Dr. Nandakumar is a general surgeon who co-founded the ASHWINI Gudalur Adivasi Hospital, Gudalur, Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India, and was its Director from 1990 to 2020. He is the recipient of the Paul Harrison Outstanding Alumnus Award 2005 from his alma mater CMC, Vellore, the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery India 2016 Surgical Champion’s Award “Center of Excellence in Surgical Training?, the Humanitarian Award 2018 from the American College of Surgeons and is a member of the Steering Committee for the National Health Mission, Government of India.