This latest edition compiles many valuable insights from industry leaders who are driving innovation and shaping the future. Here, we found the success story of Venugopal Reddy Kandimalla, Country Head of Zelis India to be the most suited profile for our cover story.
With over 25 years of experience in healthcare and life sciences, Venugopal Reddy Kandimalla aka Venu has built a remarkable career leading high-performance teams to deliver transformative solutions on a global scale. In his career trajectory, he had been associated with many bigwigs such as Tata Consultancy Services, Tech Mahindra, etc., in senior leadership roles.
Under his thought leadership, Zelis India has emerged as a global powerhouse in healthcare fintech. We are truly appreciative of the impressive strides he has made in his corporate journey and the way he has led his people to achieve the shared goal. In this exclusive conversation, Venu shares the inspiration behind Zelis India; the company’s innovative approach, and its strategic role in its global footprint. Let’s unpack all the informative insights he offered our team concerning the organization as well as his leadership.
THE MAKING OF ZELIS INDIA
The conversation began with Venu discussing the inception of Zelis India and the company’s primary objectives. He shared the inspiration behind founding the GCC, stating, “Zelis is a healthcare company that plays a vital role in improving the experience for stakeholders involved in financial transactions in the healthcare sector.
” Highlighting the company’s rapid growth, he added, “For an organization like Zelis, talent that can scale the company and build resilience with a global pool is crucial. After evaluating over 70 locations, we chose Hyderabad for Zelis Healthcare’s Global Capability Centre.” This strategic move enables Zelis to leverage India’s talent and drive global expansion.
The company profile
Zelis India is supporting Zelis’s vision in revolutionizing the healthcare industry with its innovative platform that seamlessly connects the financial ecosystem, bridging critical gaps between payers, providers, and members. All of its operations are driven with the purpose of modernizing the healthcare financial experience for all.
Zelis currently serves over 770 payers, including the top five national health plans, Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), regional health plans, third-party administrators (TPAs), and self-insured employers, while also providing services to millions of providers and members. Zelis’s platform enhances the financial experience through the application of advanced technology developed by healthcare professionals, facilitating comprehensive problem-solving and optimization.
This method has enabled consistent delivery of tangible and measurable outcomes. Their methodology has resulted in enhanced efficiency and outcomes for all stakeholders engaged.
The primary goals of Zelis India are
• Global talent: Zelis India is looking to acquire access to a diverse and skilled talent pool that provides a diverse portfolio. Innovative solutions and cutting-edge technologies are at the forefront of Zelis’s priorities.
• Scalability & flexibility: Zelis India supports control over processes, quality standards, and intellectual property (IP) protection in line with the organization’s goals, priorities, and culture
• Risk management: Zelis India diversifies activities, follows regulations, implements strong security measures, and plans for business continuity.
• Strategic alignment: Zelis India, a GCC, supports key projects, drives strategic value, and contributes to long-term growth and sustainability.
An Innovation Hub
Zelis India’s objectives are in synergy with Zelis’s overarching strategic aim of transforming the healthcare financial experience for everyone, supported by an exceptional team dedicated to creating a connected platform that addresses the shortcomings in the financial system. Zelis India is utilizing exceptional talent to guarantee smooth growth both within the organization and in external endeavors.
This strategy allows us to broaden our abilities, speed up our objectives, and focus on research and development, innovation, and strengthening the company’s competitive advantage.
Venu also agreed that healthcare innovation drives better health outcomes and fosters a more sustainable, inclusive healthcare ecosystem. When asked how Zelis India distinguishes itself as a hub of innovation rather than being a profit-centric business venture, Venu clearly shared his views: “In the last 20 years, many Fortune 500 companies have established Global Capability Centers in India, primarily for cost optimization. However, the focus has shifted toward innovation, strategic programs, and transformative initiatives.
At Zelis, our growth demands continuous delivery of better solutions in a complex healthcare environment.” Venu emphasized that Zelis India’s long-term vision is rooted in innovation. “Although we are only two years old, we’re already working towards pushing the needle on innovation and strategic programs,” he said.
“Our team is steadily developing expertise in Zelis’ solutions, and India will be a key contributor to these efforts in the future. We are also focusing on Monetizing Data Analytics, Establishing an Innovation Incubator, Developing Training Programs” through these strategic pathways, Zelis India plans to transition from a cost-centric model to a dynamic innovation hub, driving growth and demonstrating its value within the broader organizational framework.
Data analytics and AI play a crucial role in driving Zelis’ innovation-related strategies. Venu elaborated on how the company leverages these technologies across its three key areas: Payment Optimization, Price Optimization, and Insights & Empowerment. “Our operations generate a massive amount of data, and our analytics teams are responsible for acquiring, cleaning, and governing that data,” Venu noted.
“Our data science team is constantly looking for new use cases that can add value to our business verticals. This datadriven approach allows us to refine our solutions and offer more value to our customers, which in turn drives demand for our products.” Attracting and Retaining top talent as the demand for skilled talent increases globally, Zelis India has taken innovative steps to attract and retain the best professionals.
“Talent is extremely competitive, especially with so many Fortune 500 companies operating in India. We crafted a winning attraction & retention strategy by prioritizing Holistic Well-being, High Impact Work Opportunities, Strong Employer Branding, Investing in Learning and Development, Foster a Positive Work Culture” Venu acknowledged.
However, he pointed out that Zelis’ lean, product-centric, and technology-driven approach is attractive to experienced professionals “Our development teams work on cutting-edge technologies like cloud-centric solutions, fullstack Microsoft technology, AI, Machine Learning, API Integration, Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Data Analytics and Big Data” Venu explained. “This appeals to professionals who want to be part of a core sector and work on products that make a real impact.”
Building a Culture of Excellence and Wellbeing
Beyond technology and innovation, Zelis India is committed to fostering a culture of excellence and employee wellbeing, with leadership believing that a content workforce is key to success. “We have a performance-driven culture based on IMPACT—Innovation, Mindset, People, Agility, Collaboration, and Trust,” Venu explained.
This focus earned Zelis India a “Great Place to Work” certification within just a year and a half, making it a preferred workplace for young professionals. Venu also highlighted the team’s commitment to holistic employee development through councils and clubs that focus on career growth, societal contributions, emotional wellbeing, and sustainability. Many of these initiatives are employee-led, providing leadership opportunities and creating a supportive environment. Venu noted that more employeecentric initiatives are planned to further enhance the employee experience in the coming years.
LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE
As Zelis India continues to expand its horizons, each team member remains dedicated to pushing the boundaries of innovation, drawing in top-tier talent, and delivering exceptional value to its global customers. Under Venu’s visionary leadership, the company is well on its way to achieving its ambitious objectives, positioning itself as a key player in the ever-evolving healthcare fintech industry.
With a clear focus on growth and a commitment to excellence, Zelis India is steadily transforming into a global powerhouse, set to make a lasting impact on the sector. In closing the conversation, Venu left us with an exciting glimpse into the future: “We are just getting started, and I’m confident that Zelis India will play a critical role in our global success story.” His words underscore the company’s promising journey ahead, filled with opportunities for groundbreaking advancements and global influence.
