Virohan, a leading healthcare education company working at the intersection of academia, industry, and workforce development, hosted the inaugural Padma Health Conclave 2026 on 19th August at the India International Centre, New Delhi. Organised with India House as the Knowledge Partner, the conclave marked the launch of Voices of Service, Virohan’s new learning initiative that brings the stories of service, leadership, and social impact of Padma Shri awardees and healthcare changemakers into the curriculum. The initiative reflects Virohan's belief that preparing healthcare professionals requires more than technical competence. It also requires nurturing empathy, leadership, integrity, and a deep commitment to service.
India’s healthcare system depends on a workforce that extends far beyond its doctors and nurses. Allied & healthcare professionals form the backbone of every hospital, clinic, and diagnostic centre in the country. For over a decade, Virohan has worked to strengthen this workforce by preparing the next generation of allied & healthcare professionals. Padma Health Conclave represents the next step in this journey, bringing the lived experiences of India’s most recognised healthcare changemakers into the learning experience, so that every learner carries not just a qualification, but a sense of purpose.
The conclave featured Dr Amarjeet Sinha, IAS (Retd.), Former Adviser to the Prime Minister and key architect of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and the National Rural Health Mission, as Guest of Honour.
Joining him as speakers are five Padma Shri awardees who have each built healthcare where systems failed to reach: Dr. Ravindra Kolhe and Dr. Smita Kolhe (Padma Shri, 2019), Dr. Kshama Metre (Padma Shri, 2008), Dr. Harsh Mahajan (Padma Shri, 2002), and Sh. Nilesh Mandlewala (Padma Shri, 2026).
Collectively, their work spans tribal healthcare, rural development, accessible diagnostics, and organ donation, demonstrating how sustained service and leadership can transform communities. Through Voices of Service, these journeys will now become part of Virohan’s learning experience, ensuring that students learn not only from textbooks, but also from the lives of those who have shaped India’s healthcare ecosystem.
Nalin Saluja, Co-Founder & CTO at Virohan added, “For Virohan, Padma Health Conclave is an opportunity to redefine what Allied & Healthcare education should prepare students for. India needs more than 6 million Allied & Healthcare Professionals—the technicians, technologists, therapists, and specialists who keep our healthcare system running every day. Over the past decade, we have worked to prepare this workforce at scale. But we have also learned that technical competence alone is not enough. Through Voices of Service, we want every student to learn from the lives of India's greatest healthcare changemakers — their courage, compassion, resilience, and commitment to service. Because the future of healthcare will be shaped not only by what professionals know, but by the values they carry.”
India House served as Knowledge Partner for the conclave, bringing together institutional expertise and convening support to shape the day's conversations on service in healthcare.
Kumar Shubham, Co-Founder & CEO of India House, said, "India's health systems need a service mindset and with this event, we hope to bridge the gap between curriculum and practice of grassroots health."
About Virohan
Virohan is an education-to-industry partner transforming healthcare education by bringing academia and industry closer together. It enables leading universities to deliver world-class healthcare education and partners with healthcare institutions to strengthen talent across high-demand healthcare and management professions.
Founded by Kunaal Dudeja, Nalin Saluja and Archit Jayaswal, Virohan aims to build a skilled workforce supporting national healthcare priorities and global talent needs by aligning academic delivery with real-world industry requirements.
