From Infrastructure to Impact: DHN City Meetup Mumbai 2026 Sets the Tone for India's Digital Health Future

Attendees included representatives from more than 20 hospitals, premier medical institutions, key players in pharma, diagnostics, innovative healthtech startups, as well as vital supporters and investors.

On April 25, 2026, the Hilton Mumbai International Airport buzzed with excitement as it became the vibrant heart of India’s digital health revolution. The DHN City Meetup Mumbai, part of Digital Health News' groundbreaking multi-city series, drew in over 160 dynamic leaders from the financial capital of India.

Attendees included representatives from more than 20 hospitals, premier medical institutions, key players in pharma, diagnostics, innovative healthtech startups, as well as vital supporters and investors. The atmosphere was electric, signaling that this was more than just an event; it was a pivotal moment in the evolution of digital health in the country.

The gathering kicked off with an inspirational virtual address by Vishnu Saxena, Founder & CEO of DHN Media India & ScaleHealthTech. He outlined the ambitious vision behind the DHN City Meetup series and shared insights on the future trajectory of this movement as it spreads across India's diverse landscapes.

''At Digital Health News, our purpose, our mission is very simple. It's to catalyze India's digital health transformation. And the idea behind DHN City Meetup and the essence of DHN City Meetup is to take that purpose and translate that into action, into motion, city by city.''

The Founder & CEO, reiterated this crucial objective, emphasizing the necessity of addressing every corner of the country and shining a spotlight on regional and rural settings.

He stated, ''At the core, we believe that India's digital health transformation will not happen unless and until digital health reaches tier 2 cities, tier 3 cities, mainland India. If digital health has to succeed in India, it has to succeed in those regional settings, in those rural areas. If digital health cannot make healthcare more accessible, of high quality and affordable beyond a few cities, it's not going to be adopted. It cannot be scaled. And scale and adoption are critically important. And that belief sits at the core of DHN City Meetup's philosophy.''

Health Minister's Address

The state's commitment to leading India's digital health revolution was made unmistakably clear by Hon. Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Maharashtra, Shri Prakash Abitkar, in a powerful virtual address.

Against the backdrop of Maharashtra's ₹5,980 crore investment in the Digital Health Technology Mission, the Minister outlined a comprehensive roadmap, from ABDM and ABHA ID adoption to AI-powered cancer diagnostics and telemedicine connecting the state's remotest corners to Mumbai's top specialists. He was candid about the healthcare divide and emphatic that digital health must dismantle, not reinforce, those barriers.

Wrapping up his message, Shri Abitkar issued a collaborative call to action to the delegates at the DHN City Meet-Up. He encouraged all stakeholders to pitch in with innovative proposals to help shape health policies and launch pilot projects in government hospitals.

The Conversation Begins

From there, the day found its rhythm with opening remarks by Varsha Sharma, SVP & Chief Strategist, Digital Health News, who painted a vivid picture of the healthcare landscape, emphasizing that "India is serving 1.4 billion people. The scale alone demands coordination. And in a nation of this size, isolated progress does not create systemic change. So the real question is - can we afford to keep building in isolation? That is why DHN exists."

She also pointed out that Digital Health Network (DHN) is actively shaping the evolution of digital health conversations in India. It has transformed from a media portal into a growing ecosystem that includes research, newsletters, and podcasts.

With the upcoming DHN Conclave, the DHN Council, and City Meetups being held across the country, the focus is shifting from infrastructure to impact. And Mumbai, she highlighted, is where this electrifying conversation truly comes alive!

The Conversations That Counted

The sessions that followed were where the day truly came into its own. Track 1 - AI Vision Meets Healthcare Reality opened with a panel on Is Your Hospital Ready for AI? Infrastructure, Data & Governance.

The panel featured Dr. Kunal Sharma, Vice President & Head – Integrated Onco-Pathology, Agilus Diagnostics; Anagha Walanju, CIO, K.J. Somaiya Hospital & Research Center; Dr. Milind Khadke, Director of Medical Services, Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre; Dr. Hardikkumar Ajmera, Medical Director, Saifee Hospital, Mumbai; and Neelesh Shinde, Group Chief Technical Officer & Head – Projects, Jupiter Life Line Hospitals Limited - moderated by Rahul Tripathi, Director – Emerging Markets (APJ & MEA), DocBox Inc.

The discussion that cut through the noise to address data maturity, HIS/EMR integration, AI governance frameworks, skill gaps, ROI expectations, and what it genuinely takes for AI to earn its place as a board-level enterprise asset.

Next was Track 2, which highlighted AI in Production: AI That Justifies the Investment arrived after lunch with sharper, metrics-driven intent, asking not whether hospitals should adopt AI, but whether the AI they've already adopted is actually delivering.

