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From Diagnostics to Digital Care: How AI is Shaping India’s Healthcare Future
From Diagnostics to Digital Care: How AI is Shaping India’s Healthcare Future

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India’s healthcare system is at a critical juncture. With a growing population and an increasing burden of both communicable and non-communicable diseases, there is a pressing need for technological innovation to improve healthcare access and outcomes. Among these innovations, AI stands out as a transformative force. AI has the potential to revolutionize medical diagnostics, public health surveillance, and personalized care, offering solutions that could improve efficiency and expand healthcare access, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

The Current State of AI in Indian Healthcare

AI in healthcare is already proving its value in India, particularly in areas such as diagnostics, treatment planning, and public health management. The government, through many of its programs, is working towards promoting AI adoption in critical sectors such as healthcare. At the heart of this effort is the potential for AI to address some of the most pressing issues facing India’s healthcare system. According to the recent nasscom-Kantar report which talks about the transformative impact of AI in Indian Healthcare, India lags behind other countries like the US, the UK, China and Japan on almost all key parameters.

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Source: nasscom-Kantar report “Advancing Healthcare in India: Navigating the Transformative Impact of AI

 

The Promise of AI to the Indian Healthcare

AI offers an opportunity to address these concerns by automating routine tasks, optimizing healthcare workflows, and assisting doctors in making faster, and more accurate data-backed decisions. Solutions like AI-backed Hospital Information Systems, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), Radiology Information Systems (RISs), Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACSs), and monitoring systems among others are making processes across healthcare facilities much leaner.

Another key use case being focused on by Healthcare AI companies in India is AI-assisted diagnostics. Early detection of diseases such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, and breast cancer can significantly reduce mortality rates, and AI has demonstrated an ability to aid in this by analyzing medical images like X-rays. AI can also be deployed to detect ophthalmological conditions, such as diabetic retinopathy and cataracts, which are common but often underdiagnosed due to the lack of specialists in rural areas. Additionally, AI is being leveraged to improve the surveillance of vector-borne diseases like dengue and malaria, helping health authorities respond to outbreaks more efficiently.

Beyond diagnostics, AI is also being applied to personalized treatment plans, telemedicine, and health monitoring. For example, AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants are helping patients navigate the healthcare system, while humanoid robots like RIA, introduced at the Digital Health Summit, are offering personalized health advice and interpreting health data. The following periodic table highlights the top themes in Indian healthcare sector seeing high penetration of AI:

Source: nasscom-Kantar report “Advancing Healthcare in India: Navigating the Transformative Impact of AI

Innovations like these show that AI can be a game-changer in both the clinical and home healthcare environments. However, realizing this potential requires a concerted effort from the government, industry stakeholders, and healthcare providers to overcome significant challenges. Although doing this might require strategic and timely thinking, planning, and implementation, but the benefits of AI in healthcare are too significant to be ignored. With the right approach, India can create a healthier and more equitable future for all its citizens.

In the next blog, we will talk more about the government’s role in supporting AI adoption in Indian healthcare, roadblocks which still exist, and what more needs to be done to overcome them. Till then, keep exploring this space for more such content.


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Dhiraj Sharma
Principal Analyst

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