ET Awards' Businesswoman of The Year: Preetha and Suneeta Reddy make their mark fair & square

Award: Businesswoman of the year
Preetha Reddy and Suneeta Reddy
Vice-Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals and MD, Apollo Hospitals


As private healthcare players rose to the occasion when the pandemic overwhelmed the healthcare system last year, and one of India’s largest hospital chains — Apollo Hospitals — took the lead in delivering outstanding medical care during the outbreak. ET’s businesswoman of the year award to Preetha and Suneeta Reddy is in recognition of that. Preetha, the eldest of the four Reddy sisters, says she feels privileged to be part of the mission of commitment to the country’s healthcare needs.

“I thank my father, my three sisters and our healthcare teams who over the past year made us realise that there is so much more to be done and we are grateful for the recognition and trust placed in us,” she said. Suneeta, its managing director, expressed “gratitude for recognising Apollo Hospitals and the spirit of our founder whose mission was to bring clinical excellence and outcomes of international standards to India, at a fraction of the cost.”

Preetha and Suneeta took charge of the organisation along with their father, Prathap C Reddy, in 1983 when Apollo began its operations from their Greams Road centre in Chennai.

When Preetha became managing director in 2003, Apollo had Rs 100 crore of revenue; within a decade, it shot up to Rs 3,200 crore. Preetha was instrumental in persuading the government to introduce the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers to operate an accreditation programme.

Under Preetha’s guidance, it chose to set up a greenfield hospital in Navi Mumbai.

The Navi Mumbai Apollo hospital broke even four years after launch and boasts of a state-of-the-art oncology facility. As Preetha steered Apollo’s expansion, Suneeta’s number-crunching skills have ensured sustainable operations.