DGTL Voices with Ed Marx

Episode: From India to IKS Health (ft. Sachin Gupta)

Release Date: January 15, 2026
Host: Ed Marx
Guest: Sachin Gupta, CEO of IKS Health

Episode Overview

In this episode, Ed Marx engages in a candid and inspiring conversation with Sachin Gupta, CEO of IKS Health. The discussion traverses Sachin's journey from his roots in India to leading a major healthcare technology company, his leadership philosophy, lessons from sports, the founding vision of IKS Health, and the importance of core values in both business and life. The episode features deep dives into healthcare transformation, balancing technology with the human touch, and insights into leadership, partnership, and personal growth.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening & Personal Introduction

Music Taste and Life Mantra

• [00:28-02:14]
  • Sachin describes his eclectic music taste, heavily influenced by his 17-year-old daughter.
  • Enjoys jazz and songs with messages about world issues (e.g., "Another Day in Paradise," "Heal the World").
  • Quote: “I care about songs that speak to the world issues… just get inspired by them.” (Sachin Gupta, 01:19)
  • Shares a meaningful life quote (Longfellow):
    “The heights by great humans reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upwards in the night.” (Sachin, 02:20)
  • Lesson: Continuous self-improvement comes from daily effort, not luck.

2. Sachin’s Origin Story: From Mumbai to CEO

Childhood, Education, and Early Career

• [03:53-08:54]
  • Born in Mumbai, adopted and raised in New Delhi—discovered adoption in early teens, which was initially disruptive but later viewed as having four loving parents.
  • Excelled in academics and sports; pursued engineering at University of Pune and landed early work in computer science/AI.
  • Pivotal Moment: Invited to move into business roles; international experience in Europe taught cultural adaptability.
  • Transitioned into healthcare by running the US healthcare vertical at Lionbridge (2001)—became fascinated by healthcare’s scale and complexity.
  • Inspiration for IKS Health:
    • Reverence for caregivers rooted in Indian culture.
    • Founded IKS in 2006 to enable a “physician-led, tradition-led, caregiver-led transformation of healthcare” using technology and global capabilities.
    • Quote: “If there is something we could do to enable that tradition led caregiver led transformation of healthcare to sustainability, that would be a pretty exciting mission to embark on.” (Sachin, 07:14)

3. The Role of Sports in Shaping Character

Lessons Beyond the Classroom

• [08:54-10:48]
  • Played cricket at school/college level and competed in table tennis nationally.
  • Emphasizes that sports taught resilience, the value of getting “beat up and stand up again”—a philosophy he carries into business.
  • Quote: “I do believe that sport builds character in a very, very profound way that often academic success alone does not.” (Sachin, 09:46)
  • Nowadays plays badminton and pickleball for recreation and stress relief.

4. Pivotal Life Moment

Meeting His Wife

• [11:03-12:12]
  • Meeting his now-wife in engineering school profoundly changed his outlook, reigniting his commitment to self-improvement.
  • Quote: “Meeting her somehow wanted me to be the best version of myself… and I think that’s all her.” (Sachin, 11:46)

5. The Mission & Evolution of IKS Health

From Vision to Execution: “Chore to Core”

• [12:50-18:02]
  • Healthcare cost crisis: nearly 20% of US GDP spent; chronic illness is the main driver.
  • Advocates for shifting from “reactive hospital-centric” to “physician-led, patient-centric” models; highlights the need for efficiency as physicians waste significant time on non-patient care tasks.
  • The concept of “Core vs. Chore”: enable caregivers (core work) by offloading administrative or distracting tasks (chore work) to IKS.
  • Quote: “If we have to move to physician led healthcare, physicians and their care teams have to focus on the core, which is patient care and patient experience, and everything else becomes an ever expanding chore…” (Sachin, 14:07)
  • Emphasizes the importance of blending technology with “human in the loop” solutions—global delivery as a necessity to scale.
  • Addresses problem of “point solution hell”: clients needing dozens of vendors for different tasks (“the value of the whole is much greater than the sum of the individual parts”).
  • Role: IKS positions itself as the “plumbing” of healthcare—vital yet ideally invisible.

