Primerry plans to use the fresh capital to strengthen its research and development pipeline, expand its founding team, and increase distribution across key Indian markets.

Pediatric healthcare startup Primerry has raised INR 7.1 crore (approximately $760,000) in a pre-seed funding round to strengthen product development, expand clinical expertise, and build distribution across India.

Founded by Rushabh Nandu and Dr. Nihar Parekh, the round saw participation from investors including Ashish Kacholia and Lashit Sanghvi, along with angel investors Mohit Sadaani, Hitesh Dhingra, Ajay Mehra and Samir Palod, as well as select family offices.

Primerry plans to use the fresh capital to strengthen its research and development pipeline, expand its founding team and increase distribution across key Indian markets.

The company is developing everyday healthcare products specifically for children aged 2 to 14 years, with a focus on taste, ease of use and clinical considerations. Primerry said its product portfolio is intended to address gaps in pediatric healthcare products, where many existing offerings are based on conventional formulations.

The startup will roll out its portfolio in phases. Its full range of eight SKUs, priced between INR 499 and Rs 1,499, will initially be available through its direct-to-consumer (D2C) platform. Primerry also plans to enter quick-commerce channels within its first year.

Alongside its healthcare products, the company has launched PocDoc, a customizable carry case with charms designed to help children carry their Primerry products.

Primerry also plans to establish an offline distribution network through pharmacies, pediatric clinics and mom-and-baby specialty stores. The rollout will begin in Tier-1 cities and metropolitan markets.

The company said the funding will support the next phase of its product development and market expansion as it builds its pediatric healthcare portfolio in India.

The Minister also highlighted the Government’s support for nanomedicine research. He said the Department of Biotechnology is supporting 210 R&D projects in nanomedicine with financial support of ₹174 crore.

Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh has said nanomedicine will drive the next generation of precision medicine and personalised healthcare, with India’s indigenous research carrying global potential.

Speaking at a recent event in New Delhi, Singh said nanomedicine has the potential to make healthcare increasingly precise and personalised by enabling interventions at the cellular level. He said future medicine would increasingly involve individualised treatment based on factors including a patient’s genetic profile, lifestyle, dietary habits and environmental factors.

Singh explained that nanomedicine involves applying nanotechnology in medicine, working with structures at the scale of one billionth of a metre. He said nanotechnology could help develop different treatment approaches for patients suffering from the same disease based on individual factors.

The Minister also highlighted the Government’s support for nanomedicine research. He said the Department of Biotechnology is supporting 210 R&D projects in nanomedicine with financial support of ₹174 crore.

The projects cover areas including targeted drug delivery, cancer nanomedicine, infectious disease nanomedicine, nucleic acid and vaccine delivery, nano diagnostics and imaging, regenerative medicine and wound healing, as well as nanotoxicology and regulatory science.

Among the research areas highlighted by Singh were oral insulin nanoparticles, nanobots for breast cancer, precision nanoinjection and targeted breast cancer nanomedicine. He said advances in nanotechnology could provide new possibilities for addressing challenges associated with oral insulin, including absorption and digestive enzymes.

Singh also stressed that advanced technologies should complement clinical practice. He said technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and nanotechnology should “complement the clinical sense of doctors rather than compromise it.”

Calling for changes in medical teaching in response to technological advances, Singh said foundational clinical skills should continue to remain relevant even as technological tools become increasingly sophisticated.

He further said India’s nanomedicine ecosystem is expanding beyond laboratory research, with support extending to StartUps, infrastructure, technology development and regulatory facilitation. Through BIRAC, emerging biotechnology enterprises can access programmes including Biotechnology Ignition Grant, Promoting Academic Research Conversion to Enterprise, Small Business Innovation Research Initiative and Biotechnology Industry Partnership Programme.

Singh also said India has established a regulatory framework for nanopharmaceuticals through guidelines jointly developed by DBT, ICMR and CDSCO to evaluate the safety, quality and efficacy of nanopharmaceutical products.

He said India has the scientific and institutional capabilities to contribute to the development of future healthcare solutions, with its expanding research base, government support and growing industry engagement providing a foundation for developing solutions in nanomedicine.

Prof. Roger D. Kornberg, Nobel Laureate and Stanford University, said nanomedicine has significant potential for the future of healthcare. He said the field offers “the promise of precision, delivering the right amount of treatment to the right place at the right time,” with applications spanning drug delivery, diagnosis, imaging and regenerative medicine.

