AI in MedTech can transform healthcare, report paper highlights five priorities
New Delhi, August 8
Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Saturday released a knowledge paper on the growing role of Artificial Intelligence in medical technology, highlighting five key priorities to accelerate responsible AI adoption in India's healthcare sector.
Titled 'AI in MedTech: Revolutionising Healthcare Through Artificial Intelligence', the paper was released at the 9th edition of India Medical Device 2026, organised by the Department of Pharmaceuticals in association with FICCI at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
The knowledge paper, jointly developed by Praxis Global Alliance and FICCI, examines India's evolving AI-enabled MedTech landscape and outlines measures required to move AI solutions from successful pilots to large-scale clinical adoption.
The report identifies AI-enabled diagnostics as the first major large-scale application, saying the technology can help extend specialist expertise to primary and secondary healthcare, improve productivity and reduce inequalities in access to healthcare.
It also highlights the need to address fragmented health data and limited evidence, establish predictable lifecycle-based regulation for adaptive AI, and develop supportive procurement and reimbursement mechanisms.
According to the paper, India has already built important foundations for AI adoption through initiatives such as the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, IndiaAI Mission, SAHI, BODH and the National Medical Devices Policy, 2023.
However, the report said AI adoption remains constrained by fragmented data, evolving regulations and limited reimbursement pathways, and called for coordinated action by the government, regulators, healthcare providers, industry, payers and academia.
The report also said India has an opportunity to leverage its software capabilities, digital public infrastructure, clinical diversity and growing MedTech manufacturing base to become a global leader in the responsible development, manufacturing and deployment of AI-enabled medical technologies.
— ANI
Reader Comments
This is promising, but I'm a bit cautious. AI is only as good as the data it's trained on. With India's fragmented health data, how will we ensure the algorithms don't have biases? We need strong regulations before rolling this out at scale. Also, what about data privacy for patients? The paper should address those concerns more clearly.
Good step, but let's not get carried away. We still have hospitals in small towns struggling with basic equipment, and now we're talking AI? Focus on fixing the basics first—clean water, electricity, and basic diagnostics in rural areas. AI can come later when the foundation is solid.
As a doctor working in a private hospital, I can say AI is already helping us in radiology and pathology, but the cost of these systems is still high. The government should incentivise affordable AI solutions for smaller clinics. The Ayushman Bharat mission has laid the groundwork—now let's ensure the tech is accessible and affordable. 🙏
The potential is huge, but the approach needs to be practical. If we can leverage our IT talent and the digital public infrastructure we've built, India could genuinely lead the global MedTech space. But we need proper reimbursement policies—doctors won't adopt AI if they can't get paid for using it under insurance schemes.
I worry about the human touch in healthcare. 😔 AI can assist, but we can't replace doctors. I've seen patients who need empathy and reassurance, not just a diagnosis. Let's use AI as a tool, not as a shortcut
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.