Anjali Ajaikumar, VP—Strategy and Quality at HCG, recounts her tale of inspiration and growth

I joined HCG as a Concept Officer in 2009,” reminisces Anjali Ajaikumar, VP—Strategy and Quality, HCG, and daughter of Dr B S Ajaikumar. That was just before HCG introduced the first CyberKnife™ system to India. “When my father invited me to work to HCG, he said I would have to start at the bottom of the totem pole and work your work up,” she says. “Or, he said, you could work at one of our charitable hospitals. I chose the harder option, and in those initial years, I learned a lot, especially about how hospitals work. My journey has been phenomenal since then. The inspiration behind joining HCG was of course my father, who is so passionate about providing quality care to every patient. That is one of the important lessons I learnt—about how all the departments function and the core value of focusing on quality.”

Anjali completed her MBA from F W Olin Graduate School of Business in Entrepreneurship. She currently directs the company’s internal and external strategies, start up sustainability, mentorship and collaborations and ways to tackle the increasing competition in the healthcare sector. Under the guidance of her father, from being a Concept Officer to a VP, she has explored the professional canvas of entrepreneurship, umpteen management functions, leadership, client relations and a few more, but most importantly, she has embraced empathy.
When asked about her father, Anjali says, “He has been a friend, philosopher and a guide. Since childhood, I have been inspired by his dedication and hard working nature. His decision of returning to India and making a difference by building an oncology empire was an amazing one. I try to imbibe his virtues and seek guidance whenever I stumble across any difficulty. Passionate, loving and caring are the three words which would describe him perfectly.”