Transforming Lives Beyond Healthcare: How ORGAN India Champions CX Through Compassion, Advocacy & Global Sports
At the heart of every transformative customer experience lies a story of empathy, innovation, and relentless purpose. Today, we’re honored to welcome a true changemaker to CXQuest — Ms. Sunayana Singh, CEO of ORGAN India, an initiative of the Parashar Foundation that has been a pioneer in the organ donation space in India since 2013.
From driving awareness across medical ecosystems to empowering transplant recipients to represent India on the world stage, ORGAN India exemplifies a purpose-driven, people-first approach to impact. Under Sunayana’s visionary leadership, ORGAN India has gone beyond advocacy — creating a powerful ripple effect in healthcare and sports, redefining how meaningful experiences can transform lives.
Join us as we explore how customer experience is not just about service — it’s about saving lives, building communities, and offering second chances.
Welcome to CXQuest, Ms. Singh! It’s an absolute privilege to have you with us. Your journey from journalism to organ donation advocacy and leading Team India to success at the World Transplant Games is nothing short of extraordinary. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us and share your insights on how empathy and awareness can change the narrative of healthcare and human connection.
A Unique Journey
Q1. From journalism to healthcare advocacy — your journey is truly unique. What sparked your passion for organ donation, and how did ORGAN India come into being?
SS: I can say I almost stumbled into organ donation. My close friend, Anika Parashar, who is now Chairperson on the Parashar Foundation, was going through a very tough time. Her mother Late Mrs. Kirti Parashar, needed a heart transplant, and at that time, there was very little awareness in Delhi. The family had no idea where to go, how to get a transplant, or what the process involved. There was no organization to help guide us through the transplant process — how to register, how to ensure she gets a transplant, and more. Anika asked me, “Why don’t we start something? I really want to start something to help others.” I said ‘Ok’ and we discussed it, came up with the name “ORGAN India” (Organ Receiving and Giving Awareness Network), and it became an initiative of the Parashar Foundation. We officially started in March 2013.
At that time, Kirti Parashar, the chairperson, was undergoing her own heart transplant journey. She was very determined that no one else should go through what she did. She did eventually receive her transplant in 2013, and that became a turning point for us. We saw firsthand how organ donation can truly give someone a second chance at life. Seeing her coming out of her house and going out every morning to live her life inspired me every day. Keerthi’s life changed dramatically — after the transplant, she was able to travel, eat whatever she wanted, and live freely. That’s how ORGAN India came to be, and that’s how I got involved.
CX-first Approach
Q2. ORGAN India has championed a CX-first approach in a sector where the ‘customer’ is often vulnerable and in crisis. What does ‘customer experience’ mean to you in the context of healthcare advocacy?
SS: Yes, our main focus was always on helping people who’ve been told they need a transplant. Our goal is to guide them through the entire journey — helping them connect with the right hospitals, doctors, and understanding the process. The people we serve are in a very vulnerable state, and we truly empathize with them.
We’ve got two key goals: Large scale Awareness and Helping those in need of an organ transplant who have no idea what to do. They’re in a terrible place, and there’s often little hope because the organ donation rate in India is so low.
Healthcare advocacy, for us, means helping people navigate the system to receive the organ transplants they need. We’ve also highlighted other important issues, like the fact that living donors don’t always get health insurance, despite making such a selfless sacrifice. We’ve raised this issue with NOTTO and the Ministry. We take up these issues at conferences and conclave that we organize with the government and work towards resolving them.
In fact, e also run a 24/7 helpline, staffed by our team, including myself. We don’t outsource this to agents because we believe that, as people who truly understand the situation, we can connect more meaningfully with the families and help them.
Experiences That Connect
Q3. You’ve built an ecosystem around education, awareness, and empowerment. How has ORGAN India designed experiences that connect with families, patients, donors, and medical professionals alike?
SS: Yes, we’ve built an ecosystem that focuses on both awareness and empowerment. We connect with families, listen to their experiences, and share these with the public. We also talk to patients, understand their challenges, and work to improve their experiences.
Since 2016 we conceived of and have been hosting a collaborative conclave where NGOs, the government, and other stakeholders come together to discuss challenges and find solutions. This provides an opportunity for the government to understand what’s happening on the ground — because, while they can’t be everywhere, we, as NGOs, have a wide presence across the country.
