Bengaluru, August 2026: Sparsh Hospitals has appointed Kalappa K.B. as Group Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) as the Bengaluru-based healthcare group strengthens its leadership team and prepares for the next phase of organisational growth across Karnataka.
With more than 20 years of experience spanning healthcare, hospitality and retail, Kalappa will oversee Sparsh Hospitals’ people, culture and organisational capability agenda. His appointment comes at a time when the healthcare group is expanding its network of eight multispecialty hospitals across Karnataka, placing greater emphasis on building a strong, agile and future-ready workforce.
Strengthening People Strategy for the Next Phase of Growth
In his new role, Kalappa will be responsible for advancing the organisation’s approach to leadership development, talent management, employee experience and organisational effectiveness. A key priority will be fostering a high-performance culture that supports both employee growth and Sparsh’s broader clinical and business ambitions.
Working closely with Jasdeep Singh, Group CEO, Sparsh Hospitals, Kalappa will also spearhead the transformation of HR practices through agile HR models, technology and artificial intelligence. The objective is to create a more data-driven and future-ready people function capable of supporting a rapidly evolving healthcare environment.
For Sparsh, the focus on people comes alongside its ambitions to expand its healthcare footprint and strengthen patient care.
Dr. Sharan Shivaraj Patil, Chairman, Founder and Chief Orthopaedic Surgeon, Sparsh Hospitals, highlighted the importance of aligning the organisation’s people strategy with its growth plans.
“At Sparsh Hospital, we believe that our people are at the heart of everything we do. As we grow, our people strategy must evolve alongside our clinical and organisational ambitions,” he said.
He added that Kalappa brings a combination of healthcare expertise, strategic HR leadership and a people-first philosophy to the organisation.
“We are pleased to welcome him and are confident that his leadership will further strengthen our culture and organisational capabilities,” Dr. Patil said.
A Career Built Across Healthcare and Service Industries
Kalappa joins Sparsh Hospitals after serving as Chief People Officer at Mountain Trail Foods Pvt. Ltd., popularly known as Chai Point. His extensive career has included senior HR leadership positions across some of the country’s prominent healthcare and hospitality organisations.
His healthcare experience includes leadership roles with Columbia Asia Hospitals and Aster DM Healthcare, giving him an understanding of the talent and organisational challenges associated with large healthcare operations.
Earlier in his career, Kalappa also held HR positions with leading hospitality brands, including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Hilton, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts and Taj Hotels.
Across these roles, he has developed expertise in HR transformation, HR digitisation, talent management, leadership development, organisational change and employee engagement. This diverse experience is expected to play an important role as Sparsh seeks to build organisational capabilities alongside its expanding hospital network.
Putting Employee Experience at the Centre of Healthcare Growth
Kalappa’s appointment also reflects a growing recognition that workforce strategy is closely connected to patient outcomes in the healthcare sector. Doctors, nurses, clinical teams, administrative professionals and support staff all contribute to the patient experience, making employee engagement and organisational culture critical components of healthcare delivery.
Speaking about his new role, Kalappa said he was excited to join an organisation where people and purpose are central to creating meaningful impact.
“Healthcare is a sector where employee experience directly influences patient care,” he noted.
He further outlined his priorities for the organisation, saying, “My priority will be to build an inclusive, high-performance and future-ready culture while strengthening talent, leadership capabilities and employee engagement.”
Kalappa also said he looks forward to partnering with Sparsh’s leadership team and employees as the organisation enters its next stage of growth.
AI and Technology to Shape the Future of HR at Sparsh
One of the notable aspects of Kalappa’s mandate will be the use of technology and AI to modernise HR operations. As healthcare organisations manage increasingly complex workforces, data-driven decision-making, digital HR systems and AI-enabled processes are becoming important tools for improving efficiency and workforce planning.
At Sparsh, this transformation is expected to complement broader initiatives around talent development, leadership pipelines and employee experience. By combining technology with a people-first approach, the organisation aims to create an HR ecosystem that can respond more effectively to changing workforce expectations and business requirements.
The emphasis on organisational capability will also be important as Sparsh continues to expand its presence across Karnataka. Scaling a healthcare network requires not only infrastructure and clinical expertise but also strong leadership, consistent culture and a workforce capable of delivering high-quality care across locations.
A People-First Leadership Agenda
Kalappa’s appointment positions people and organisational development as an important pillar of Sparsh Hospitals’ growth strategy. His cross-industry experience, combined with his background in healthcare HR, gives him a broad perspective on building high-performing teams and managing organisational transformation.
As Sparsh moves forward with its expansion plans, his mandate will extend beyond traditional HR functions to shaping leadership capability, workplace culture, talent development and digital HR transformation.
With eight multispecialty hospitals across Karnataka and continued ambitions in healthcare delivery, Sparsh Hospitals is placing renewed emphasis on creating an organisation where people, technology and purpose work together.
Kalappa’s leadership is expected to play a key role in that journey, helping Sparsh build a more agile, inclusive, high-performance and future-ready workforce while keeping its people and patient-care mission at the centre of its next chapter.
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