SJF Scientific Symposium

SJF Scientific Symposium, New Delhi

Marking the centenary commemorations of Late Shri Sitaram Jaipuria, the Sitaram Jaipuria Foundation organised the SJF Scientific Symposium on 14 March 2026 alongside the third edition of the Medical and Healthcare Excellence Awards. The symposium brought together leading voices from Indian and global medicine for discussions centred on some of the most pressing challenges in contemporary healthcare.

With Obesity, Diabetes, and Other Cardiometabolic Diseases as its central theme, the scientific programme examined the growing burden and interconnected nature of cardiometabolic conditions through perspectives drawn from cardiology, endocrinology, hepatology, epidemiology, and public health. The discussions reflected both current clinical realities and the broader public health challenges shaping healthcare systems today.

The gathering also brought together clinicians, researchers, academicians, and healthcare professionals from across the country, creating a space for dialogue and exchange around issues influencing patient care, prevention strategies, and the future direction of medicine in India.

Inaugural Ceremony

The symposium opened with welcome remarks by Mr. Ashok Jaipuria, Chairman, who spoke about the vision behind the centenary commemorations and reflected on the values and legacy of Late Shri Sitaram Jaipuria.

Prof. (Dr) Shiv Kumar Sarin, Vice-Chairman, followed with opening remarks on the Foundation’s continued commitment to advancing medical excellence through research, clinical practice, and support for future generations of healthcare professionals.

Prof. (Dr) Nikhil Tandon, Jury Chair, reflected on the importance of recognising excellence in medicine and healthcare, and presented a special video showcasing SJF awardees from previous years.

Concluding the inaugural session, Prof. (Dr) Dorairaj Prabhakaran, Governing Council and Jury Member, offered an overview of the day’s scientific programme and the key themes that would shape the symposium discussions.

Thematic Sessions

The scientific programme of the symposium was organised around four thematic areas – Obesity, Diabetes Mellitus, MASLD, and Cardiovascular Disease. Through keynote addresses and panel discussions, the sessions brought together experts from across clinical, research, and public health disciplines to examine the growing burden and interconnected nature of cardiometabolic disease. The discussions explored evolving approaches to prevention, risk assessment, treatment, and long-term care within the Indian healthcare context.

Obesity

Keynote Address: Obesity’s Watershed Moment – Prof. (Dr) Arya Sharma

Prof. (Dr) Arya Sharma opened the day’s scientific sessions with a keynote on Obesity’s Watershed Moment, challenging how obesity is understood and managed in clinical practice and arguing that the field is at a turning point in how it recognises and responds to the disease. The session was chaired by Prof. (Dr) Rakesh Sahay and co-chaired by Prof. (Dr) Sanjay Kalra, both bringing their clinical depth to a discussion that set a strong intellectual foundation for the conversations that would follow through the day.

Panel Discussion 1: Is Adipocentricity the New Paradigm in Cardiometabolic Disease Management?

The panel discussion moderated by Prof. (Dr) Narendra Kumar Arora, brought together Prof. (Dr) Arya Sharma, Prof. (Dr) Ambrish Mithal, Prof. (Dr) Anoop Misra, Dr. Bharati Kulkarni, and Prof. (Dr) Rebecca Kuriyan Raj, for a discussion on the growing role of obesity in cardiometabolic disease.

The panel explored how obesity, especially abdominal obesity common in South Asian populations, is now being seen not just as a risk factor, but as a major driver of conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and chronic inflammation. The discussion examined what this changing understanding means for clinical care, public health, and whether existing obesity definitions and treatment approaches are suited to the Indian context.

The conversation also focused on the role of lifestyle changes, weight-focused treatment strategies, and newer anti-obesity therapies in reducing long-term cardiometabolic risk. Alongside clinical perspectives, the panellists highlighted the need for stronger public health policies, early intervention, and wider prevention efforts to address the rising burden of obesity in India.

