Eminent cardiologist, multiple Padma awards recipient and chairman of Narayana Group of Hospitals Dr Devi Prasad Shetty has been appointed Chairperson, Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of  Management, Bangalore. The decision was taken by the Board of Governors of IIM Bangalore, at its 167th meeting held on October 09 Tuesday, 2018, the IIM’s official website said. IIMs are 20 autonomous business schools under the Ministry of Human Resources and Development are considered pioneer in the field of management education in not only the country but the world.

His tenure will start from Monday and last for four years. He succeeds Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Chairman and Managing Director, Biocon Limited who was the first woman Chairperson of any IIM Board.

The official website of the premier B-school quoted Dr Shetty as saying. “It is a great privilege and an honour to serve as Chairperson of the Board of Indian Institute of Management Bangalore. Over the years, IIMB has grown to become India’s leading management institute that attracts the best and brightest students from across the country. The alumni of this institution are sought after by leading companies from across the world, including my own.”

He added, “Surgeons are like artists and we approach the world through feel, touch and instinct. However, the world of business is more complicated than an open chest, and only the devotees of technology who can synthesize multiple data points will be able to make good decisions. The companies of the future will invest more into digital assets than bricks or mortar and their managers will have to supervise bots, not humans. So, the management curriculum must evolve to cope with a rapidly evolving digital landscape.”

Dr Shetty is credited with starting the world’s first micro-health insurance called ‘Yeshaswini’ with premium as low as Rs 5 per month which later was emulated by multiple state governments. He also launched  India’s first telemedicine program, in partnership with ISRO which has treated over 53,000 patients, free of cost. He was also the personal physician of nobel prize winner Mother Teresa.