Bare Beginnings To Healthcare Empire

R Thangjam Dhabali Singh's journey from abject poverty in a small Manipuri village to becoming one of Northeast India's leading doctor-entrepreneurs is a story of quiet resilience, relentless focus and unshakeable values.

- Prasanta Mazumdar

Born in 1954 in Awang Sekmai, Manipur, Singh was the fifth of ten children in a family that barely made ends meet. His father, Thangjam Birchandra, was a poor farmer with modest schooling; his mother, Maipakpi, was illiterate.

Education was a luxury, but Singh's parents prioritised it nonetheless. "We owe a great deal to our parents for their unwavering support," Singh says. "Despite economic hardships, they made all efforts to ensure we got proper education."

Growing up, Singh wore hand-me-down clothes from his elder brothers — ill-fitting pants and shirts that drew jeers from classmates. "Their comments about my dress sense hurt me deeply," he recalls. But these slights only strengthened his resolve. He completed his MBBS under Gauhati University in 1978 with high ranks, and later topped his MD in Pathology at the prestigious Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, after clearing a national-level entrance test.

Life as a student was a struggle. "Managing a month with Rs 100 after paying mess fees was extremely difficult," he says. A football enthusiast, Singh depended on a well-off friend to sponsor match tickets. "It was embarrassing, but I never let it distract me from my goal."