Proposed infrastructure includes a blood bank, trauma and emergency facilities, radiology, operation theatres and endoscopy services.

Construction of the INR 575.79 Cr Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Hospital at Indora in Nagpur has begun, marking a key step towards a 615-bed super-speciality healthcare and medical education facility.

The project is being developed across 7.74 acres and is scheduled for completion by June 2028.

Nagpur’s Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Hospital project has been in development for several years.

In October 2021, the Maharashtra Cabinet approved the upgradation of the existing hospital at Indora into a Super Speciality Institute of Medical Education and Research, with plans for postgraduate and super-speciality medical courses.

The project was subsequently sanctioned at INR 575.79 Cr through a government resolution issued in December 2023.

The project site was handed over by Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) to the Nagpur Metropolitan Region Development Authority (NMRDA) on July 25, 2025. NMRDA is implementing the project under its commissioner, Sanjay Meena.

The facility will have nearly 9.84 lakh sq ft of built-up area and is planned to serve residents of North and Central Nagpur and surrounding areas.

The INR 575.79 Cr project is being funded jointly, with the Social Justice Department covering 75% of the expenditure and the Medical Education and Drugs Department contributing the remaining 25%.

Construction has been awarded to a contractor, with a 36-month execution period and a scheduled completion date of June 16, 2028.

Project documents indicate that INR 14.39 Cr has been released so far, while INR 569.40 Cr remains to be provided.

Proposed infrastructure includes a blood bank, mortuary, trauma and emergency facilities, radiology, operation theatres and endoscopy services.

Departments include neurology, plastic surgery and general surgery, while intensive care infrastructure will include a 43-bed Surgical Intensive Care Unit and a 36-bed Medical Intensive Care Unit.

The facility will also include seven-bed neonatal and paediatric intensive care units, pathology and microbiology laboratories, administrative areas and general wards.

The fifth floor is planned for 159 beds, while the sixth, seventh and eighth floors will each accommodate 121 beds, taking the planned capacity to 615 beds.

Under the integration, healthcare organizations using Oracle Health solutions can allow patients to verify their identities digitally before or during check-in.

Oracle Health and ID.me have announced a collaboration to integrate ID.me’s digital identity capabilities into Oracle Health solutions, with the aim of simplifying patient intake and supporting provider credentialing for electronic prescribing of controlled substances.

Under the integration, healthcare organizations using Oracle Health solutions can allow patients to verify their identities digitally before or during check-in. Patients can also select which health records they want to share, reducing the need to repeatedly complete forms and streamlining registration workflows.

The collaboration also extends to providers who electronically prescribe controlled substances. Oracle Health customers can use ID.me to verify the identities and professional credentials of practitioners participating in electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS).

ID.me said its network includes nearly 5 million medical professionals and provides an identity verification and authentication infrastructure for healthcare providers. Its EPCS credentialing service is currently used by more than 100,000 prescribers nationwide and is available to Oracle Health customers.

“Oracle Health is committed to making it easy for patients to access care and remain in control of their health data,” said Seema Verma, executive vice president and general manager, Oracle Health and Life Sciences. She said verified identity can support secure and interoperable data exchange while reducing repetitive administrative work for patients, clinicians and staff.

The integration is positioned alongside Oracle Health’s existing interoperability efforts, providing a mechanism for patients to access and share health information through verified digital identity.

“By bringing ID.me's trusted and reusable digital wallets to Oracle Health's ecosystem, we can help simplify the patient experience while also supporting high-assurance provider credentialing for controlled substances for interested health systems,” said Wes Turbeville, senior vice president of federal and healthcare, ID.me.

The companies announced the collaboration at the Oracle Health and Life Sciences Summit in Orlando, Florida, on September 24, 2026.

The funding will support the company’s clinical program, further FDA review of its technology and preparations for commercialization.

New York-based brain-computer interface (BCI) company Precision Neuroscience has raised $250 million in an oversubscribed Series D financing round, bringing its total capital raised to $430 million. The funding will support the company’s clinical program, further FDA review of its technology and preparations for commercialization.

Pershing Square, the Ackman Oxman Institute and an undisclosed leading life sciences investment fund co-led the round. Duquesne Family Office, ARK Invest, Invus, B Capital, Mirae Asset Capital, Korea Investment Partners, Hitachi Ventures, JSL Health Capital and Mubadala Capital were among the other participating investors.

