Karuna Ponnada has joined ASG Eye Hospitals Group – a rapidly growing pan-India eye care leader encompassing Vasan Eye Care and 20 other eye care entities – as the Group Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO). Spearheading HR strategy, transformation, and integration for one of the largest and most diverse eye care networks in the country, she will focus on building a unified culture, operational excellence, and future-ready workforce capabilities.
In her new role, Karuna will lead the human capital strategy across a growing network of over 165 hospitals in more than 80 cities, including the Vasan Eye Care network. Her mandate includes driving scalable HR practices, fostering a values-based culture, and advancing leadership and inclusion across the organization.
With over 20 years of HR leadership experience, Karuna has held senior roles in healthcare, IT, and telecom sectors. Prior to joining ASG, she served as CHRO at Sir H.N. Reliance Foundation Hospital &Health Care Initiatives. Her previous tenures include Apollo Hospitals, Cigniti Technologies, Genpact, and Airtel, where she focused on organizational transformation, workforce agility, and culture-building.
Karuna brings deep expertise in HR strategy, digital transformation, talent management, and succession planning. Her approach emphasizes aligning people, purpose, and performance to create high-impact, future-ready organizations.
At ASG Eye Hospitals Group, she will focus on enhancing the employee experience and supporting the group’s broader mission of making quality eye care accessible and equitable across India.