BRINGING HOMOEOPATHY TO EVERY HOME

Dr. Akshay Batra’s knowledge leadership is pioneering a brave new transformation for Homoeopathy, repurposing the ancient discipline for the evolving demands of a bold new age.

MEET THE IDEA LEADER 

Dr. Akshay Batra is the Vice-Chairman and MD of Dr Batra’s Healthcare, a pioneering and revered brand that, in the finest spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat, has been taking the story of India’s innovation and excellence to various corners of the globe. 

Dr. BATRA’S : EVOLVING  BOLDLY 

Founded in 1982 by Dr. Akshay Batra’s father Dr. Mukesh Batra, Dr Batra's Healthcare has come a long way, with over 200 clinics spread across 126cities in India, Dubai, UK, Greece, Estonia, Bahrain and Bangladesh. It provides state-of-the-art services to more than one million people from all over the world, with the numbers growing steadily. Dr Batra’s Products has been churning out health products since 2001 and their vast range has steadily gained popularity for excellent quality and a natural base. Following its social responsibility diligently, Dr Batras’ Positive Health Foundation was established in 2001. Helping the underprivileged and the deprived gives a better meaning to the life of any person associated with the Dr Batra’s Group.

GENESIS AND JOURNEY 

To start off the session, we want to capture Dr. Akshay Batra’s personal and professional identity in brief for VOH readers, and the idea leader humbly reveals an inspirational genesis point and a multi-dimensional journey arc: “I am passionate about homeopathy. I am a third generation homeopath and took up homeopathy as a profession as I saw the tangible and good results that my parents and grandparents were able to bring to their patients’ lives. I started my practice at Dr Batra’s when there were only 3 clinics and from then on it, has been an amazing learning experience.”

LEARNING NEVER STOPS. NEITHER DO TRUE LEADERS

Continues Dr. Batra, “I am a huge believer in continuous learning and growth and its impact on an individual both professionally and personally; Along with my Degree in Homeopathy, I have also done a fellowship in Homeopathic Dermatology and Paediatrics from The Mumbai University of Health Science and a super specialization in Trichology (L.T.T.S. - Licentiate of The Trichological Society) from The Trichological Society, London. I was also the 1st Indian to become President of The Trichological Society, London. On the business front, I have completed a degree in Leadership from Harvard University, the Advanced Management Programme from the Indian School of Business and the Executive Education Program from the London Business School. While I don’t have a business background or an MBA, I have taken short courses in business management studies to stay abreast of current business practises. On the personal side of learning, I have completed the Vedanta learning and personal development course.”

DRIVING FORCE

So what are the motivational triggers that keep refilling Dr. Akshay Batra’s apparently inexhaustible source of enthusiasm and gusto – one that keeps him closely focussed on his targets and binds the team on a common journey? What is the one bigconcept or philosophy that defines his approach to life and his success mantra? We’re curious, and Dr. Batra delves into the themesat length:  “I firmly believe that one should not do anything that one doesn’t have the passion for and whatever you do; do it passionately. As Oprah Winfrey puts it, ‘Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.’ Anthony D’Angelo, on his part, has gone on record saying, ‘Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.’  As doctors, we are always told that Continuous Medical Education (CME) is critical. If you are not abreast of evolving diseases, diagnostics and medicines, then you are obsolete. Therefore as a doctor, CME is ingrained in me. Take for e.g.: COVID – It was a disease that nobody saw coming. If we were not continuously learning and trying to stay abreast of diseases and technology that are evolving, then we as a company would become static and static is equal to death. Apart from CME, I would also like to credit my father - Dr. Mukesh Batra - who has always pushed the envelope as far as learning is concerned.  As a pioneer in the field, he always wanted to make homeopathy, scientific and protocol driven and that’s where I learned to push the envelope. I also strongly believe in agility and learning. I believe that they are hugely responsible for success and have tried to build this philosophy across the organization as well.”

THE IMPACT

How does he look at the profundity and significance of his initiatives and endeavours? We requested Dr. Batra to narrate and the man patiently explains, “While homeopathy is an over 200 year old science, we believe that bringing it into this century is vital to its relevance. We as an organisation have taken great pains to bring the science into the future. We were amongst the first set up cyber clinics as early as 1987. In the more recent past, when the pandemic struck last year, to provide ease of access; not only did we carry out online consultations but we also regularly couriered medicines to our patients who couldn’t visit the clinic. We also introduced Geno Homeopathy which is the use of genetics in conjunction with homeopathy; to predict, prevent and treat hereditary health problems. We have also used AI in the medical software we have developed, to diagnose patients and to cull out the best possible remedy from a pool of over 10 lakh cases to bring about the best patient outcomes.”

THE DISRUPTION DNA 

Dr Batra’s Healthcare and Clinics can be described as pioneering disruptors in the space and domain they operate in. We want to know more about the milestone and impacts they have been steadily engineering, and the man opens up again.  “Globally, the Social Media era began in 2004 and boomed in India a decade later. We were the first amongst the medical fraternity to partner with Google and Facebook in 2014, to ensure we reached out to our patients in formats that would not just be comfortable for them but also convenient and relevant. Today, we have a large social media presence with 6 Lakh followers on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Through our Mobile App, we have M-powered our patients to connect with the doctors anytime and anywhere at the click of a button. The patients can re-schedule their appointments, give their feedback, get information about their ailments, learn about new developments and avail of a plethora of offers. Our hyper-local search system and the use of Artificial Intelligence in the form of Chatbots across our website, make engagement with the brand quick, simple and efficient. It was through our ability to learn and adapt, we were able to not just stay relevant but also stay ahead of the curve.”

BIG FOCUS

So what is the big goal or problem he and his team want to focus on? Dr Batra ventures to talk about the overarching objective of the organization and the individual. “Our big goal can be captured in the tagline, that is to have ‘Har Ghar Mein Homeopathy, Har Ghar Mein Dr Batra’s. We are already working on this through our clinics that are situated in over 126 cities in 7 countries as well as our video consultations and FMCG products. In addition to this, to realise this dream we have also set up free clinics wherein on the first Wednesday of every month, patients who cannot afford medical assistance, can avail of the same for free.We would also like for insurance to incorporate Homeopathy and see how insurance can help us in this journey.”

HIS MANTRA 

Every leader has a secret (or two) up their sleeve. So what is the X factor that has been lending momentum to Dr. Batra’s mission? The idea leader quells our curiosity with characteristic brevity, in the process laying down a success template for the next generation of achievers, “As technology continues to evolve, it is only going to get more disruptive. And if you can’t think laterally and you can’t adapt, you will perish/die. The idea of change is that it is constant and therefore the ideas of passion, learning and innovation are also constant through all generations and are going to become more relevant with the passing of time. No matter what personal or professional path you take, if you are not constantly learning and evolving especially in the fast paced world of today, you will get left behind.”

A WORD FOR VOH READERS 

We tap him for a short line or two about VOH, and how tribute profiles such as Idea Leaders are important to add direction, inspiration and positive energy to the healthcare community. Dr. Batra signs off :  “Learning comes from every experience that you have big or small. VOH through the Idea Leaders have built a space where one can pick up inspiration and learning from those that have paved their own paths. The knowledge sharing on the portal is vital to ensure growth in the healthcare community.”

*This story is published by VOH team*