Dr Girish Kulkarni Joins IIIT-Bangalore EHRC as CISO

This will be in addition to his current responsibilities as Principal Consultant for NIMHANS & NIMHANS Digital Academy, Bangalore.

Dr Girish Kulkarni, a seasoned healthcare CIO, has assumed the role of Chief Information Security Officer at eHealth Research Center (EHRC) at IIIT-Bangalore, for the TeleMANAS Project.

With over three decades of experience, Dr Kulkarni brings a wealth of experience to his new position.

Expressing his enthusiasm for the role, Dr Kulkarni stated, "I'm honored to step into the role of Chief Information Security Officer at eHealth Research Center, IIIT-Bangalore, leading the charge for the TeleMANAS Project. At the same time, it's a huge responsibility to steer a project of this magnitude, as the CISO."

Emphasizing the collaboration between NIMHANS and IIIT-B, he highlighted their focus on enhancing IT platforms for Tele-Mental health programs and guiding strategic IT advancements.

“With the TeleMANAS project, we are focusing on enhancing IT platforms for Tele Mental Health programs, tackling challenges head-on, and guiding strategic IT advancements. Harmonizing the initiative with ABDM and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration will remain our key priorities. I look forward to collaborating with an exceptionally talented team at IIIT-B and driving impactful change in mental healthcare accessibility and innovation," Dr Kulkarni added.

His extensive background includes positions at prestigious institutions such as Columbia Asia Hospital Group, Sakra World Hospital, Cytecare, Chinmaya Mission Hospital, M/s SVPIMSR and now NIMHANS. As a virtual CIO, he has worked with more than a dozen Healthcare Providers and driven their Digital Vision-Mission.

Currently, he is the chairperson for the CHIME India Board of Trustees. He has also been a founding Board Member & Office Bearer of HIMSS India Chapter. Aside from healthcare, he has been one of the oldest pillars of CIO Association (CIOKlub) and has been in Chapter Council and The Governing Body for over 14 years.

As has been reported widely in the media, the TeleMANAS project, a digital initiative of the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP), addresses the mental health crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. With over 4,60,000 calls received nationwide since its launch, Tele MANAS operates in 20 languages across 51 active cells, with NIMHANS designing the program and IIIT Bangalore overseeing its architecture and design.