Leadership and Vision

Driven by Excellence

At the Varanasi Burn Institute, our leadership and medical team represent the highest standards in burn care, combining extensive training, years of surgical experience, and a deep commitment to compassionate treatment. Carefully chosen for their expertise and genuine care, these professionals—guided by leaders like Dr. Subodh Kumar Singh—pair advanced techniques with the human element essential to healing. This balance of skill and empathy ensures every patient receives thoughtful, effective burn care and the support needed to recover with dignity.

Dr. Subodh Kumar Singh, President of the Association of Plastic Surgeons of India, brings over 30 years of experience and more than 50,000 surgeries, including 6,000 free burn procedures to a vision to pioneer a state-of-the-art center burn care in India.

A telemedicine pioneer, Dr. Singh hopes VBI will one day be a national training hub, elevating care standards across India.

A group of seven people sitting on a porch, including a woman in traditional red Indian attire, an elderly woman, three children, and a man wearing glasses and a white shirt, with another woman in a yellow dress in the background outside.
Medical team performing surgery in an operating room at night under bright surgical lights, doctors wearing green scrubs, surgical masks, and caps.
Logo of Varanasi Burn Institute featuring a stylized lotus flower with two hands in a prayer position at its center, with the name written below.

A new standard for reconstructive surgery in India.

"India faces a significant burden from burn injuries, underscoring the critical need for specialized care. The Varanasi Burn Institute, (VBI)  led by Dr. Subodh Kumar Singh, is poised to deliver excellent high-quality burn treatment and rehabilitation.  Dr. Subodh’s leadership extends beyond patient care to the rigorous training of the next generation of surgeons, ensuring sustainable advancements in burn care across the region.  Once completed, VBI’s dedication to clinical precision and education will set a new standard for reconstructive surgery in India.”

Dr. Joseph G. McCarthy, MD
Professor Emeritus of Plastic Surgery, NYU Langone Health

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Our most valuable assets.
The best care from the best people.

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Dr. Subodh Singh

Dr Subodh Kumar Singh - MBBS, MS (General Surgery), MCh (Plastic Surgery), Founder, G.S. Memorial Trust & Director, Varanasi Burn Institute

Dr. Subodh Kumar Singh is a renowned plastic and reconstructive surgeon whose career has been defi ned by service to those most in need. Over two decades ago, he established G. S. Memorial Plastic Surgery Hospital (GSMH) in Varanasi, with the vision of making advanced reconstructive surgery accessible to all. Under his leadership, GSMH became a centre of excellence for cleft lip and palate care in partnership with Smile Train, where he and his team have performed more than 45,000 free cleft surgeries for children and adults. His work has restored not just faces, but also the confidence, dignity, and futures of thousands of families.

Alongside his pioneering cleft work, Dr. Singh has been deeply committed to advancing burn care. Over the years, he has treated thousands of burn patients free of charge, regaining mobility, function, and dignity for survivors of devastating burn injuries. His specialisation in advanced burn reconstruction has enabled children and adults alike to walk, work, and live independently again.

His humane approach and innovative surgical techniques have been globally well-acclaimed, including through the award-winning National Geographic documentary Before and After: How Plastic Surgery Changed This Girl’s Life, highlighting his transformative work with burn survivors. Through the upcoming Varanasi Burn Institute, Dr. Singh foresees creating one of India’s largest, nonprofit and state-of-the-art burn care centers, combining treatment,training, research, and rehabilitation to set novel standards in affordability and accessibility.

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Dr. Kamalesh Gupta

Dr. Kamalesh Chandra Gupta - Senior Consultant Anaesthesiologist | Chief Anaesthesiologist, G.S. Memorial Plastic Surgery Hospital.

Dr. K.C. Gupta is a highly respected anaesthesiologist with over four decades of experience in clinical practice, education, and leadership. Since 1982, he has been serving the people of Varanasi, and today he is the Chief Anaesthesiologist at G.S. Memorial Plastic Surgery Hospital.

A graduate and postgraduate of the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Dr. Gupta pioneered the establishment of super-speciality anaesthesia in Varanasi, introducing advanced neuro, paediatric, urology, and plastic surgery anaesthesia to the region.

