Indu Bhushan Ambassador Spotlight

Indu Bhushan’s Remarkable Journey from Electrical Engineer to Public Health Visionary

Indu Bhushan, originally an electrical engineer, has carved a career path that exemplifies openness to following one’s interest and pursing life’s opportunities with excellence. From his early days as a student at Johns Hopkins University, to his role as the Director General of the Asian Development Bank, and the founding CEO of India’s flagship public health insurance program, Ayushman Bharat, Bhushan’s trajectory is one of innovation and public health.

Dr. Bhushan’s start into public health began nearly four decades ago when he took on the challenge of eradicating Guinea Worm, a parasitic infection transmitted through contaminated water, that was previously endemic in the region. His journey began as a member of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), where he was selected from a competitive pool to lead the UNICEF project in the tribal district of Udaipur, Rajasthan.

“It helped me developed interest in public health and changed my life forever.”

It was an eye-opening experience that ignited his interest in public health. “I was entrusted with implementing a project aimed at eradicating Guinea Worm, a disease I hadn’t even heard of before. It’s a very medieval kind of disease, where you get a worm inside your skin.”

The data suggested cases occurred in areas where people were using ‘step wells.’  A step well is, as it sounds, a well in which people step inside to gather water and inadvertently spread the parasite, fostering a cycle of infection.  “Our interventions were straightforward: discourage the use of water from step wells, encourage people to not enter step wells, and promote safe drinking water practices. Witnessing the tangible impact of these interventions fueled my interest in health,” he explained. Within a year, Guinea Worm cases dropped by 90%, a remarkable achievement considering the limited communication tools of that era.

“This experience actually got me interested in health. I was implementing this project and I could see the impact of all those public health interventions with my eyes.  It was a very fascinating project, and I was lucky to be there”

Bhushan credits his success in Udaipur as the catalyst for his future endeavors. His work there paved the way for the establishment of an Information, Education, and Communication bureau within Rajasthan’s Department of Health. This initiative introduced him to global health professionals, including those at Johns Hopkins University.

A turning point came when the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (CCP) encouraged him to pursue a master’s in health communications and published dynamics.

What was intended to be a nine-month endeavor turned into a longer journey as he then pursued a PhD in health economics. This leap came with financial challenges.

“Coming to Hopkins, I didn’t have much money. I got all my savings and converted that into U.S. dollars, and I realized that money was only enough for my air ticket to the US and my living arrangements for three months. But I had a car, given to me by my father, and I sold it,” he Bhushan said. “At that time in India, once you had a car, it was like family for life, and you didn’t sell it. I couldn’t tell my father because he would have been really upset, but that money was enough for one term. I hoped that I could get some other funding, because otherwise I’d have to borrow heavily and didn’t know how to repay that.”

He credits the CCP for later providing him with the Draper Fellowship, covering his tuition. “There are a lot of people who have the potential to change the world and do wonderful things, but they might need some support. I’m eternally grateful for that funding, which saved me,” he explained. “For my PhD, I got other funding from the World Bank and other sources, but that initial fellowship and support really changed my life and that helped me get into the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. I wanted to learn more, and so I decided to change the track to public health economics to understand how public policies are made.”

Over the next 21 years, Bhushan ascended the ranks to become the Director General of the Asian Development Bank.

His accomplishments caught the attention of Indian Prime Minister Modi, who asked him to spearhead Ayushman Bharat, a groundbreaking health insurance scheme. This initiative, currently benefiting over 500 million poor people in the country for secondary and tertiary care, is the crowning achievement in Bhushan’s career.

Recalling the pivotal moment when he was called upon by Prime Minister Modi, asking him to leave his job, Bhushan shared, “The challenge was immense, and skeptics believed the task was insurmountable. The Prime Minister gave me six months to establish and run the program. Luckily, we not only launched the scheme, but within six months’ we were providing 20,000 treatments every day. This success was a testament to the power of determination and the collective effort.” Today it provides about 40,000 treatments daily.

Today, Bhushan dedicates his efforts to advising non-profits and NGOs, along with his role as an Ambassador for GKII. “I leverage my networks and sector knowledge to benefit India through GKII’s work. It’s an early partnership, but I’ve already contributed insights and ideas on specific projects. For example, how to ensure that we have a cost effective and meaningful impact in the sector or discovering if we could have a module on public health, and how Johns Hopkins could help in terms of training young officers so that they have a strong orientation in public health.

Bhushan’s journey from an electrical engineer to a pioneering figure in public health is a tale of dedication, strategic choices, and impactful actions. As he looks ahead, he anticipates a deeper engagement with GKII, aiming to foster a more profound realization of their vision. Through his relentless pursuit of impactful change, Indu Bhushan has etched an enduring legacy in the field of public health.