India in better position to harness AI benefits for health fraternity, citizens: JP Nadda

New Delhi: With growing digital public infrastructure and health data ecosystems, India is now in a better position to harness artificial intelligence (AI) meaningfully to the benefit of doctors, health workers and 1.4 billion citizens, Union Health Minister JP Nadda said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a session of AI Impact Summit in the national capital, Nadda said the government has begun creating large-scale consent-based health data.

"Today I can say with confidence that India has built the tracks 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 harness artificial intelligence meaningfully to benefit our doctors, nurses, health workers, researchers and most importantly, 1.4 billion of our Indian citizens," he said.

It is in this context that 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 utilising artificial intelligence for healthcare in a manner that is responsible, ethical and people-centric, as the Prime Minister has consistently emphasised, he opined.

"We want to work hand-in-hand with our friends in the private sector to leverage their innovation, agility, and entrepreneurial energy and 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, India can strengthen its position as a Biopharma Shakti," he said.

This is not only for India's benefit but for global health and humanity at large. In this truest 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 of the artificial intelligence 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 of such collaborations 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.