He has held several senior positions, including Senior Medical Superintendent and Senior Anaesthesiologist at V.S. Mehta Hospital, where he served for 25 years, often for charitable causes. Since 2004, he has been deeply engaged with Smile Train cleft surgeries, providing safe anaesthesia for more than 20,000 cleft patients, believed to be among the world’s highest numbers by a single anaesthesiologist.

Dr. Gupta has presented research at national conferences, taught undergraduate medical and nursing students, and chaired scientifi c sessions across India and abroad. He is a life member of multiple professional societies, including the Indian Society of Anaesthesiologists, the Indian Medical Association, and the Red Cross Society. His work has been recognised with numerous awards, including the Dr. S. Nath Memorial Award for outstanding clinical performance (2010) and felicitation by the Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU (2009).

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Dr. Anupan Singh

Dr. Anupam Narayan Singh - Consultant Anaesthesiologist | G.S. Memorial Plastic Surgery Hospital

Dr. Anupam Narayan Singh is an experienced anaesthesiologist with over two decades of expertise in anaesthesiology and critical care. He completed his MBBS from JJM Medical College, Mysore University (1994), followed by an MD in Anaesthesiology and Critical Care from Banaras Hindu University (2003).

With more than 20 years of clinical experience, Dr. Singh has worked extensively across neurosurgery, pediatric surgery, general and laparoscopic surgery, obstetrics & gynaecology, oncology, and intensive care. For the past 17+ years, he has been closely associated with G.S. Memorial Plastic Surgery Hospital under the Smile Train program, providing safe anaesthesia to thousands of children undergoing cleft lip and palate surgeries.

Dr. Singh is known for his compassionate approach to patient care and his ability to put both children and their families at ease during complex surgical journeys. His deep expertise and dedication make him an integral part of the hospital’s mission to deliver safe, high-quality surgical care to underserved patients.

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Dr. Gaurav Nayyar

Dr Gaurav Nayyar - MBBS, MS, MCh (Plastic Surgery) - is a Plastic Surgeon and Medical Superintendent at G.S. Memorial Hospital, Varanasi. Trained at Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, India’s largest burn centre, he specialises in reconstructive surgery, burn management, cleft lip and palate repair, and aesthetic surgery.

He is a member of the National Academyof Burns India and the Indian Society of Cleft Lip, Palate, and Craniofacial Anomalies and serves as Joint Organising Secretary and Treasurer of APSICON 2025.

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Dr. Ishan Singh

Dr. Ishan Singh is a Consultant Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgeon at G.S. Memorial Hospital, with extensive expertise spanning the full spectrum of Cranio-maxillofacial surgery. Over the course of his career, he has performed more than 3,000 corrective surgical procedures, including complex cleft lip and palate repairs, craniofacial anomaly corrections, orthognathic surgeries, advanced rhinoplasties, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) surgeries, and facial trauma reconstructions.

His surgical acumen extends to distraction osteogenesis, cranial vault remodeling, comprehensive facial rehabilitation with special interest in Virtual Surgical Planning (VSP) and 3D printing.
Dr. Singh has keen interest in surgical education and capacity building. He serves as the Academic Director for GSMH’s Smile Train–accredited Comprehensive Cleft Care fellowship and is the Director of the AOMSI Fellowship in Cleft and Craniofacial Surgery, where he mentors and trains young surgeons in advanced techniques and multidisciplinary cleft-craniofacial care protocols.

A Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Glasgow, Dr. Singh combines clinical expertise with academic leadership and healthcare innovation.

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Dr. Shivangi Gaur

Dr Shivangi Gaur - BDS, MDS Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon | Consultant - is an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon with advanced training in cleft lip and palate surgery. She completed her Bachelor of Dental Surgery from Christian Dental College, Ludhiana, and her Master’s in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from
Saveetha Dental College, Chennai. She further specialised through a Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery fellowship at G.S. Memorial Hospital, Varanasi.

Dr Shivangi has extensive experience in a wide range of oral and maxillofacial procedures, including cleft lip and palate repair, trauma management, orthognathic surgery, implants, and corrective jaw surgery. During her fellowship, she gained hands-on expertise in primary and secondary cleft surgeries, rhinoplasty, bone grafting, scar revision, and related procedures.

She has authored over 25 publications in reputed national and international journals and has presented her research at various conferences across India. Her academic achievements include multiple gold medals and awards for excellence during her training. She believes in a multidisciplinary approach, ensuring that every patient receives not only surgical correction but also the necessary speech, dental, and psychological support to lead a confident life.