Thane neurosurgeon Dr Nilesh Potdar wins Asia's Modern Hero Award 2026 in Manila
Thane neurosurgeon Dr Nilesh Potdar was honoured with the Asia's Modern Hero Award 2026 at a ceremony in Manila, the capital of the Philippines.
Dr Nilesh Potdar, a well-known neurosurgeon from Thane, has received an international award. He was honoured with the Asia's Modern Hero Award 2026 in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. The award is being seen as a matter of pride for Thane.
The ceremony was held on September 25 at the Okada hotel in Manila. The award was presented to Dr Potdar by ECOP president Dr Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr and Karel Hejtmanek, ambassador of the Czech Republic. Leading doctors and entrepreneurs from India and abroad attended the event, and the Thane doctor stood out among them.
Dr Potdar is associated with two hospitals. He is director of Mercury Hospital and works as a neurosurgeon at Galaxy Superspeciality Hospital.
Dr Potdar has a big name in brain and spine surgery. He performs with precision surgeries that many doctors are afraid to attempt. Endoscopic spine surgery is his greatest speciality.
In this method, a large incision is not needed for spinal surgery. The surgery is performed by inserting a camera through a small opening. As a result, the patient has less pain and loses less blood, and starts walking in two to three days. Earlier, a patient had to rest for a month after such surgery, but that is no longer so. This precise method of treatment is what earned him the international honour.
He had also received a major honour earlier, in 2025, when Silicon India Healthcare selected him for its list of the country's top 10 neurosurgeons.
On receiving the award, Dr Nilesh Potdar said, "Precise treatment is my goal. Receiving this award has given me the motivation to do even better work. This honour is not mine alone, but belongs to my entire team at Mercury Hospital and Galaxy Hospital. We are trying to ensure that people in Thane and the surrounding areas get advanced brain and spine treatment in Thane itself, without having to go to Mumbai."
Earlier, people had to go to large hospitals in Mumbai for such major surgeries. Now the same modern technology and the same expert doctors are available in Thane. In Dr Potdar, Thane has got a neurosurgeon of international standard. The award has taken Thane's name in the medical field to the international level. It is hoped that he will do even greater work in the future.
