Dr. Anil Khandelwal: Transforming Leadership in Indian Banking
Dr. Dinesh Arora is an Indian Administrative Service officer (2002, Kerala cadre), medical doctor, and public health expert currently serving as the Principal Health Specialist at Asian Development Bank (ADB). Widely regarded for his leadership in health systems and governance reform, he was the Founder Deputy CEO of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana—the world’s largest public health insurance programme—and served as Director (Health) at NITI Aayog.
He was also the Founding Mission Director of Kerala’s National Rural Health Mission and the state’s first Food Safety Commissioner. As Managing Director of Kerala Medical Services Corporation, he institutionalised procurement and transparency reforms. Dr. Dinesh Arora has led major innovations in digital health, rural electrification (GARV App), and regulatory enforcement, and has received multiple national recognitions for his work. He has been instrumental in implementing key national and state-level reforms in health, power, education, and environmental governance.
Born in Chandigarh, Dr. Arora holds an MBBS degree and has served in both technical and leadership roles across Kerala and the Government of India.