New Delhi, February 17 With the growing digital public infrastructure and health data ecosystems, India is now in a better position to meaningfully harness artificial intelligence (AI) to the benefit of doctors, healthcare workers, and the 1.4 billion citizens, Union Health Minister JP Nadda said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a session of the AI Impact Summit in the national capital, Nadda said the government has begun creating large-scale, consent-based health data.
"Today, I can confidently say that India has built the infrastructure and the AI; the bullet train is now ready to move.
"With the digital public infrastructure, interoperable systems, and growing health data ecosystems, we are now in a position to meaningfully harness artificial intelligence to benefit our doctors, nurses, healthcare workers, researchers, and most importantly, our 1.4 billion Indian citizens," he said.
In this context, we have launched SAHI (Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare for India), he noted.
SAHI is not just a technology strategy; it is a governance framework, a policy compass, and a national roadmap, he pointed out.
It will guide India in utilizing artificial intelligence for healthcare in a responsible, ethical, and people-centric manner, as the Prime Minister has consistently emphasized, he opined.
"We want to work hand-in-hand with our friends in the private sector to leverage their innovation, agility, and entrepreneurial energy to solve India's national health challenges," he noted.
SAHI provides a clear-cut framework for collaboration where innovation thrives, but public interest always comes first.
One such area where artificial intelligence has transformative possibilities is the pharmaceuticals and life sciences, with the intelligent use of artificial intelligence, he noted.
"We can use it for drug discovery, timelines can be significantly reduced, clinical research can become faster and more cost-effective, and India can strengthen its position as a Biopharma powerhouse," he said.
This is not only for India's benefit but also for global health and humanity at large. In this true sense, this is about people, planet, and progress. In this effort of harnessing artificial intelligence, our academic institutions are crucial hubs, he noted.
They will play a very decisive role in creating the future healthcare workforce, advancing interdisciplinary research, and training professionals in digital and artificial intelligence competencies.
"We must connect our academia, private sector, and public health systems so that solutions move seamlessly from classrooms to clinics and from pilot to population scale. The result of one such collaboration between the government and academia has also been launched today," he said.
He suggested that the public and private capacities must complement each other.
Innovation and regulation must move in sync, he stated, adding that scale must be matched with trust, and SAHI is our roadmap for that journey.
SAHI stands for the future where artificial intelligence is safe, accountable, holistic, and inclusive, he noted.
The road to Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat goes through Ayushman Bharat, he stated, adding that with SAHI, India takes a decisive step toward a future where artificial intelligence strengthens healthcare, empowers the workforce, and improves lives.