Diabetes Mellitus

Keynote Address: Disproportionate Burden: Understanding Diabetes in South Asian Populations – Prof. (Dr) Kamlesh Khunti

The Diabetes Mellitus session opened with Prof. (Dr) Kamlesh Khunti’s keynote on Disproportionate Burden: Understanding Diabetes in South Asian Populations, making the case that South Asian populations face a distinctly heightened diabetes risk that current clinical frameworks do not adequately account for. The session was chaired by Prof. (Dr) Anuj Maheshwari and co-chaired by Prof. (Dr) S V Madhu, both bringing their own depth of experience in diabetes care in India to anchor the discussion that followed the address.

Panel Discussion 2: Have We Found the Holy Grail for the Diabetes Epidemic in India?

For the second panel discussion, moderator Prof. (Dr) Nikhil Tandon lead the discussion on the growing burden of diabetes in India. Joining him on the panel were experts: Prof. (Dr) Kamlesh Khunti, Dr. V. Mohan, Dr. Gagan Priya, Dr. Parjeet Kaur, Prof. (Dr) Satinath Mukhopadhyay, and Dr. Shweta Khandelwal.

The panel examined persistent gaps in diabetes care, particularly around delayed diagnosis, limited awareness, poor glycaemic control, and the challenge of ensuring long-term continuity of care across diverse healthcare settings. Discussions also focused on the country’s large prediabetes burden and what this means for prevention, early intervention, and community-based strategies aimed at reducing future risk.

The conversation further explored whether newer therapies and digital health tools can realistically improve outcomes at scale in India, alongside the role of stronger primary healthcare systems, multidisciplinary care models, and long-term public health strategies in addressing the growing diabetes burden.

MASLD

Keynote Address: The Central Role of the Liver as a Determinant of Metabolic Health – Prof. (Dr) Arun J Sanyal

The MASLD session featured a pre-recorded keynote by Prof. (Dr) Arun J Sanyal on The Central Role of the Liver as a Determinant of Metabolic Health, repositioning the liver as a driver of cardiometabolic disease rather than a passive target, a perspective with significant implications for how these conditions are screened and treated. The session was chaired by Prof. (Dr) Yogesh Kumar Chawla and co-chaired by Prof. (Dr) Anupam Sibal, both bringing their hepatology expertise to bear in contextualising the address for the audience.

Panel Discussion 3: Is the Liver Seminal in the Pathophysiology of Cardiometabolic Conditions?

Prof. (Dr) Shiv Kumar Sarin moderated the third panel discussion, joined by panel members Prof. (Dr) Yogesh Kumar Chawla, Prof. (Dr) Anupam Sibal, Prof. (Dr) Akash Shukla, Dr. Manoj Kumar Sharma, Dr. Mohit Bhandari, and Prof. (Dr) Shalimar, for a discussion on the role of the liver in cardiometabolic disease.

The panel explored the growing understanding of MASLD as more than a liver disorder, examining how hepatic metabolic dysfunction is closely linked with obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic inflammation. Discussions focused on emerging evidence suggesting that liver dysfunction may precede several cardiometabolic conditions, raising important questions around screening, early detection, and the role of the liver in overall metabolic risk assessment.

The conversation also examined the need for integrated approaches to care that bring together hepatology, endocrinology, cardiology, and lifestyle-based interventions, while highlighting gaps in awareness, coordinated treatment pathways, and public health responses needed to address the rising burden of MASLD in India.

Cardiovascular Disease

Keynote Address: On Creating the World Where Coronary Disease is Rare… – <br> Prof. (Dr) Jagat Narula

Prof. (Dr) Jagat Narula took on the stage with a keynote on “On Creating the World Where Coronary Disease is Rare”, pushing the audience to think beyond disease management toward genuine population-level prevention. The session was chaired by Dr Dhiman Kahali and co-chaired by Dr Jayagopal P B, directing the conversation that followed toward what this ambition concretely demands of clinicians and health systems in India today.

Panel Discussion 4: The Nexus of Heart, Kidney and Pancreas

For the final discussion, Prof. (Dr) Dorairaj Prabhakaran moderated a panel featuring Prof. (Dr) Jagat Narula, Prof. (Dr) Ambuj Roy, Dr. Beena Bansal, Dr. S. R. Aravind, and Dr. Usha Sriram, examining the growing interconnection between cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease.