Awareness and Capacity Building
When it comes to medical professionals, our goal is to make sure that accurate information is available to the public. We often conduct interviews with doctors and share them on social media and YouTube. Also, we connect patients with doctors for consultations. In addition, we hold seminars and webinars for the medical fraternity and hospitals who want to become retrieval centres and eventually transplant centres. Awareness is one area, but capacity building especially in government hospitals is something that needs a lot of attention.
We’ve created two important online directories: one is the Transplant Guide, which lists hospitals in India that perform transplants, along with contacts for patients to start their journey. This was something Mrs. Parashar never had when she was looking for help — she had no idea which hospitals were performing transplants, which doctors to contact, or who to talk to. So, we worked for two years to create this directory.
The second directory is for body donation, listing medical colleges where people can pledge their bodies. This resource helps people find the right contacts in their local areas, so they can easily make their decision, fill out a form and donate their bodies when the time comes.
World Transplant Games
Q4. Sports has become an inspiring extension of your mission. How did the idea of sending transplant recipients to the World Transplant Games evolve, and how does it amplify your CX strategy?
SS: Sports is possible the one aspect that inspired us the most. It came about after a few athletes approached us, saying no one was really taking the Indian team to the World Transplant Games seriously. They spoke about how other teams came well-prepared with proper training, team management, and coaches, while the few Indians who did attend were just “hanging around” without any support. Frankly that last bit angered us the most. Why should we be second class citizens in international events?
So, with support from players and some organizations in India, in 2021, we applied to the World Transplant Games Federation, and we were appointed as team managers for India. I was also appointed as the country representative. It’s been incredibly fulfilling. People often think that once someone has had a transplant, they’re just a patient who needs to be careful, but these athletes have shown that life after transplant can be very fit and healthy. I am in awe of them. Despite the terrible lows they have been through, they train, play, and perform exceptionally on the international stage. Their positivity and zest for life is proof that organ donation is a life-changing gift.
35 Medals at 2023 Games in Perth
Q5. India bagged 35 medals at the 2023 Games in Perth. What kind of feedback did you receive from athletes, families, and supporters? How do these emotional moments’ drive your future vision?
SS: After the 2023 Games, when the athletes returned to their hometowns, they received an incredible reception. They were garlanded, felicitated by local governments, and celebrated in various ways. Some communities even held processions to honor them. It was an emotional and proud moment for all of us.
This experience has reaffirmed that transplant sports are a powerful way to raise awareness about organ donation. Winning medals in these games sends a clear message: organ donation saves lives. These athletes are living proof that a second chance at life after transplant can lead to incredible accomplishments.
The feedback has been phenomenal, and it’s made us realize how crucial it is to promote transplant sports. It’s a great way to increase awareness and inspire more people to support organ donation. Many people are now reaching out to us, wanting to be part of the team for the 2025 World Transplant Games in Germany.
Largest-ever Contingent for Games in Dresden
Q6. You’re preparing India’s largest-ever contingent for the 2025 Games in Dresden. What support systems or touchpoints are you creating to deliver a seamless athlete experience from preparation to podium?
SS: We’re preparing the largest-ever contingent — currently, we have over 100 registrations, though we expect that number to drop as some athletes may not be able to attend for health or financial reasons. We anticipate taking around 60-70 athletes. Like last time, we have appointed a Shankar Arora as Team Manager specifically for the WTG.
To support athletes, we’ve partnered with Manav Rachna University and the Manav Rachna Sports Science Centre for training camps. These camps provide nutritional training, psychological assessments, and physical evaluations. We give athletes a list of things to focus on in the months leading up to the next camp, and by the time the second or third camp rolls around, they’ve made significant improvements.
Team Dynamic
The camps also serve as an opportunity for athletes to bond, which was something that didn’t happen in previous years. At the 2019 Games, the athletes met for the first time on the international stage. Now, we want them to form a team dynamic here in India. We can’t be more grateful to Manav Rachna and especially Dr. Amit Bhalla. Vice President · Manav Rachna Educational Institutions, and Mr. Ronjan Sodhi for their unconditional support to our team.
We’re also raising funds to support athletes who can’t afford the trip, which is about 70 percent of the athletes. These games are expensive, and not everyone has the financial resources to attend. We’ve been working hard to secure sponsorships, raise funds, and generate media attention so the athletes are recognized for their incredible efforts. In the last games we were ecstatic to have Kunti Jhaveri from the Dinesh Vyas Charitable Trust come in and support a lot of the athletes after she heard that they wouldn’t be able to go unless someone came forward. This time also she is supporting us. Other came forward too like GK Winding, EXL and To The New. The most amazing part is that no one asked for anything in return and all of them met the athletes and celebrated with them when we came back from Perth.
