Practo elevates Jagnoor Singh to the CEO seat 

For a company that has spent nearly two decades changing how Indians discover and access healthcare, leadership succession is more than a change of title. It can also signal a company preparing to operate at a different scale. 

Practo has appointed Jagnoor Singh as its new chief executive officer, with the appointment effective September 1. Founder Shashank ND, who has led the company since its early days, is moving into a chairman role. The transition places Singh at the operational helm while keeping the founder closely involved in the company’s broader direction. 

Singh is hardly an outsider stepping into the business. He joined Practo as chief operating officer in January 2025, taking charge of go-to-market strategy, growth, and expansion. Before Practo, his career included senior roles at Airtel, OYO, Mondelez, and Unacademy, giving him experience across consumer businesses, technology, sales, marketing, and operations. 

That background translates to Practo’s status quo. The Bengaluru-based company has evolved considerably from its original doctor-discovery proposition. Its platform now spans patients, doctors, providers, care navigation, and healthcare technology, while the company has been expanding its presence across international markets. 

The leadership transition also follows a broader strengthening of Practo’s senior team. Over the past year, the company has brought in executives across marketing, strategy, corporate development, AI, product, and technology. Business Standard reported in April that the company was targeting $1 billion in annualised gross merchandise value and preparing for a potential public-market debut, although Practo has not publicly confirmed an IPO timeline. 

AI is becoming another important part of that next chapter. In March, Practo appointed Cijo George as vice president of artificial intelligence, with a mandate spanning care navigation, provider tools, and platform intelligence. The company has said it wants to use its accumulated healthcare data to make AI useful across both patient and provider experiences. 

For Shashank, the move represents a shift in role after 18 years of building the company. Practo marked its 18th anniversary in June, highlighting its evolution from a healthcare search and discovery platform into a broader technology-led healthcare ecosystem. 

The significance of Singh’s appointment, therefore, lies in what comes next. Founder-led companies eventually have to move from founder-driven execution towards institutional leadership, while retaining the culture and ambition that built the business. Practo’s latest move suggests it is preparing for precisely that transition. 

Singh now takes responsibility for steering strategy, growth, and operations across Practo’s global markets, while Shashank remains part of the company’s leadership at the chairman level. For Practo, the next phase will be about turning nearly two decades of healthcare technology experience into a platform capable of operating at considerably greater scale.