6. True Partnership in Healthcare Technology

Financial Commitment & Risk Sharing

• [18:02-22:57]
  • IKS invests its own capital into client organizations to align incentives and drive shared outcomes.
  • Sachin critiques healthcare IT for overpromising and underdelivering compared to provider-side results:
    • Healthcare IT companies have high margins but haven’t delivered equivalent value to providers.
    • Quote: “I don’t want to be one of those healthcare IT vendors that lives with that dissonance. And the way to overcome that…was if we said if we could attach our outcomes to their outcomes.” (Sachin, 20:34)
  • IKS3 Auto: new model where IKS not only enables care but co-invests—creating more accountability and alignment with providers.
  • Acknowledges challenges and doubts about this bold new approach but remains driven by mission.
    • Quote: “I go through moments of intense self doubt… And we’ll only know the right answer in hindsight… I hope it’s not [failure], but it’s certainly something that we’re fiercely committed to.” (Sachin, 23:09)

7. Leadership Insights

Resilience, Humility & Continuous Renewal

• [23:52-25:29]
  • Combats creative drain by playing sports, finding clarity through conversations with his wife, and being kept humble by his teenage daughter.
  • Quote: “One of my biggest learnings as a leader is I severely underestimated how much leaders have to spend time on human dynamics.” (Sachin, 25:15)
  • Human dynamics and organizational culture become more challenging as company size grows, especially in tech-enabled firms.

8. Advice to the Next Generation

For His Daughter and Her Peers

• [25:29-26:24]
  • Two major pieces of advice:
    • Don’t waste time—it’s the one truly finite resource.
    • Don’t take yourself too seriously—maintain humility and perspective.
  • Quote: “Don’t waste time because that’s the one thing that slips and never comes back… Use your time well. And don’t take yourself too seriously.” (Sachin, 25:50)

9. Closing Reflections

Gratitude & The American Dream

• [27:03-27:55]
  • Sachin expresses gratitude for his journey and the opportunity to learn from others.
  • Reiterates the sense of living the American dream and the fulfillment found in both the mission and relationships built along the way.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “One should just constantly try to be a better version of themselves than they are, than they were yesterday. And that better version of yourself comes through real work that you put in every day.” (Sachin, 02:56)
• “I felt like if there is something we could do to enable that tradition led caregiver led transformation of healthcare to sustainability, that would be a pretty exciting mission to embark on.” (Sachin, 07:14)
• “Sport builds character in a very, very profound way that often academic success alone does not.” (Sachin, 09:46)
• “If we have to move to physician led healthcare, physicians… have to focus on core, which is patient care and patient experience, and everything else becomes an ever expanding chore…” (Sachin, 14:07)
• “I don’t want to be one of those healthcare IT vendors that lives with that dissonance. And the way to overcome that dissonance… was if we could attach our outcomes to their outcomes.” (Sachin, 20:34)
• “As we are doing this, in a moment of candor, I’ll share that I go through moments of intense self doubt… I hope it’s not [failure], but it’s certainly something that we’re fiercely committed to even as one is going through the self doubt.” (Sachin, 23:09)
• “Don’t waste time because that’s the one thing that slips and never comes back… Use your time well. And don’t take yourself too seriously.” (Sachin, 25:50)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:28 — Sachin Gupta’s Introduction & Music Taste
• 02:03 — Life Mantra & Influential Quote
• 03:53 — Personal Background: Childhood and Upbringing
• 07:14 — Founding Vision of IKS Health
• 09:04 — Sports & Character Building
• 11:03 — Meeting His Wife as Pivotal Life Event
• 12:50 — Mission of IKS Health: “Chore to Core”
• 14:07 — Integrated Technology & Human in the Loop
• 18:36 — Risk-Sharing: IKS’s Investment Model with Partners
• 23:09 — Facing Doubts and Balancing Courage in Leadership
• 25:09 — Leadership Challenges: Human Dynamics
• 25:50 — Life Advice to Next Generation

Thematic Highlights & Tone

The episode is warm, candid, and rich with personal reflection and actionable leadership wisdom. Sachin balances business insights with humility and a sense of gratitude, providing both strategic vision and authentic vulnerability. Ed Marx supports the conversation with appreciation and personal relatability, enabling a friendly yet insightful exchange.

For listeners and healthcare professionals, this episode encapsulates the mindset and mission needed to drive true transformation—where technology, human connection, and principled leadership converge at the future of healthcare.