Precision Neuroscience is developing its Layer 7 Cortical Interface, a thin, flexible electrode array designed to conform to the brain’s surface without penetrating brain tissue. The device records neural activity and forms part of the company’s BCI system, which is designed to translate brain signals into commands for connected digital devices.

The recorded signals are transmitted to a processing unit positioned between the skull and scalp, where they are translated into device commands.

Founded in 2021 by neurosurgeon Ben Rapoport and Michael Mager, Precision plans to use the latest funding to expand its clinical program, advance Layer 7 through FDA review and move toward commercialization.

In January, the company announced a partnership with Medtronic to develop a neurosurgical system combining Layer 7 with Medtronic’s StealthStation surgical navigation platform. The system is intended to combine electrical activity recorded from the brain’s surface with 3D anatomical imaging to provide surgeons with information on brain function and structure during procedures.

Precision received FDA 510(k) clearance for Layer 7 in 2025, authorizing commercial use with implantation durations of up to 30 days. The company said the clearance also supports clinical applications including intraoperative brain mapping.

The company previously raised $102 million in Series C funding in 2024, following a $41 million Series B round in 2023 and $12 million Series A round in 2021. Its BCI competitors include Neuralink and Synchron.

The Tanzania centre will act as a local point of contact for patients and their families, connecting them with Max Healthcare hospitals, specialists and treatment services in India. It will also provide support before and during treatment.

Max Healthcare has launched a Patient Assistance Centre (PAC) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to support patients from Tanzania and the wider East African region seeking advanced tertiary and quaternary healthcare in India. The centre is the healthcare group’s fourth office in Africa, following facilities in Nairobi, Addis Ababa and Lagos.

The Tanzania centre will act as a local point of contact for patients and their families, connecting them with Max Healthcare hospitals, specialists and treatment services in India. It will also provide support before and during treatment.

According to the company, services at the centre will include treatment information, video consultations with clinicians in India, hospital coordination, treatment cost estimates, visa and travel assistance, interpreter services and other patient-support services.

Max Healthcare’s hospitals provide specialized care across areas including oncology, cardiac sciences, neurosciences, orthopaedics, organ transplantation, renal sciences and robotic surgery, among other complex medical specialties.

Commenting on the launch, Anas Abdul Wajid, Group Director and Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Max Healthcare, said the Tanzania office would bring the group’s clinical expertise closer to patients in Africa. He also highlighted opportunities for collaboration and knowledge exchange between healthcare professionals in India and Tanzania.

The company said the centre comes as demand grows across African markets for specialized clinical expertise, advanced medical technology and treatment options. Max Healthcare said its international healthcare partnerships are intended to complement local healthcare systems and facilitate access to specialized treatment in India.

With the addition of Tanzania, Max Healthcare now operates 11 international offices and Patient Assistance Centres across Asia and Africa. The group said it receives more than 45,000 international patients annually from more than 180 nationalities.

The proposed 1,000-bed hospital in western Odisha would add a larger tertiary and super-speciality healthcare facility to Vedanta’s existing healthcare activities.

Vedanta Group Chairman Anil Agarwal has proposed a 1,000-bed hospital in western Odisha during a meeting with Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, with the project aimed at expanding access to specialised healthcare in the region.

The proposed facility could add capacity for specialised and super-speciality care in western Odisha, potentially reducing the need for patients to travel to larger cities for advanced treatment.

Vedanta already has a healthcare presence in Odisha through the Vedanta Hospital in Kalahandi, which provides preventive and curative healthcare services to communities in the region.

The company also uses mobile health units to take doctors, medicines and basic healthcare services to people in villages that face difficulties accessing fixed healthcare facilities.

Beyond Odisha, Vedanta’s healthcare programmes include community health camps, mobile medical units, telemedicine and initiatives focused on maternal and child health.

According to the company, 37 healthcare initiatives implemented by Vedanta and its business units benefited more than 38 lakh people during FY25.

The group has also established the BALCO Medical Centre in Naya Raipur, Chhattisgarh, providing cancer diagnosis and treatment services for patients across Central India.

Mobile cancer screening vans are used to extend early detection services to smaller towns and rural communities.

The proposed 1,000-bed hospital in western Odisha would therefore add a larger tertiary and super-speciality healthcare facility to Vedanta’s existing healthcare activities.

The discussions with Chief Minister Majhi in Bhubaneswar also covered Vedanta’s broader investment plans in Odisha and cooperation with the state government. The company has proposed investments worth around INR 1 lakh Cr across the state.

