As Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming one of the most frequently invoked buzzwords in healthcare — promising faster diagnoses, cheaper drug development and wider access to medical services, policymakers and clinicians caution that its real value will depend not on speed alone, but on how thoughtfully it is integrated into an already strained health system.
Speaking at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Pharma & Life Sciences Summit 2025 recently, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh described AI as no longer optional for healthcare, but warned against viewing it as a standalone solution.
“AI is no longer a choice but an essential tool in diagnostics, drug discovery and healthcare delivery,” he said, adding that its use must remain human-centric.
The challenge, Singh noted, lies in developing a hybrid model that combines technological efficiency with clinical judgement and empathy — a theme that increasingly defines global debates on digital health. While algorithms can process data faster than humans, trust, accountability and ethical use remain critical, particularly in a country as diverse as India.
Examples already emerging from the public health system suggest that AI’s impact is most visible where it complements, rather than replaces, existing care models. AI-driven diagnostic tools are reducing culture testing timelines from days to minutes, while AI-enabled telemedicine platforms are extending specialist consultations to remote villages in local languages — addressing both access and confidence gaps among patients.
Singh also placed AI within a broader transformation of India’s health and life sciences ecosystem. He highlighted closer collaboration between government and industry in frontier areas such as biotechnology, gene therapy and vaccine development, arguing that India is steadily shifting from being a net importer of curative healthcare to an exporter of preventive and affordable health technologies.
That transition is increasingly reflected in institutional investments too. For instance, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Jammu, has announced plans to establish a Global Centre of Excellence for AI in Healthcare, following interactions with UK-based firms Axonic Health and Claidroid Technologies.
The proposed centre aims to integrate AI across diagnostics, predictive medicine, clinical decision support, robotic surgical assistance, telemedicine and virtual care.
The focus will be on predictive, preventive and precision-driven healthcare — areas where AI can analyse patterns at scale and flag risks early. The Centre is also envisaged as a global training and certification hub to equip doctors, nurses and technicians with AI-based skills aligned to international benchmarks to benefit patients, said Prof. (Dr.) Shakti Kumar Gupta, Executive Director and CEO of AIIMS Jammu.
At the national level, the Union Health Ministry has expanded AI deployment across public institutions, designating AIIMS Delhi, PGIMER Chandigarh and AIIMS Rishikesh as Centres of Excellence for AI. These centres work alongside bodies such as ICMR, MeitY, IISc, CDAC-Mohali and the National Health Systems Resource Centre, with technical support from Wadhwani AI.
Several AI tools have already moved beyond pilot stages into routine use. MadhuNetrAI, developed for diabetic retinopathy screening, allows trained non-specialist health workers to capture retinal images that are analysed using AI. The tool is operational across 38 centres in 11 States and has reviewed over 14,000 images, supporting screening for more than 7,100 individuals.
AI has also been embedded into the national telemedicine platform eSanjeevani, while in infectious disease control, the ‘Cough against TB’ AI tool has screened over 1.62 lakh people under the National TB Elimination Programme, improving case detection by 12–16% in deployed areas compared to conventional methods.
With AI becoming an integral component of governance and innovation across sectors, India will host the AI Impact Summit in February 2026 to showcase its AI capabilities and promote innovation and responsible deployment.
