Innovate Locally to Win Globally By D A Prasanna

This book is about innovation for more affordable healthcare. Necessity is the mother of invention. Patients in India pay only about a tenth of USA prices for similar outcomes. This makes the Indian market the best inspiration for affordable care solutions. The book is the experiential narrative of an engineer-cum-business leader, who led over four decades’ companies in technology, health systems, clinical research, public health and universities.

The book concludes with a vision of MedTech from the present $12B to $50B in 2025 and $100B by 2030. This would happen, not by commercial wizardry, but by taking modern healthcare services to every district of India and thereby serving a market of over a billion people. The products and services developed in this process and the global cadre of skilled people in MedTech emerging out of this eco-system would make this possible.

Organized into 18 chapters, the book inspires the indomitable spirit of creativity and entrepreneurship and shares a candid chronicle of the success of Indians globally, and how many global companies and international experts turned India-enthusiasts, making India the centrepiece of their business strategy. Studded with rare pictures of luminaries and historical moments, it is a must-read for anyone who believes in, ‘If it is doable, I can do it,’

Nothing is impossible!

The book illustrates painstaking and relentless work necessary to create a technology-intensive industry in a developing country. It doesn’t happen in a flash, and it doesn’t happen in a straight line. It takes leaders with imagination, courage, doggedness, and grit, who replace one ambitious goal with another until eventually they achieve results that would have seemed impossible in the beginning.

About the Authors

D A Prasanna is an engineer from National Institute of Engineering, Mysore and an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad. An architect of Wipro HR policies in 1980s, he is known for setting up Wipro Leadership Program. Later as founding CEO of WiproGE, Prsanna pioneered new business models in MedTech sector, creating market and taking GE to number one. Demonstrating successfully ‘Make in India’, engineer, innovate affordable products for the world, put foundation for India as a global hub for medical technology. As Vice Chairman of Wipro, Prasanna disrupted radiology, setting up service between MGH Boston and Manipal Hospital, Bangalore. Working as Executive Chairman of Manipal group, Prasanna corporatized education and healthcare delivery. Prasanna setup world’s leading clinical research organization in regenerative medicine and diagnostic agents. He is Chief Patron of Prasanna School of Public health in Manipal University and mentors entrepreneurs and companies. Read more about him on his website http://www.daprasanna.com.

Arun Tiwari is an engineer from GB Pant University, missile scientist and well-known author. He is widely recognized as pupil of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the 11th President of India, and co-author of his autobiography “Wings of Fire.” Tiwari has played a pivotal role in developing India’s first indigenous coronary stent in mid-1990s as civilian spinoff of defense technology and since then has worked tirelessly for self-reliance in socially relevant technologies. He is a founder-member of Cardiac Research and Education (CARE) Foundation, adjunct professor at School of Management Studies at University of Hyderabad and a Platinum Jubilee Mentor of CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad. Read more about him on his website http://www.aruntiwari.com. This book is the second collaboration with D A Prasanna, the first was in GE taking cardiac intervention to villages in 1999, mentored by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.

Praises for the book

Prasanna and colleagues chronicle in this book how they laid the foundation for India’s MedTech industry. It illustrates the painstaking and relentless work necessary to create a technology-intensive industry in India. It takes leaders with imagination, courage, doggedness, and grit, who replace one ambitious goal with another until eventually they achieve results that would have seemed impossible in the beginning. A common theme: they shaped the external context in which they operated, never accepting the world as it was.

Ravi Ramamurti, University Distinguished Professor of International Business and Strategy Northeastern University, Boston

‘Foundation of WiproGE Healthcare rests on values of trust and integrity.…congratulate Prasanna for the insights shared, taking a deeper dive into the heart of healthcare, presenting experience less known..the book captures the many facets in all its pages. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did’

Azim H Premji, Former Chairman, Wipro

Breaking new ground over and over again, the team responded creatively and courageously, and made a difference to millions of lives globally. Truly an insightful and enjoyable read.

Dr. Omar S Ishrak, Chairman, INTEL Corporation

A fast-paced narrative of innovative approaches in technology management, the book offers much food for thought to policy makers, technologists, entrepreneurs, and all those interested in making healthcare affordable and accessible.

Dr. M S Valiathan, Padma Vibhushan Awardee for Health Technology

Not only in India, but globally, as India's innovative power will radiate to other continents in the comingyears… there are many case studies that bring many theories to life.

Dr. Helmut Brand, Jean Monnet Professor of Public Health, Maastricht University, Netherlands

The story of the rise of India’s healthcare industry… a must-read by aspiring entrepreneurs, public policy makers and corporate executives to learn how to overcome obstacles.

Dr. Jagdish N Sheth, Charles H. Kellstadt Professor of Business, Goizueta Business School, Emory University

… takes the reader through trials and tribulations, as well as triumphs in an exciting tone with great energy. That intimate knowledge can only come from the leader.

John Trani, CEO, GE Medical Systems (1986-1996)

Young Asians should read this book to learn how a bold vision can be realized with cross fertilization across countries, of technology and people, for the benefit of companies and society.

Goran S Malm, CEO, GE Medical Systems, Asia (1992-1997)

The book speaks to the heart. There are episodes that tell you how the trust of an entire industry works to make innovation see the light of the day.

Shravan Subramanyam, CEO, GE Healthcare, South Asia