Draft:Dr Saanjiv Singh Chaawla
Dr Saanjiv Singh Chaawla is an Indian homoeopathic physician, healthcare entrepreneur, and philanthropist with more than three decades of clinical experience in homoeopathy. He represents the second generation of a healthcare legacy established by his father, Dr Lal Singh Ji, whose clinical work and commitment to homoeopathy became the foundation of Dr Chaawla's professional journey. He currently serves as Managing Director of Dr Lal Singh Group of Companies and heads the Centre for Advanced Homeopathy (CAH), and is the founder and driving force behind the Dr Lal Singh Foundation, which operates 25 charitable homoeopathic dispensaries across Delhi NCR and a daily free Langar outside AIIMS, New Delhi.
Early Life
Dr Chaawla entered the field of homoeopathy with the objective of carrying forward the legacy established by his father, Dr Lal Singh Ji, while developing it to meet changing healthcare needs. Over the years, his work has expanded beyond individual clinical practice into healthcare management, homoeopathic formulations, manufacturing, education and mentoring of younger professionals, charitable healthcare, and community service.
Career
With more than 35 years of association with clinical homoeopathy, Dr Chaawla has devoted a major part of his professional life to treating patients and promoting greater awareness and acceptance of the homoeopathic system of medicine. He provides clinical services through four principal centres across Delhi NCR. An important element of his clinical philosophy is accessibility: patients he identifies as genuinely unable to afford treatment are provided consultation and assistance without charge. Dr Chaawla believes that financial circumstances should not become an unnecessary barrier between a patient and healthcare.
As Managing Director of Dr Lal Singh Group of Companies, Dr Chaawla has worked to bring together decades of clinical experience with contemporary healthcare development and manufacturing. His professional activities encompass homoeopathic medicines and formulations, nutraceuticals, herbal healthcare, and cosmetic products. He has been closely associated with the development of specialised homoeopathic formulations, including the ELHEFCO range, alongside additional healthcare initiatives developed under the Group. His broader professional vision is to preserve clinical experience accumulated over generations while strengthening standards, innovation, and responsible manufacturing, and eventually expanding the reach of Indian homoeopathy internationally.
An important part of Dr Chaawla's vision is the future of young homoeopathic professionals. He believes a medical system can grow only when its younger practitioners are provided respect, employment, practical exposure, and opportunities to develop professionally. The network of charitable dispensaries associated with the Dr Lal Singh Foundation therefore serves not only patients but also provides a platform for qualified homoeopathic doctors to practise and develop clinical experience.
Philanthropy
Dr Chaawla is the founder and driving force behind the Dr Lal Singh Foundation, active in organised charitable healthcare and community service since 2008, developed around the principle that healthcare institutions carry a responsibility toward the communities in which they operate. The Foundation operates approximately 25 charitable homoeopathic dispensaries across Delhi NCR, many functioning through Gurdwaras and Mandirs, providing free consultation and medicines. Approximately 40 homoeopathic doctors are presently associated with these services. The initiative serves the dual purpose of making homoeopathic healthcare accessible to those who need it while providing meaningful employment, clinical exposure, and professional dignity to qualified homoeopathic doctors, particularly younger practitioners entering the profession.
Dr Chaawla's approach to philanthropy is strongly influenced by the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and the Sikh principles of Naam Japo (remembrance of the Divine), Kirat Karo (earning through honest work), and Vand Chhako (sharing what one has with others). Of these, Vand Chhako has particularly shaped his approach to social responsibility; he has said that professional and financial success acquires deeper meaning when a portion of what one earns and creates is shared with society. His charitable initiatives seek to serve people irrespective of religion, caste, community, or economic background.
365-Day Free Langar at AIIMS
Among the Foundation's major humanitarian initiatives is its daily free Langar service outside Gate No. 1 of AIIMS on Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi. Inspired by the tradition of Langar and the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, approximately 1,000 people are served food every day. The service operates 365 days a year, generally between approximately 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., without a weekly holiday and without charge to those receiving food.
Run for Cause
Dr Chaawla is also associated with Run for Cause, an annual event organised around World Homoeopathy Day, observed on 10 April to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of homoeopathy. Organised for approximately a decade, the initiative combines awareness of homoeopathy with a message of inclusion, dignity, and equality for persons with disabilities, placing individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities at the centre of the celebration through special activities and performance opportunities, alongside members of the public who join in solidarity. The programme includes an approximately 5-kilometre Run for Cause, with participants recognised through medals, and competitive categories carrying cash awards of ₹25,000, ₹15,000, and ₹10,000.
Achievements
Over his professional journey, Dr Saanjiv Singh Chaawla has received numerous awards, honours, and appreciations recognising his contribution to homoeopathy, healthcare, and community service. His notable recognitions include a Lifetime Achievement Award, recognition associated with the World Book of Records, an honour associated with the British Parliament, and recognition from the World Brotherhood Society, in addition to awards and appreciations from organisations associated with homoeopathy, healthcare, and social service. Full details of the exact titles, awarding institutions, venues, and years of these honours are pending verification.
Distinguished Citizen of India (DCI) Award
Dr Chaawla believes recognition should also be extended to deserving individuals whose contributions may otherwise go unnoticed. With this philosophy, the Distinguished Citizen of India (DCI) Award was instituted as part of the Annual Day associated with the Dr Lal Singh Group of Companies and Dr Lal Singh Foundation. The award recognises individuals whose work has made a meaningful impact on society, with only three individuals selected each year to preserve its selectivity. It is not restricted to a particular profession, and consideration is given to the sincerity, continuity, and social impact of a candidate's contribution rather than their profession or social status. The award is an independently instituted recognition and is not presented as a government civilian honour.
Personal Life
Dr Chaawla has described the real measure of success as not simply the size of an organisation, professional recognition, or financial achievement, but how much of that success ultimately returns to society. He has summarised his philosophy through three interconnected ideas: heal with knowledge, earn with integrity, and share with society.