The panel explored how disorders affecting the heart, kidney, and pancreas are increasingly being viewed as part of a larger cardio-renal-metabolic continuum, linked by shared risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, insulin resistance, and chronic inflammation. The discussion examined what this changing understanding means for screening, risk assessment, and long-term disease management, particularly for patients with diabetes who often develop cardiovascular and renal complications over time.

The conversation also focused on the need for integrated models of care, the evolving role of newer therapies with combined cardiovascular and metabolic benefits, and the importance of stronger public health and policy frameworks to address the rising cardiometabolic burden in India.

Celebrating Excellence: Previous Edition Awardees

A dedicated session brought back four awardees from previous editions of the SJF Medical and Healthcare Excellence Awards to share their journeys, the work that led to their recognition, and the impact the award has had since. The session offered a moment of continuity, connecting the symposium’s scientific ambitions to the human stories at the heart of the Foundation’s mission.

Prof. (Dr) Raman Krishna Kumar

Prof. (Dr) Raman Krishna Kumar, 1st edition awardee of the Excellence in Medicine and Healthcare Award, reflected on a career devoted to advancing pediatric cardiac care in India. He spoke about the effort involved in building a strong clinical and academic ecosystem around a specialty that was still evolving in the country, and the larger mission of making high-quality cardiac care more accessible and affordable for children across socioeconomic backgrounds.

Sharing moments from his journey, he reflected on the importance of institution-building, collaborative care, research, and training in shaping the future of pediatric cardiology in India. He also spoke about the collective effort required to sustain excellence in healthcare while remaining deeply patient-centric.

He also shared that the award marked an important milestone in that journey, strengthening the resolve to continue work that brings together clinical care, innovation, and long-term impact for children and their families.

Prof. (Dr) Jeyaraj Durai Pandian

Prof. (Dr) Jeyaraj Durai Pandian, 2nd edition awardee of the Excellence in Medicine and Healthcare Award, shared reflections from a career shaped by neurology, stroke care, teaching, and public health advocacy. Speaking about his work over the years, he highlighted the importance of strengthening stroke systems of care in India while building collaborations that connect research, clinical medicine, and healthcare policy.

He reflected on the challenges involved in improving awareness, access, and timely treatment for stroke patients, particularly in resource-constrained settings, and spoke about the role of mentorship and institutional leadership in driving meaningful healthcare change.

For him, the award represented both recognition and encouragement, reinforcing the responsibility to continue advancing stroke care, medical education, and health systems strengthening in India and beyond.

Dr. Ashish Satav

Dr. Ashish Satav, 1st edition recipient of the Exemplary Leadership in Rural Medicine and Healthcare Award, spoke about his long journey in rural and tribal healthcare, where the focus has always remained on community-based solutions and sustained service. Reflecting on his work in Melghat, he shared the realities of delivering healthcare in underserved regions and the importance of building trust, local participation, and practical healthcare models rooted in community needs.

He spoke about initiatives spanning maternal and child health, malnutrition, critical care, and village-level healthcare systems, all developed with the aim of improving access to care in remote areas. His remarks also highlighted the value of persistence and grassroots engagement in creating long-term public health impact.

The award, he shared, brought greater visibility and credibility to this work, further strengthening support for future initiatives in rural and tribal healthcare.

Prof. (Dr) Pratibha Singhi

Prof. (Dr) Pratibha Singhi, 2nd edition awardee of the Smt. Gayatri Jaipuria Women’s Medicine and Healthcare Excellence Award, reflected on her pioneering journey in pediatric neurology and neurodevelopmental care in India. She spoke about the challenges and opportunities involved in building systems of care for children with neurological and developmental disorders at a time when the specialty itself was still evolving in the country.

Her reflections spanned decades of work across clinical care, rehabilitation, research, teaching, and advocacy, with a continued focus on improving outcomes and quality of life for children and their families. She also spoke about the importance of mentorship and interdisciplinary collaboration in strengthening child healthcare and neurodevelopmental services.

Speaking about the award, she described it as a meaningful recognition of both her work and the broader role of women in medicine, while reinforcing her continued commitment to mentorship, research, and equitable child healthcare