India could have 1 billion digital healthcare users by 2030

New Delhi:  Arthur D Little, the global management consultancy firm, has jointly developed a report with NATHEALTH, the Healthcare Federation of India, titled India’s fast-evolving healthcare industry on the cusp of a consumer-driven digital revolution.

The report was released on 28th March, 2022 at the NATHEALTH Annual Summit 2022 focused on “Re-building, Re-structuring and Re-imagining resilient healthcare systems in India in a post-pandemic era” by Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI Aayog in the presence of Dr Shravan Subramanyam, SVP, NATHEALTH and President & CEO, GE Healthcare India & South Asia and MD, Wipro GE Healthcare and Barnik Chitran Maitra, Managing Partner & CEO, Arthur D. Little, India & South Asia. 

The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital technologies in healthcare. Exploring global trends and success stories, this report shares key insights into the current scenario, challenges, and opportunities in the digital healthcare ecosystem. For India, digital technology will be key in the transition to new paradigms of care such as patient-centric, preventive, personalized and integrated for all citizens. The report also presents the key findings from the ADL India Digital Health Consumer Survey and demystifies the “Indian Digital Health Consumer”. 

Highlighting the findings of the report Mr. Maitra said, “Nearly 400 million Indians have already used digital health solutions and services making India the global leader in Digital Health. Digitization of healthcare can make it much more accessible and affordable in India. With a potential 1 billion Indian digital health users in 2030, healthcare providers, regulators, and investors need to act quickly to build the digital healthcare ecosystem.” 

Amitabh Kant, in his keynote address at the NATHEALTH Annual Summit 2022, encouraged the industry to accelerate digitization of health services, stating “The demand already exists. However, supply lags well behind demand and it is now up to healthcare providers, start-ups, technology providers, investors, and other stakeholders to develop digital health offerings that meet and stimulate demand.” 

The report recommends that healthcare providers develop “Digital First” strategies instead of “Digital as a Bolt-on” for existing facilities. Providers need to create digital health offerings that are fully integrated across the patient lifecycle –preventative health, patient-first contact, point-of-care delivery, post-care follow up, and recuperative care. They also need to build digitally-enabled supply chains that are resilient, scalable, and efficient. Regulators and policymakers could consider providing incentives and support for legacy players adopting digital services in collaboration with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. For investors, funding HealthTech and InsurTech startups, essential components of a vibrant digital health ecosystem, will prove to be profitable opportunities.