Leveraging AI to Strengthen India’s Healthcare System

About Author: Prashant Warier is the Co-Founder and CEO of Qure.ai, a global health-tech company leveraging artificial intelligence to make medical imaging faster, more accurate, and accessible at scale. An expert in AI and deep learning with over 19 years of experience, Prashant Warier has architected and commercialised data science solutions across healthcare and industry. He holds a PhD from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

AI is no longer a futuristic concept; it’s a practical tool that’s addressing some of healthcare’s most pressing challenges. In diagnostics, AI algorithms can analyze medical images with speed and precision that surpass human capabilities in certain tasks, reducing errors and accelerating decision-making. For instance, in radiology, AI can detect abnormalities in chest X-rays within seconds, flagging conditions like tuberculosis (TB), lung cancer, or even heart failure early on. This not only improves patient outcomes but also optimizes resource allocation in overburdened healthcare systems.

Globally, AI has enabled the screening of millions, particularly in low-resource settings where radiologists are scarce. According to various studies, AI-assisted diagnostics can increase detection rates by up to 10-15% while cutting costs significantly. In India, where the burden of diseases like TB is immense with over 2.5 million cases annually, AI is bridging gaps in access, making healthcare more equitable and efficient.

Latest scenario in India

The real-world impact of AI in India is profound, particularly in underserved regions. Telemedicine platforms powered by AI, such as e-Sanjeevani, have connected millions in remote villages to urban specialists, reducing travel burdens and costs while improving care quality. In 2025, Apollo Hospitals deployed AI tools across acute care and diagnostics, delivering 1.2 million teleconsultations and expanding specialist access to tier-2 cities. These initiatives have slashed hospital discharge times by 39% and boosted throughput by 7.4%, demonstrating tangible efficiency gains. AI’s role in early disease detection is equally impactful; models trained on vast datasets spot early signs of breast or lung cancer in scans, often outperforming radiologists in resource-limited settings. In tuberculosis management, a disease claiming over a lakh lives annually in India, AI-driven chest X-ray analysis has accelerated screenings, identifying cases in high-burden areas like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, curbing transmission through timely isolation and treatment.

A recent Health Technology Assessment (HTA) by the Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar, commissioned by the government, evaluated qXR (an advanced AI tool for interpreting chest X-rays) developed by Qure.ai and found it not only boosts TB detection but also saves costs with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio showing savings of nearly 10,000 INR per case compared to traditional methods. This positions qXR as the top-performing AI tool among Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) cleared solutions in India, outperforming in efficiency and accuracy. 

Personalized medicine is another frontier where AI is making strides. By analyzing genomic data, electronic health records, and real-time metrics, AI predicts disease progression and tailors therapies, optimizing outcomes for chronic conditions like diabetes, which affects over 77 million Indians. Pharmaceutical giants like Sun Pharma and Dr. Reddy’s are using AI for drug discovery, targeting endemic diseases and shortening development cycles from years to months. In public health, AI-powered predictive models forecast outbreaks, as seen during recent dengue surges, enabling proactive resource allocation in states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) has digitized over 500 million patient records, creating a foundation for AI-driven predictive modeling and long-term care. These efforts have not only improved clinical outcomes but also enhanced patient experiences, with AI chatbots and apps providing multilingual support, breaking language barriers in diverse regions.

Health tech companies are thriving thanks to supportive government schemes and subsidies that fuel innovation. The India AI Mission, with a Rs 10,372 crore allocation, provides compute infrastructure, datasets, and grants essential for training AI models on Indian demographics. BIRAC’s Biotechnology Ignition Grant provides up to Rs 50 lakh in seed funding for health tech R&D, while the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme disburses up to Rs 50 crore for proof-of-concept development. Additionally, a Rs.5000 crore research fund and project-based assistance under the PRIP scheme support pharma and MedTech innovations. Tax incentives under Make in India, including R&D deductions and reduced customs duties, further ease financial burdens. The IndiaAI Startup Financing pillar bridges funding gaps with risk capital, helping companies like ours deploy solutions nationwide. These policies foster public-private partnerships, as seen in our collaborations under the National Health Mission, reducing risks and accelerating market entry for impactful AI tools.

Outlook

Looking ahead, the potential of AI in healthcare is boundless, especially as we collaborate globally to ensure ethical and inclusive innovation. I’m particularly excited about events like the India AI Impact Summit 2026, where leaders will convene in Delhi from February 16-20 to showcase AI’s real-world transformations in sectors like healthcare. This summit, hosted by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, will highlight how initiatives like NIDAAN drive measurable outcomes for the Global South, fostering partnerships that could further propel our national lung health agenda.

AI is democratizing medicine, and through innovations, supported by forward-thinking government schemes, we’re not just detecting diseases, we’re saving lives at scale. The journey to a healthier India is underway, powered by technology and collaboration.

*Views expressed by the author are his own.