Brief Profile
Dr. Thangjam Dhabali Singh (Dhabali Thangjam)
Chairman & Managing Director, BABINA Group of Companies, Imphal, Manipur, India
Academic and Professional Career
Dr. Thangjam Dhabali Singh was born in Imphal on 1st January 1956. He is the fifth among ten siblings in the family. He had a bright academic career and completed MBBS from the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (the erstwhile RMC) in the year 1977. He completed his post-graduation (MD) in Pathology from PGIMER, Chandigarh, in 1982, was awarded the Silver Medal, the highest departmental accolade, and nominated for the Katariya Gold Medal for the best outgoing Resident. After serving at PGIMER as a Senior Resident, he joined the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, as a teaching faculty member. Having served for many academically fulfilling years at RIMS, he voluntarily retired from service as an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology in 1994. Since then, he has been working full-time as Laboratory Director of BABINA Diagnostics (formerly BABINA Diagnostic Centre), Imphal. Under his watchful guidance, BABINA Diagnostics has grown into one of the largest and most well-equipped medical diagnostic laboratories in Eastern India. He served as Professor of Pathology on a contract basis at Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, for two years, 2010-2012.
Recognising the necessity to diversify its activities and to harness the untapped tourism potential of the region, by 2005, he started planning, and BABINA Healthcare and Hospitality Industries Pvt. Ltd. was established in 2007. It operates as a conglomerate comprising BABINA Diagnostics and The Classic Hotel. The BABINA Group of Companies includes BABINA Healthcare & Hospitality Industries Pvt. Ltd., BABINA Hospitalities Pvt. Ltd., BABINA Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., and BABINA Education Foundation Pvt. Ltd., with operations spanning healthcare, hospitality, education and related fields. The Classic Group of Hotels are the hospitality unit of the group. BABINA Specialty Hospital, established in 2020, provides dedicated cancer care facilities, being the first of its kind in the state. BABINA Hospital, a 200-bed multispecialty hospital, became operational by August 2024. BABINA Institute of Nursing is the latest addition to the list. As Chairman and Managing Director of the BABINA Group, Dr. Th. Dhabali Singh has been the principal driving force behind the Group’s success through his dynamism and visionary leadership. Currently, the Group employs approximately 1250 professionals, a figure of considerable significance given the region’s acute unemployment challenges.
Extracurricular Activities and Personal Life
Dr. Th. Dhabali Singh actively participates in numerous extracurricular activities and is affiliated with various organisations. He holds memberships and leadership roles in several professional bodies. He is a member of the Indian Medical Association, having served as Vice President and President of the Manipur State Chapter. His involvement extends to the Indian Association of Pathologists and Microbiologists, where he has held positions such as Secretary, Vice President, and President of the North East Chapter. Furthermore, he is a member of the Indian Association of Cytologists and the NE Diabetes Society. Beyond these engagements, he serves as a Patron Member of the Manipur Orthopaedic Society and presides over the Manipur Forum of Pathologists.
Dr. Th. Dhabali is the Founder President of the Manipur Tourism Forum, an organisation established to promote tourism in Manipur. He has participated in numerous summits and seminars at regional, national, and international levels related to the advancement of tourism in Manipur. Dr. Dhabali previously served as the President of the Manipur Chamber of Commerce & Industries. Additionally, he is a member of various governmental and non-governmental organisations and committees.
Happily married to Dr. S. Rita Devi, MD, a retired Professor of Pharmacology and Director of RIMS, they are blessed with three children. The eldest, a daughter named Babina, is a Pathologist; one of their sons, Momocha, is a Radiologist; both working as consultants and the youngest, Naoba, who specialises in Hotel Management, is currently serving as the Director of The Classic Group of Hotels.