BANGALORE - India is a vast country with multiple healthcare systems - as health is a state subject, per the constitution - and has 28 states and 8 Union Territories.¹ In the most populous country on the planet, making sure everyone has access to quality healthcare is an incredibly arduous task. However, the fastest-growing major economic entity is also rightly known for its tech prowess² - which can make this task easier - as it has more medical colleges and produces more engineers than any other nation.^3,4

A gargantuan elephant is afoot

The country is making huge strides in the tech field, significantly leveraging the potential of modern technologies like AI and blockchain.⁵ The Indian government recently deployed the world's most extensive biometric systems - 'Aadhar’ [‘basis’ in Hindi]- to link the identification of every citizen to a unique number.⁶ India also boasts the Unified Payment Interface (UPI), the world's finest fintech system, which has given many people access to finance and banking⁷ and has even expanded beyond the country's borders.⁸ The government is also aggressively leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced technologies for its citizens, as these enable empowerment for many. The country’s National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) also emphasizes the government's seriousness in adopting technology like telemedicine and AI in healthcare,⁹ and efforts are underway at the highest levels to digitalize healthcare infrastructure to leapfrog grassroots-level problems using AI.

AI tech at/for scale

AI can have a profound impact without being too costly, which makes it especially suitable for India. AI is already used to diagnose