Details on the hospital’s location, investment, construction timeline, and proposed medical specialities have not yet been disclosed.

He also stressed that advances in AI, robotics and digital healthcare must complement the human role of doctors.

Kerala is expected to get an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the near future, Vice President CP Radhakrishnan has said.

He also stressed that advances in artificial intelligence, robotics and digital healthcare must complement the human role of doctors.

He said the expansion of medical education has gained greater emphasis as part of the Viksit Bharat vision, pointing to the growth of AIIMS institutions across the country.

In March 2026, the Kerala High Court had sought an explanation from the Central government on the criteria used to select states for establishing AIIMS under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).

The Centre told the court that 22 new AIIMS were being established across states and Union Territories, with 18 already functional and four at different stages of construction at that time.

Speaking about the changing healthcare landscape, Radhakrishnan highlighted artificial intelligence, robotics, digital health, advanced imaging and precision medicine as technologies reshaping medical practice.

“A machine can analyse. A robot can assist. An algorithm can identify patterns. But a patient still needs a doctor who can listen, understand, reassure and take responsibility,” he said.

At the same time, he emphasised that technology should support rather than replace the doctor-patient relationship.

Radhakrishnan made the remarks while addressing a recent event in Trivandrum, Kerala.

Cardiovascular disease remains the world’s leading cause of death, responsible for an estimated 17.9 million deaths every year, according to the World Health Organization. More than four in five cardiovascular deaths are linked to heart attacks and strokes, while a significant share occurs prematurely before the age of 70. Yet many of the risk factors, including high blood pressure, tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, and obesity can be prevented or controlled.

This is the gap that World Heart Day has sought to address for more than two decades. Observed every year on September 29, the campaign has evolved from a public-awareness initiative into a global platform for prevention, early detection, access to care and policy action. In 2026, its message is once again “Don’t Miss a Beat”, with the World Heart Federation (WHF) focusing particularly on symptoms that can remain unnoticed or be dismissed until serious disease develops.

Historical Significance

The origins of World Heart Day can be traced to 1999, when then World Heart Federation president Dr Antoni Bayés de Luna proposed a dedicated global day to bring cardiovascular disease into public conversation. The first World Heart Day was held on September 24, 2000, in partnership with the WHO, under the slogan “Let It Beat”. Initially observed on the last Sunday of September, the event moved to a fixed date, September 29, in 2011.

Its focus has also changed with the nature of the cardiovascular challenge. Campaigns have increasingly moved beyond simply telling people to “take care of their hearts” towards encouraging prevention, recognising symptoms, improving access to care and urging governments to build stronger cardiovascular-health systems. The 2024 campaign, for instance, called on countries to develop or strengthen national cardiovascular health action plans, while 2025 marked the campaign’s 25th anniversary under the “Don’t Miss a Beat” message.

2026: Recognising the Signs Before the Crisis

The 2026 “Don’t Miss a Beat” campaign places a sharper emphasis on symptoms that can go unnoticed. The WHF is calling on people to see the signs, protect their hearts and demand action, while highlighting that cardiovascular disease can affect people across ages and circumstances. It is also calling for stronger national action plans and universal access to prevention, detection and treatment.

Commenting on the importance of cardiovascular awareness among younger adults, Dr. Palani Kannan, Consultant Cardiologist, Apollo Spectra Hospital, Chennai, said, “Cardiovascular health is influenced by several factors, and age or physical activity alone does not provide a complete picture of an individual’s risk. While maintaining an active lifestyle is important, conditions such as hypertension, abnormal cholesterol, diabetes, or an underlying cardiac abnormality can sometimes remain undetected.

Understanding personal risk factors and seeking medical advice when concerns arise can help identify potential problems at an earlier stage.”

The message is particularly relevant because cardiovascular care is increasingly moving towards earlier intervention. A heart attack or stroke may be the first visible event after years of uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol or other risk factors. The opportunity for health systems, therefore, is not merely to become better at treating emergencies but to identify risk earlier, and technology is increasingly becoming part of that equation.

