The rapid rise in the healthcare sector in India has positively impacted the diagnostic industry in the country. Being the SVP ­ Branding & Communications at House of Diagnostics, one of the leading pathology and diagnostic companies in Delhi-NCR, Silky Jain has been helping the company see a consistent growth while also making sure that the customers are getting the best healthcare services. Using her extensive knowledge and experience in various sectors, Silky has been instrumental in the successful running of various departments within the organization.

In an exclusive interview with women entrepreneur, Silky shares her early education, the various roles and responsibilities she takes care of at the company, and much more.

Give us a brief overview of House of Diagnostics & the services it offers.

House of Diagnostics (HOD) is a young, dynamic, and rapidly growing integrated medical diagnostic service provider, making a positive impact in India's healthcare sector. With a vision to be a PAN-India healthcare player, the company is currently managing its operations in Delhi-NCR, with plans to expand rapidly in other parts of the country. HOD has 10 Integrated Service Centres providing imaging and pathology services and a footprint spanning more than 100+ blood collection centers across the national capital region. The company is committed to serve people with reliable and quality diagnostic and pathology services using the latest state-of-the-art technology supported by strict internal and external quality assessments, and controls.

Shed some light on your early educational journey and the prior industry experience that you bring to the table.

After my schooling at King George V School, Hong Kong, I completed my bachelor's degree from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. I have attended multiple courses and summer schools during my undergraduate years. I attended the London School of Economics to study consumer behavior and also did a course related to Design Thinking at Stanford University. After that, I did a jewelry designing & diamond graduate course at the Gemological Institute of America. To expand my knowledge and experience further, I pursued my postgraduate in MSc International Business (IPBS) from Northeastern University, Boston.

What are the various roles & responsibilities you hold at the House of Diagnostics? What are some of the major challenges that you face in your current role and how do you overcome them?

As a senior VP at HOD, my role includes developing and implementing an integrated strategic communications plan to promote, enhance, and protect the organization's brand identity. I ensure that every brand communication is accurate and is in tune with the HOD's mission and vision. Designing and executing a cohesive marketing and communication strategy is my main focus to help the company achieve its business objectives. I am also responsible for formulating policies, managing daily operations, and planning how both material and human resources can be best utilized.

“View challenges as opportunities to learn, grow, and strengthen yourself”

Apart from branding, I am also active in imparting soft skills training including interpersonal, communications, and time management skills to HOD employees at all levels. Offering guidance and leadership to the human resource team is also a part of my role. I usually assist with organization development, employee relations, and performance management as well as setting up KPIs, and KRAs and also help the HR team to organize reward and recognition programs. I manage and prioritize multiple projects simultaneously and keep the organization abreast with market dynamics and technological developments.

Certain challenges that I face are getting all the stakeholders in agreement to complete the formulation. As I am working in multiple departments, it is very important to align tasks thoroughly to meet deadlines.

To overcome that, I am always very organized in planning my tasks and making sure the whole team is on the same page regarding the decisions made to avoid misunderstandings or any delay.

What are some of the most significant milestones that you have achieved in your professional journey? How do you stay abreast of the periodic evolutions occurring within your respective field of work and the tech landscape?

One of my early milestones has been the exposure that I have gained over the years majorly through my studies. I had my own design company in Hong Kong and I worked there for two years. It was a beautiful milestone that i have achieved at a very young age. After undertaking several challenging projects for two years and gaining relevant knowledge about consumer behavior, I wanted to enter a field where I could serve people. I felt I could achieve this in the healthcare sector. Even after joining HOD, I did not start at the back office. Instead, I was at the diagnostic centers dealing with patients for a period of 5-6 months while trying to understand the problems they are facing and how the services can be improved, which has been very crucial for my professional journey.

Given the pace with which technology is evolving, we keep on conducting regular training programs to improve our skills. We are also organizing training programs for new medical devices, laboratory, and medical imaging information systems, LIS software, clinical decision support as well as patient engagement tools. I also keep doing many short courses to keep myself well engaged with new technology formulation and integration to stay up to date. I would put HOD as an extremely technologically driven company and we are always improving our internal technology and IT systems.

What would your advice be to young women & girls who also aspire to become business leaders and entrepreneurs in the future?

My advice to all women is to find their purpose. Spend time reflecting to try and understand your goal. Identify what drives your emotions- anger, fear, doubt, sadness and excitement. View challenges as opportunities to learn, grow and strengthen yourself. Have a passion to realize your dreams and work hard to achieve your goals. Don't hesitate to ask `Why' before starting any task as it helps to perform the task better and understand the purpose and idea behind the task. I also strongly believe in collaboration and teamwork within an organization to foster team spirit and improve efficiency in the workplace.

Silky Jain, SVP ­Branding & Communications, House Of Diagnostics

After her extensive study experience, Silky was running her jewellery designing venture in Hong Kong before joining HOD. A postgraduate in MSc International Business (IPBS) from Northeastern University, Boston, she is presently serving as the SVP ­ Branding & Communications at HOD, where her responsibilities include promoting, enhancing, and protecting the organization's brand identity along with employee welfare.