Voices Shaping India's AI Health Future
Speaking at the Health of India Summit 2026, Dr. Barnwal emphasised that building Indian datasets is crucial for developing accurate disease prediction models tailored to the country's diverse population — and announced the upcoming launch of India's National AI Strategy for Health to create a roadmap for responsible AI deployment in healthcare.
"India accounts for 12 million glaucoma patients, nearly one in eight globally. Yet over 90 per cent of these cases remain undiagnosed, often leading to irreversible vision loss. Early detection using portable, AI-enabled tools can drastically change this trajectory."
"What makes AI particularly valuable is its ability to quickly process large volumes of data and identify patterns that might be missed during routine evaluations. As the technology evolves, AI is expected to become a standard part of maternal care — not just in well-equipped hospitals, but also in remote and underserved areas via mobile health tools and wearable devices."
Shah has been emphatic that while 2025 was the year of intent, 2026 must be the year of implementation. Success in India's healthcare transformation, she argues, will not be measured by financial growth or technology adoption alone — but by tangible, measurable improvements in patient outcomes, especially for the underserved.