the help of insurance. The insurance companies can incentivize hospitals that keep their prices low,” said Practo Health co-founder Shashank ND.
A college dropout, Shashank earned success early in life with Practo. Inspiring audiences with his journey during a session on “Online Lifeline: Making Healthcare Accessible,” he shared how lack of accessibility and opaqueness in healthcare led to him coming up with idea of Practo Health.
“It was a time when I asked the doctor for an email instead of a printed prescription for my father’s treatment; he told me his software restricted him from sharing an email. So I made software for him, and he was very happy. And today we have 20k doctors using that,” he said.
He further added, “Everyone wants to live longer and healthier, and that’s what they need. I found healthcare to be very complex and opaque. The patients didn’t know about the prices and treatment, and accessibility to quality healthcare was a big challenge. If someone needed a breast cancer specialist, there were people who could do it, but that access or knowledge on treatments was missing. We focused on connecting these dots. And today we have over two lakh doctors, including their specialties and sub-specialties, on Practo Health, enabling a layman to navigate the complex black box.”
On the future of teleconsultation and online healthcare taking over in-person visits, he stressed a hybrid approach with a focus on treatment outcome, making the patient get better in the long-term.
The ABP Network’s ‘Ideas of India’ Summit 3.0, spotlighting ‘The People’s Agenda,’ brought a confluence of ideas and ideators to a common platform, celebrating the country’s people and its plurality. The two-day summit hosted policymakers, cultural ambassadors, industry experts, celebrities, business leaders, economists, and leading luminaries to delve into the fundamental ideas of liberty, justice, equality, and diversity that define India, its society, culture, and politics. The meaningful deliberations on diverse topics had the brightest minds across sectors providing insights about the nation’s trajectory and its journey to become Viksit Bharat.
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Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