Building Trust Over Social and Cultural Barriers
Q7. Organ donation still faces social and cultural barriers. How do you humanize and localize the message to build trust — especially in smaller towns and rural communities?
SS: The biggest barrier is lack of awareness. People simply don’t know enough about organ donation, and that’s something we’re working to change. We’ve made great strides, but there’s still a long way to go, not only in smaller towns and rural areas but in urban areas too. You would be shocked at the lack of awareness and understanding on organ donation amongst the most educated people.
It’s about getting the message across that organ donation is supported by the government and isn’t the taboo topic it once may have been. We work hard to inform people about the benefits of organ donation — showing them that it’s a positive, life-saving decision. When people understand the impact it can have, they tend to support it. Indians are big on the concept of daan.
Grassroot Efforts Make A Huge Difference
Q8. You’ve leveraged community radio, schools, and MoUs with district administrations — that’s unique in CX design! Could you share a powerful story where these grassroots efforts made a difference?
SS: Two particular stories stand out. During an awareness talk on organ donation in rural Rajasthan, our team member Dr. Sourabh experienced a moment that truly highlighted the life-changing power of awareness. While he was explaining that a person can donate a portion of their liver while still alive, a woman in the audience stood up, visibly emotional. She said, “Sir, aap pehle kyun nahi aaye? Mere bete ka liver kharab ho gaya tha, to main hi use de deti aur uski jaan bacha leti. Hume tab kisi doctor ne bataya hi nahi ki main apne liver ka hissa de sakti hoon.”
Her words struck our team member deeply. It was heartbreaking that lack of awareness can cost lives. It reaffirmed our belief in the importance of taking these conversations to the grassroots level.
Another team member Aprajita Verma went to a primary healthcare center to give a talk about organ donation. One of the attendees, part of the district health services, came up afterward and shared that her husband was suffering from kidney failure. She had no idea she could be a living donor. Our team member explained the process, and a few months later, she came back to thank her. Her husband had received a kidney transplant, and he was healthy again.
That simple conversation changed someone’s life. While we may not see the immediate impact of all our outreach, stories like this confirm that we’re making a real difference.
Large-scale Awareness Campaigns
Q9. How do you balance large-scale awareness campaigns with deeply personal support — like helping one family make a life-changing decision?
SS: We balance both by prioritizing both large-scale campaigns and personal support. We have large-scale outreach efforts with corporates, radio, and the like, but at the same time, we maintain a very hands-on approach with our helpline. And we do it daily. On the one hand we are giving talks and then coming out and responding to helpline calls. It’s become seamless of our team.
When people call in, we connect them with the right doctors, help them find funding options, and even assist with coordinating organ, tissue or body donations. It’s deeply personal work, and it’s incredibly fulfilling for the team to know that we’re truly helping people in need.
Our team manages both awareness campaigns and personal support simultaneously, which is a unique aspect of what we do.
Vision for ORGAN India
Q10. Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, what is your vision for ORGAN India — and what role do you see technology, storytelling, and partnerships playing in future CX strategies?
SS: Organ donation is all about storytelling. Stories inspire people far more than just facts and figures. Instead of simply asking people to donate their organs, we tell stories of recipients whose lives have been saved, as well as donor families who made the incredible decision to donate despite their personal grief.
Partnerships have always been essential to our success. We’ve built valuable relationships with other NGOs, the government, corporates, and district administrations. We couldn’t have reached this point without these partnerships. We’re not working in isolation — it’s all about collaboration.
Technology plays a crucial role as well. Social media, despite its drawbacks, is an invaluable tool for spreading the message of organ donation. It allows us to reach a wide audience, from the young to the older people. If used properly, it’s a powerful tool for raising awareness and driving change.
Looking ahead, storytelling, partnerships, and technology will remain key to expanding our reach and continuing to drive the message of organ donation forward. Only if we all come together can a difference be made.
Closing
Thank you, Sunayana, for this incredibly moving and enlightening conversation. Your passion, persistence, and ability to reimagine what’s possible through empathy-led advocacy is not just inspiring — it’s transformational. We wish you and the entire Team India all the success as you head towards the World Transplant Games 2025 in Dresden. We’re cheering for you — not just for the medals, but for the message you carry.
From all of us at CXQuest, thank you for sharing your journey and reminding us that the best customer experiences are rooted in compassion, courage, and community. ORGAN India is not just changing lives — it’s rewriting the story of hope in India, one donor and one recipient at a time.
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