Panellists Saurabh Gupta, Regional Director, KIMS Hospitals; Neeraj Lal, Regional Director – Maharashtra & Karnataka, Medicover Hospitals; Lt. Col. Dr. L.C. Verma (Retd.), MD, Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai; and Anoop Arora, Founder & CEO, itDose Infosystems Pvt. Ltd., brought ground-level perspectives on what's working, what isn't, and what hospitals owe their boards in measurable outcomes with Dr. Shashikant Pawar, COO, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, as Moderator.

On the same day, an exclusive and impactful Executive Roundtable took place, centered on the critical topic "From Digital Infrastructure to Digital Impact – Board-Level Decisions in 2026." This high-profile gathering attracted 10 influential CXOs from leading hospitals in Mumbai, creating a powerful forum for decision-making.

The engaged discussion, expertly moderated, fostered a dynamic exchange of ideas on the transformative role of digital health in shaping hospital strategies and enhancing patient outcomes. Attendees explored both the challenges and opportunities of leveraging digital technology, emphasizing the strategic importance of robust infrastructure for effective decision-making.

The afternoon peaked with a Fireside Chat - From Digital Infrastructure to Digital Impact: Board-Level Decisions in 2026, which brought rare honesty to the stage. What worked. What failed. What leaders would do differently. What India must fix next.

The conversation featured Joy Chakraborty, COO, P.D. Hinduja Hospital & Research Centre; Mandar Kulkarni, National Security Officer – India & SEA, Microsoft; Dr. Sujit Chatterjee, CEO, Adi Arogyam Super Speciality Hospital; Guruswamy Krishnamoorthy, CEO, BPL Medical Technologies Pvt. Ltd.; and Deepak Tuli, Co-Founder & COO, Eka Care, with Dr. Ravindra Karanjekar, Vice Chairman, Asian Cancer Institute & Medical Advisor, Lilavati Foundation Gift City, as Moderator.

Innovation, On Display

Woven across the day were dedicated Sponsor Product Showcases - seven focused slots that gave partners real floor time to demonstrate what they are actually building for hospitals today. Aikenist, itDose, and Astra Health presented in the morning, while Alphadroid, Healthray, DocBox, and Eka Care took the afternoon. These were proof points, showing a room full of decision-makers what the next generation of hospital infrastructure looks, feels, and functions like in practice.

The event was powered by partners who showed up with intent - Cisco as AI Infrastructure Partner, Eka Care as AI Native Hospital OS Partner, itDose as Digital Transformation Partner.

The event also welcomed WeSchool & MGM Institute of Health Sciences as Academic Partners, reinforcing the importance of bridging clinical education with the realities of digital health practice.

Meet The Trailblazers

One of the most memorable moments of the day, when DHN unveiled its first-ever Coffee Table Book - Top Transformative HealthTech Leaders of Maharashtra 2026: Trailblazers Shaping Maharashtra's HealthTech Future, a landmark DHN Media India publication celebrating the individuals who didn't just talk about digital health transformation; they showed up, made the hard decisions, took the risks, and made it real for thousands of patients across the state.

DHN is proud to recognise these leaders, whose courage, commitment, and vision are quietly and profoundly reshaping healthcare in Maharashtra — and whose stories will inspire the next generation of health leaders for years to come:

Joy Chakraborty, COO, P.D. Hinduja Hospital & Research Centre; Dr. Bipin Chevale, CEO, Gleneagles Hospitals, Mumbai; Surendran Chemmenkotil, Managing Director, Metropolis Healthcare; Mandar Kulkarni, National Security Officer – India & SEA, Microsoft; Dr. Shashikant Pawar; COO, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital; Neelesh Shinde; Group CTO & Head – Projects, Jupiter Life Line Hospitals Limited; Sumit Singh, CTO, Wockhardt Hospital; Col. Dr. Sujit Chatterjee, CEO, Adi Arogyam Super Speciality Hospital; Saurabh Gupta, Regional Director, KIMS Hospitals; Dr. Kshitij Jadhav, Assistant Professor, Koita Centre for Digital Health, IIT Bombay P.R. Narayanan, CIO, Breach Candy Hospital; Maj. Dr. Ashlesha Tawde-Kelkar (Retd.), Former Lead, Digital Health Vertical, Centre for Health Applied Knowledge and Research Autonomy | Ashish Vig, CEO, Cipla Digital Health; Unmesh Deshpande, Head – IT Infrastructure, Wockhardt Hospitals; Dipak Yadav, Head – IT, Nanavati Max Hospital.

These are the people proving, every single day, that Maharashtra doesn't just participate in India's digital health revolution, it leads it.

The Momentum Continues

As the day wrapped and conversations spilled into the networking and partner engagement session, one thing was clear - DHN City Meetup Mumbai 2026 did exactly what it set out to do. It brought the right people into the right room, and the conversations that started here will carry well beyond it.

The series now moves to Kochi in June 2026, with the same energy, the same intent, and a growing national movement behind it. If Mumbai showed what's possible when the right people come together, Kochi is where that story continues.

Six cities. One year. One mission.

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