In conversation with The Daily Guardian, Anita Sumra Singh, the Indian-origin CEO of Jorie Healthcare Partners and Jindal MMG, talks about her efforts and expansion in Chandigarh. With a dedicated team, she is bridging the best of Chicago and Chandigarh and in less than a year, her team grew from 11 employees in September 2019 to more than 250 employees today. The company’s exponential growth has made quite a reputation for itself and is offering career opportunities even in these uncertain Covid-19 times. Excerpts:
Q. Please tell us about your journey in Jorie Healthcare.
A. Jorie Healthcare Partners is an ‘outcome sourcing’ company, providing practice and financial management services to the healthcare industry. Since its inception, Jorie has exponentially grown from 11 employees to more than 250 employees. By mid-October, the company plans to increase the total members over 300-400. With an average of 5% attrition rate per month, the company has successfully retained its entire workforce during the lockdown period. It has also created a proactive and systematic approach with employees working from home to effectively manage all client deliveries.
Q. The company completes one year in India. What are its future plans and strategies?
A. The plan is to keep growing and reaching out to the world — we want to see over 2,000 people filling those top two floors in Quark City and more clients availing our RPA-powered services! We would also love to help out the Indian segment of healthcare by exploring collaborations with hospitals that would enable us to convert their patient files into a digital medical card for smoother service. As part of our first anniversary, we have also tied up with the Panchkulabased arm of The Pink Foundation, an NGO that facilitates the development of marginalised women and children across India, besides other activities, to manufacture reusable cloth bags and three-tier face masks for our employees. Not only has this provided the NGO with some much needed employment, it also promoted our belief of eliminating single-usage plastic and promoting our country’s handiwork, rather than looking to export bulk, non-biodegradable plastic items from other countries.
Q. You have created a dedicated set-up in Chandigarh. Is there any particular reason for choosing the city?
A. The company was looking to expand and I decided to explore India for opportunities. We combed through other cities — Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru (the hubs of outsourcing). But my gut told me to go with Chandigarh for two reasons: Having grown up in Chandigarh, I have always wanted to open up employment opportunities for the people here, and I strongly believe that the tri-city area (ChandigarhMohali-Panchkula) and its people are brimming with potential for this sector and development. So, in September 2019, I decided it was an apt time to merge the best of both my worlds — my business family in Chicago with my origins in Punjab. So far, we have been proven right: People are clever and hardworking, and really deliver. We started out with just 11 employees last year, and despite Covid-19, we have expanded to over 250 employees, and are continuing to grow.
Q. What do you have to say about being a woman in this industry, along with being an outsider in the US?
A. I will say this: It is no longer a man’s world, especially in the industry. Women are much stronger and much more capable of multi-tasking: I have never stopped being a mother (of two) or a wife, along with my overnight classes and a full-time high-pressure job in a different country. Women, I feel, are blessed with the power of giving and nurturing new life. Though everyone talks about equality and we are moving in that direction, the grim reality is that women have many glass ceilings that are left to be shattered, be it the wage gap or the lack of women in leadership roles. We have a long way to go, and some of us have even broken that mould. I have made it a constant in my work life and outside it to support and uplift other women.