The Master of the Digestive Tract

Randhir Sud graduated MBBS from Government Medical College, Amritsar, in 1977, standing first in his professional examinations. He moved to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, where he completed his MD in General Medicine in 1981 and DM in Gastroenterology in 1983, remaining on the faculty until 1985.

He then joined Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi and spent the next twenty-five years building one of the country’s strongest departments of gastroenterology. There he pioneered the systematic introduction of therapeutic gastrointestinal endoscopy in India—training colleagues through live workshops, refining techniques, and making advanced endoscopic procedures accessible. He also launched India’s first dedicated GI Oncology programme, integrating endoscopic diagnosis and treatment of digestive-tract cancers with hepatic and biliary care. Visiting professorships at Harvard Medical School, the University of Texas Medical Branch and the University of Alabama further refined his expertise, particularly in ERCP.

In 2010 he moved to Medanta – The Medicity as Chairman of the Institute of Digestive and Hepatobiliary Sciences, continuing to innovate in endoscopic devices, gastrointestinal cancers and complex liver diseases while mentoring the next generation of specialists. He has served as an examiner for the National Board of Examinations and remains a respected voice in national and international gastroenterology societies.

A gold medallist and recipient of the Indian Society of Gastroenterology’s “Master in Endoscopy” award, he was honoured with the Bharat Ratna Priyadarshini Award and, in 2008, the Padma Shri by the Government of India for his contributions to medicine.

Today, at Medanta and in the many endoscopy suites across India that follow the standards he helped establish, Dr. Randhir Sud’s quiet pioneering work endures—restoring function to the digestive system, detecting cancers early, and training physicians so that patients everywhere may benefit from precise, compassionate care.