Suburban Diagnostics was founded by Dr Sanjay Arora in 1994 to provide innovative, top-notch diagnostic services as a friendly neighbourhood pathology lab. Over the last 28 years, Suburban has built a network of 250+ centers in more than sixteen cities in India. Thanks to its panel of specialities and a strong desire to unburden healthcare, it has been known for its effective processes that seek minimal error and customer-centricity.
With more than 4,500 tests across various specializations and best-in-class infrastructure, Suburban Diagnostics is a network of medical centres providing comprehensive diagnostic services in pathology, radiology, cardiology, and preventive health care.
Q. What are the core values of Suburban Diagnostics?
Ans. To “Exceed the brief” is the core value of Suburban Diagnostics; the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little bit extra. What little extra can we do in each activity to give our customers a truly ‘wow’ experience? Some of our other values are building genuine relationships, striving towards zero error, to keep evolving, and displaying passion in everything we do.
Q. How does Suburban respond to and overcome failures?
Ans. Failure is a part of any growth story. At Suburban Diagnostics, we encourage sharing our failures. Instead of hiding failures, sharing them allows everyone in our network to learn from them and adopt measures not to make their own mistakes. Each failure is an opportunity for improving our processes and training to ensure such mistakes are corrected and prevented in the future.
Q. What is the USP of SD?
Ans. Precision and care are the essences of Suburban Diagnostics; a single-minded focus on customer centricity and quality defines Suburban Diagnostics. Providing comprehensive diagnostic services under one roof makes convenience and accessibility a value-added service.
Q. At Suburban, how do employees get recognized for their efforts?
Ans. We start each day with “Aaj ki achi khabar” where we highlight the effort of any team member who made a difference in improving customer outcomes. GEM (going the extra mile) awards recognize team members’ continuous efforts to display our core values. Star lab awards recognize our labs’ efforts on a constant, objective, measurable basis. Dinner with MD allows team members, nominated by their managers, who have performed well in their functions, to dine with the MD of Suburban Diagnostics in a private and intimate setting.
Q. Suburban has completed more than 25 years; what was the most challenging period during this journey?
Ans. Over the past 28 years, we have overcome challenges and become stronger. The absence of an entry barrier has remained a challenge, where unregulated new entrants can try and disrupt the market. Currently, we are facing a change in industry practices, with recent entrants trying to commoditize the diagnostics industry. We must sustain this challenge by sticking to our core values of building strong relationships with our customers and providing high-quality services within a digital ecosystem by providing accessible and affordable testing.
Q. How has ASCENT Foundation, as a peer learning platform, helped you achieve your goals?
Ans. Platforms like Ascent bring like-minded business owners together. Here, leaders enjoy cross-fertilization of ideas and exchanging experiences, learning from each other. Learning from well-established business leaders’ experiences (mistakes) is the best opportunity for new and upcoming business leaders. ASCENT continues to be a private and confidential sounding board where I can express myself and my challenges in a judgment-free environment. The support I have received from my Trust Group has allowed me to navigate complex business challenges and decisions, helping me immensely in business outcomes. ASCENT also invests in upskilling entrepreneurs there is an Annual Event – ASCENT Conclave, where top entrepreneurs of the country share, inspire, and celebrate the entrepreneurial journey. This year, the ASCENT conclave focuses on how the Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem is designed to be ‘Thriving on Change’ and how the leaders must embrace that to create future-proof organizations and leadership styles.
Short Introduction of Sanjay Arora: A TEDx Speaker, Dr Arora has graduated from Grant Medical College and JJ Hospital with a special interest in Cytopathology. He has been honoured with many awards for his contribution to healthcare. Some of them are
– ‘100 Most Impactful Healthcare Leaders’ in 2018.
– VCCircle Healthcare Investment & Awards in 2015 and
– Frost & Sullivan 7th Annual India Healthcare Excellence Awards in 2015.
– “Influential Leader of New India 2021” by Teammarksmen in association with CNN-News18.
