Dr. R. Kishore Kumar

MBBS , DCH (Mysore), MD (Paed, India), FNNF (India), FIAP, DCH (London), MRCP (Paed, U.K.), MRCP (Ireland), FRCPCH (U.K.), Sabbatical at Johns Hopkins (U.S.A.), FRCPI, FRACP (Australia),

Management in Healthcare Delivery (Harvard Business School, U.S.A.)

Chief Neonatologist, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, INDIA

Founder Chairman & Executive Director, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, INDIA

Chairman, Cloudnine Foundation, INDIA

Adjunct Professor of Neonatology, Notre Dame University, PERTH, AUSTRALIA

Dr. R. Kishore Kumar is a globally renowned neonatologist who has worked across four continents – India, the U.K., Australia, and the U.S. His extraordinary array of qualifications and experience made him one of the world’s most highly qualified neonatologists by the age of 30, a distinction for which he was felicitated by former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

Despite his success overseas for over 18 years – saving the most premature and complex babies, leading departments in top hospitals, pioneering pilot rural programs in Australia, and being sought after globally for his clinical expertise – he remained determined to transform maternal and neonatal standards in India. At the time, India faced staggering statistics: 97 maternal deaths per 100,000 deliveries and extremely low survival rates for babies born before 28 weeks. In contrast, such deaths were virtually unheard of in the West. Dr. Kumar envisioned a specialised mother-and-baby hospital delivering world-class care, rooted in his belief that pregnancy is a wellness, not an illness, and should not be clubbed within a multispeciality hospital.

In 2006, this vision became reality with the launch of Cloudnine’s flagship centre in Jayanagar, Bangalore, co-founded with his wife Vidya Kumar and two other co-founders. As Founder & Executive Director (also serving as CEO, MD, and Chairman in the formative years), he combined his clinical brilliance with entrepreneurial vision to pioneer a shift in India’s maternal and neonatal landscape.

From building the leadership team and convincing investors to believe in an untested concept, to proving sceptics wrong about outcomes and profitability, Dr. Kumar trailblazed Cloudnine’s path as the first-of-its-kind healthcare model in India.

He sourced the world’s most advanced equipment, recruited exceptional talent with local AND global expertise, and leveraged international networks to enhance training for Indian doctors. He united obstetrics, gynaecology, fertility, neonatology, paediatrics, and parental training under one roof. With the goal for Cloudnine to not look or feel like a hospital, we ensured every pregnancy was treated as a joyful journey, not a medical episode.

Dr. Kumar and Cloudnine have received numerous accolades, including the highly acclaimed Royal Australasian College of Physicians International Medal in 2025, Marquis’ Who’s Who in Medicine & Healthcare, Forbes India Most Potential Start-Ups to Watch For in 2012, ET Leaders of Tomorrow, Trailblazers of India, and the Pride of Karnataka Award, among many others.

A respected global thought leader, Dr. Kumar is frequently invited to share insights at international conferences, consortiums, and advisory boards. Yet, his entrepreneurial journey has never distanced him from his true passion: caring for babies. He continues to practice clinically, publish in leading journals, contribute to global research, and mentor the next generation of healthcare leaders across start-ups, research, and medical practice. Through the Cloudnine Foundation, he will extend this impact to underserved communities across India.

Today, Dr. Kishore’s vision for Cloudnine stands as a testament to his determination – a leading chain of specialised mother-and-child hospitals with 40+ centres across 14 cities, over 250,000 deliveries, a maternal mortality rate of just 4 per 100,000, and survival rates for babies under 28 weeks that exceed global standards. These outcomes are validated by the Vermont Oxford Network, wherein Cloudnine remains the only Asian healthcare chain.