Archive · 25 Sep 2026
Dr M R Rajagopal Wins Iconic Changemaker Award
Dr M R Rajagopal received a major award for helping improve palliative care.
Palliative care helps people feel better when they are suffering from serious illness.
He founded Pallium India.
He believes healthcare should care for a person’s body, mind, social needs and spirit.
This care should happen along with diagnosing and treating diseases.
Poonam Bagai accepted the award for him.
She said Rajagopal helped people understand that relieving suffering is a shared responsibility.
She also recalled learning about palliative care from him more than 20 years ago.
Pallium India founder Dr M R Rajagopal received the Iconic Changemaker Award at the BusinessLine Changemaker Awards 2026.
The award recognized his contribution to expanding palliative care and integrating relief from suffering into healthcare.
Poonam Bagai accepted the award on Rajagopal’s behalf.
Bagai credited Rajagopal with changing how India and the world understand suffering and the responsibility to relieve it.
Rajagopal, an anaesthesiologist, has promoted physical, social, mental and spiritual well-being alongside disease treatment.
- Who
- Dr M R Rajagopal, founder of Pallium India, was honored; Poonam Bagai accepted the award on his behalf.
- What
- He won the Iconic Changemaker Award for expanding palliative care and promoting relief from suffering in healthcare.
- When
- The award was presented at the BusinessLine Changemaker Awards 2026, and the report was published on September 25, 2026.
- Where
- The award was presented at the BusinessLine Changemaker Awards 2026; the article does not specify the event’s location.
- Why
- He was recognized for decades of work integrating physical, social, mental and spiritual well-being into patient care.
- Award
- Iconic Changemaker Award
- Event
- BusinessLine Changemaker Awards 2026
- Recipient
- Dr M R Rajagopal
- Organization
- Pallium India
- Award representative
- Poonam Bagai, Vice-Chairman of Pallium India
- Profession
- Anaesthesiologist
- Publication date
- September 25, 2026