Healthcare isn’t like any other industry, and Ashish Bajaj knows that better than most. As the Group Chief Marketing Officer at Narayana Health, his job isn’t just to market services. It’s to earn trust in a space where no one wants to be a repeat customer.

In this episode of Global Marketing Leaders 2025, Ashish sat down with Rishab to share how he’s helping shape a healthcare brand that people don’t just recognize—but genuinely believe in.

Marketing That Heals, Not Just Sells

"We need to work at a clinical or medical solution that can help masses and masses. If there is an innovation in healthcare, if it's not affordable, it doesn't mean innovation."

That belief, seeded by Dr. Devi Shetty himself, has guided how Narayana Health approaches everything—from strategy to hiring. And for Ashish, it means making peace with a fundamental reality: you’re building something people hope they never need.

That’s why, instead of focusing on driving transactions, Ashish focuses on driving trust.

From Consumer Goods to Care: A Journey Fueled by Curiosity

Ashish didn’t plan to be in marketing.

"Belonged to a typical North Indian business family... was always supposed to take care of my family's business. But somehow, the world had other plans."

A career that started in a media agency eventually took him across industries like tech and mobility before landing in healthcare. And each switch was intentional:

"At the center, the consumer is the same... It just adds another layer of your understanding."

That philosophy has helped him build campaigns that work in a market where local nuances matter deeply—especially in a sector as culturally sensitive and regionally fragmented as healthcare.

Building a Brand That Wants You to Stay Healthy

"We are... looking at providing solutions, which can actually solve at a very, very early age... starting with the preventive... so that you don't end up on the OT table."

For Ashish, the goal is clear: shift the brand from being seen as a hospital to being trusted as a healthcare partner. That means pushing preventive care, fighting the perception of hospitals as profit-driven, and creating content that educates rather than just sells.

"We want to be part of the people ecosystem in terms of keeping them healthy."

Letting Data Drive the Right Conversations

Despite the human-first mission, Narayana’s marketing engine is deeply data-informed.

"We are a data first marketing team... We start working on certain things which are also seasonal... so that we are able to inform them about the precaution that needs to be done."

From early campaigns around seasonal health trends to deep local insights, Ashish’s team collaborates with Medha — the analytics wing of Narayana Health — to shape campaigns that serve communities before they sell to them.

Launching Insurance, Changing the Narrative

In a move that turned industry expectations on their head, Narayana Health also launched its own health insurance offering.

"Your movement from a hospital to a healthcare brand will also be delivered through bringing in the right products... Insurance becomes a very important part."

For Ashish, it was never just a new product—it was a way to close the loop, helping patients move from reactive to proactive care. And it redefined how the brand could show up in the lives of its customers.

Telling Real Stories That Matter

One of the brand’s most powerful initiatives? A video series called "Inside ER."

"The idea was new, the idea was raw... almost having 100 million views for us... 76% of viewership for the entire 100% of the episode."

By letting the public see what really happens behind hospital doors, Narayana broke barriers of perception. It didn’t just build awareness—it built empathy.

"It works with the larger brand ethos of providing the right information."

What Keeps Him Going (and What Keeps Him Grounded)

The challenges of marketing in healthcare are real. "You're under stress, making a decision, paying some money... and I'm not sure of the outcome."

But that’s exactly why Ashish stays. Because solving that challenge is what makes the work matter.

"It can only be switched over if you build that loyalty."

And when in doubt? He turns to simple advice from his first super boss:

"It's easier to do things yourself, but it's tougher to get them done. The day you start understanding how to get things done will be the day that you should become a manager."

Final Thoughts: Trust Isn’t a Campaign. It’s a Commitment.

Ashish Bajaj isn’t trying to win attention. He’s working to win belief—in a brand, in a system, in a better way to do healthcare.

That means putting patients before metrics. Simplicity before jargon. And long-term trust before short-term spikes.

Because in this industry, the only way to grow is to genuinely care if people stay well—even if that means they never walk into your hospital doors.