From pioneering robotic and laparoscopic surgeries to envisioning a tech-driven, disease-free future, Dr. NK Pandey, Chairman and Managing Director, Asian Institute of Medical Sciences, has spent over four decades shaping Indian healthcare.
A teacher at heart, in this wide-ranging interview, he speaks about his journey, his vision for medicine in 2047, and the systemic challenges India must overcome.
Dr. Pandey, tell us a bit about your journey—from your medical practice to founding the Asian Institute of Medical Sciences.
I’m a surgeon specializing in liver, pancreas, and gastrointestinal surgery. I got trained in the UK and returned to India to work with Escorts Ltd., where I spent close to 28 years. I held several leadership roles, including on the Board of Escorts Ltd, and on governing body of Escorts Heart Institute before Escorts sold it to Fortis as board member. After a brief stint with Fortis, I felt the need to create something more aligned with my values and vision. That’s how the Asian Institute of Medical Sciences came into being.
We began construction in 2008, and the hospital was operational by 2010. It’s now a 450-bed facility—though we initially said 425—with all major specialties including a full-fledged cancer department, nuclear medicine, PET scan, radiation oncology, and surgical and medical oncology. We’ve also performed the first heart transplant in Haryana.
We run DNB and MD programs with about 63 postgraduate students and employ over 180 doctors and about 1,700 staff overall. Beyond our main facility in Faridabad, we operate hospitals in Moradabad, Patna, and Dhanbad, mainly in Tier-2 cities. Our philosophy is to take high-end care—cardiac, neuro, oncology—to regions where it isn’t easily available.
What is your long-term vision for healthcare in India—especially as we approach 2047, the centenary of independence?
It’s a fascinating question and important. I tend to think of 2050, not just 2047. And honestly, the next 20–25 years will completely redefine healthcare.
First, we’re moving from curative to preventive care. In the future, doctors won’t be paid for the surgeries they perform but for how effectively they can keep people healthy. That will be the real shift.
Technology will be the biggest driver. Already, we have smaller and more powerful machines—robots in the OR, AI in diagnostics. Soon, computers will interpret MRIs and CT scans better than radiologists by analyzing millions of global images. Histopathology already follows the same trajectory.
We’re headed towards a time when we’ll treat disease at the molecular level, before it manifests. For example, today we treat a cancerous breast lump. In 2047, we’ll treat molecular irregularities before lump even forms.
This means we won’t need so many hospital beds, but we will need robust screening tools and high-resolution tech systems. AI, deep learning, gene editing, robotics—all will be integral. So, medical education must evolve radically to prepare the workforce for this.
I further envision significant advancements in organ transplantation. Currently, organ transplantation relies heavily on donors, and finding suitable matches is challenging due to the limited number of cadaveric transplants available. However, I believe that technology will provide innovative solutions to overcome the current limitations. We can expect to see the development of 3D-printed organs that can be implanted without adverse reactions, eliminating the need for donor matching.
I also believe that within the next 2 decades, we will witness groundbreaking achievements such as complete brain transplant.
Do you think that the technology will redefine the way we interact with the world around us by then?
Looking ahead to 2047, Technology will enable immersive experiences, allowing us to virtually transport ourselves to peaceful settings, redefining human experience and well-being to next level of thinking. Imagine integrating your brain with advanced computer systems, uploading and downloading good or bad memories at will, allowing you to melt away the stress and live in a happier state of mind.
The integration of technology and healthcare will also enable immersive experiences that will blur the lines between reality and virtual reality. Imagine, virtual windows allowing us to transport ourselves to blissfull settings, such as strolling through a lush garden, complete with sensory experiences like the fragrance of fresh flowers, cool breeze or the warmth of the sun on our skin, opening up new possibilities for human experience and well-being.
So in that future, what will the doctor’s role look like?
Doctors, nurses, and technicians will need entirely new training. Many current jobs—radiology, pathology—will be handled by machines. But we’ll need more skilled caregivers in rural and semi-urban areas, where access is still poor. We may have to create new classes of mid-level healthcare providers.
One challenge is staffing. Finding the right people with the right skills is already hard—and it’s a global problem. By 2050, even countries like the U.S. will face a shortage of around 60,000 healthcare professionals.
Another massive shift will be in longevity. Most diseases today are age-related—heart disease, prostate issues, cataracts. But research is advancing on reversing protein aging. Once we crack that, we could delay or eliminate many diseases. People could routinely live 150–200 years. That’s not science fiction anymore
That kind of longevity will bring its own challenges, won’t it?
Absolutely. If people live longer, we must address issues like overpopulation, equitable access to resources, space, productivity of the elderly, and even emotional well-being.
There will also be new burdens: trauma from faster transportation, need for more cosmetic and dermatological services, and greater demand for mental and emotional care—possibly even from humanoid robots!
But to keep up, medical infrastructure will be unrecognizable: no cleaning staff—robots will do it. Diagnosis will be AI-driven. Hospitals will become health-maintenance centers, not disease-treatment zones.
Are there any specific public health challenges that concern you today? What should we be focusing on right now?
Yes, following three key areas need focus:
Medical research: India lacks original drug discovery. We mostly replicate global innovations. We need to boost pharmacological R&D and conduct more indigenous trials. AI and data science can help here—speeding up animal and human trials.
Technology regulation: As tech giants gain power, there’s a risk of monopolies. Imagine a situation where someone decides who gets access to life-saving technology based on money or influence. Governments will have to play a huge role in keeping healthcare equitable and preventing exploitation.
Human capital in healthcare: We need a decentralized system. Urban hospitals are saturated, but in rural India, there’s a vacuum. We must train a new cadre of paramedical workers who can handle basic care in Tier 3 and Tier 4 cities.
Lastly, are you optimistic about India’s health policy efforts—like Ayushman Bharat?
It’s an ambitious and potentially transformational scheme. If the government supports it well—especially in terms of costing for hospitals—it could become the largest and most successful public health initiative in the world. But it needs efficient implementation and equitable access.
