Jammu: The Indian Institute of Management Jammu has further strengthened its academic ecosystem and MBA (Healthcare) programme as Prof. (Dr.) Shakti Kumar Gupta, Executive Director and CEO of AIIMS Jammu, joins the institute as Honorary Distinguished Professor.
The institute has also welcomed Lt Gen (Dr.) Sunil Kant, SM, VSM (Retd.), former Dean (Research), Medical Superintendent, and Head of the Department of Hospital Administration at AIIMS Jammu, as Senior Consultant (Healthcare) to further enrich and strengthen the MBA (Healthcare) programme and the academic ecosystem at IIM Jammu.
Prof. (Dr.) Shakti Kumar Gupta, an alumnus of Government Medical College Jammu and AIIMS New Delhi (MHA), is a distinguished academic leader and hospital administrator. He has mentored over 45 postgraduate and PhD scholars, guided 112 research studies, authored more than 110 publications, and written 11 books on hospital planning, procurement, disaster management, and infection control.
He has led WHO-supported projects on hospital governance, public-private partnerships (PPPs), and electronic medical records, and made his department at AIIMS the first to receive ISO certification. Under his visionary leadership, AIIMS Jammu completed 43 world-class buildings within three and a half years, earning the CPWD Best Project Award and securing the 7th rank in the Outlook 2025 Government Medical Universities Ranking, second only to AIIMS Delhi.
His contributions have been recognised with prestigious honours, including the FICCI Healthcare Personality of the Year Award (2025) and several national awards for excellence in healthcare leadership.
Lt Gen (Dr.) Sunil Kant, SM, VSM (Retd.), is a distinguished healthcare leader and hospital administrator with over 38 years of exemplary service in the Armed Forces Medical Services and premier national institutions. He retired as Director General of Hospital Services, overseeing 240 hospitals, more than 40,000 beds, and over 70,000 personnel, while driving policy reforms, infrastructure modernisation, and research coordination.
He has held several key appointments, including Major General (Medical), Eastern Command; Commandant and CEO of a 700-plus-bed tertiary care hospital; and Professor and Head of Department at Armed Forces Medical College Pune.
Before retirement, he served as Dean (Research), Medical Superintendent, and Head of the Department of Hospital Administration at AIIMS Jammu, where he played a crucial role in strengthening hospital governance, digital transformation, and research systems. A recipient of the Vishisht Seva Medal and Sena Medal, he brings vast expertise in healthcare strategy, hospital systems, and institutional leadership.
Prof. B. S. Sahay, Director of IIM Jammu, stated that the association of Prof. (Dr.) Shakti Kumar Gupta and Lt Gen (Dr.) Sunil Kant, SM, VSM (Retd.), marks a transformative step in building a strong healthcare management vertical at IIM Jammu. He emphasised that integrating clinical excellence with management innovation, AI-driven healthcare analytics, digital health transformation, and policy-oriented research will play a pivotal role in shaping a resilient healthcare system aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Prof. Jabir Ali, Dean (Faculty and Research), IIM Jammu, highlighted that Prof. (Dr.) Shakti Kumar Gupta’s rich academic leadership and global exposure, combined with Lt Gen (Dr.) Sunil Kant’s strategic healthcare and academic experience, will significantly strengthen interdisciplinary research, case development, executive education, and policy engagement in healthcare management.
He noted that their association will accelerate the institute’s efforts to create impactful knowledge and capacity-building frameworks for the healthcare sector.
Prof. (Dr.) Shakti Kumar Gupta and Lt Gen (Dr.) Sunil Kant, SM, VSM (Retd.), also met Prof. B. S. Sahay, Director, IIM Jammu, in the presence of Prof. Jabir Ali, Dean (Faculty and Research).
During the meeting, they held detailed discussions on strengthening the MBA (Healthcare) programme, advancing collaborative research in hospital administration and digital health, developing executive education initiatives, and building a robust interdisciplinary and policy-oriented academic ecosystem in healthcare management at IIM Jammu.
With these strategic appointments, IIM Jammu reinforces its commitment to advancing excellence in healthcare management education, research, and advisory services, emerging as a leading centre of thought leadership in the region and across the nation.
