Returning to India in 1995 on invitation from Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi, he has remained at the forefront of GI cancer surgery, advanced laparoscopy, single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS), bariatric surgery and robotic innovation. He performed the country’s first thoracoscopic surgery, marking the beginning of advanced minimally invasive thoracic surgery in India. He began bariatric surgery in 2004, became one of India’s earliest robotic surgeons in 2012, and achieved a global milestone by performing the world’s first robotic mini-gastric bypass (MGB/OAGB) in 2013. Since 2018, he has been a pioneer in robotic abdominal wall reconstruction.

Dr Prasad has performed more than 1,000 robotic procedures and over 2,000 bariatric operations. He is recognised as a first-generation pioneer in advanced GI laparoscopy, thoracoscopy, SILS, bariatric surgery and robotic surgery in India, with multiple national surgical firsts to his name.

He has served as President of the Obesity Surgery Society of India and the MGB-OAGB International Society, and currently serves as Vice President of the Association of Robotic and Innovative Surgeons. He has organised several landmark national and international conferences in laparoscopic surgery, bariatrics, abdominal wall reconstruction and robotics, and is a regular invited faculty member at major global meetings, where he has delivered lectures, conducted workshops and performed live robotic surgical demonstrations.

He has been invited and felicitated as a senior surgical leader in the United Kingdom by academic institutions and professional bodies including Cambridge University and the Royal College of Surgeons, as well as internationally by organisations such as the American College of Surgeons and numerous societies across Europe and Asia. NISAU UK Award for Science and Innovation at the House of Lords Westminster UK Parliament was another highlight of appreciation of his contribution.

Passionate about innovation, technology and surgical education, Dr Arun Prasad continues to integrate advanced techniques to improve patient outcomes while mentoring the next generation of surgeons. Outside the operating room, he is an avid cricketer, scuba diver and skydiver, reflecting the same discipline, precision and spirit of exploration that define his surgical career.