To support long-term cardiovascular health, specialists at Apollo Spectra Hospital recommend:

• Monitoring blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol regularly, particularly when risk factors are present
• Staying physically active and maintaining a healthy body weight
• Following a balanced and sustainable diet
• Avoiding tobacco and limiting alcohol consumption
• Prioritizing adequate sleep and managing prolonged stress
• Discussing family history and other known risk factors with a healthcare professional
• Seeking timely medical attention for new, persistent or unexplained symptoms such as chest discomfort, breathlessness, palpitations, dizziness or fainting

That shift is no longer only a vision for the future. Across the cardiac-care continuum, technology is beginning to make earlier detection and more continuous monitoring possible from the ECG in a clinic to the wearable on a patient’s wrist. These innovations are changing not just how heart disease is detected, but where and when that detection can happen.

Top Innovations

1. AI-Powered ECG Screening

Artificial intelligence is turning the conventional ECG into a more predictive screening tool. AI models can analyse patterns that may be difficult to detect through routine interpretation and flag potential abnormalities such as reduced cardiac function. In a Mayo Clinic study, an AI model trained using 44,959 ECG–echocardiogram pairs achieved 85% sensitivity and 86% specificity for identifying patients with low ejection fraction in external validation. Such systems could help surface previously silent abnormalities and support earlier clinical assessment.

2. Smartwatches for Cardiac Monitoring

Wearables are moving beyond basic heart-rate and activity tracking to support more continuous cardiac monitoring. Devices using photoplethysmography can identify irregular pulse patterns suggestive of atrial fibrillation and prompt users to record an ECG for further assessment. The US FDA has authorised such technologies while emphasising that wearable notifications are not a diagnosis and should not replace clinical evaluation. Their emerging role is therefore less about replacing the hospital and more about bringing a layer of cardiac observation into everyday life.

3. Multimodal Cardiac AI

The next generation of cardiac AI is moving from single-signal analysis to multimodal interpretation. A 2026 study in Nature Machine Intelligence described a cardiac sensing foundation model trained on data from approximately 1.7 million individuals, integrating signals including ECG and photoplethysmography alongside clinical or machine-generated reports. Such models could support cardiac assessment across different devices and environments, potentially making digital monitoring more adaptable to both clinical and home settings.

4. AI-Enabled Remote Monitoring

Cardiac devices can continuously generate large amounts of physiological data, particularly for patients living with chronic cardiovascular conditions or using implanted devices. AI can help process these data streams and identify changes that may require clinical attention, creating the possibility of intervening before deterioration becomes an emergency. The broader shift is from episodic monitoring during hospital visits toward more connected models in which patient data can inform care between visits.

5. Digital Cardiac Rehabilitation

Technology is also changing what happens after a cardiac event. Telehealth, home-based programmes and hybrid models can extend rehabilitation beyond the hospital, combining clinical guidance with monitoring, exercise, education and patient-reported outcomes. The World Heart Federation’s 2026 roadmap argues for a shift towards lifelong cardiovascular health, including flexible digital and home-based models, rather than viewing rehabilitation as a short period of recovery after a cardiac event.

6. India’s Innovation and Stand

India is beginning to translate these technologies into models designed around its scale and uneven distribution of specialist care. An AI-assisted ECG hub-and-spoke programme analysed 45,488 ECGs across 66 spoke centres connected to 10 hubs in six states, with a mean acquisition-to-diagnosis turnaround of 5.12 minutes. At the policy level, the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases is expanding the infrastructure for screening, diagnosis and treatment, with more than 40.87 crore people screened for hypertension as of February 2026 and 233 Cardiac Care Units established under the programme.

India’s Cardiac Technology Opportunity

For India, the larger opportunity lies in connecting innovation with the first point of care. AI-assisted ECGs, digital screening platforms and connected referral networks can potentially help bring aspects of specialist cardiac assessment closer to primary and community-level facilities. This is particularly relevant in a country where the burden of NCDs is large and access to advanced cardiac services remains concentrated in urban and tertiary-care centres.

The direction is increasingly toward a connected pathway: screening at the community level, digital transmission of diagnostic information, specialist interpretation at a hub and faster referral when intervention is required. Technology can strengthen each of these links, but its impact will ultimately depend on infrastructure, clinical validation, affordability, connectivity and the ability of health systems to act on the information generated.

When Detection is Only the Beginning

The expansion of cardiac technology also raises an important question: what happens after a digital tool detects a risk?

A wearable notification is useful only if the person can access confirmatory testing. An AI-generated ECG interpretation matters only when trained professionals can review the result and initiate appropriate care. Similarly, remote monitoring can identify deterioration, but it requires a functioning clinical pathway capable of responding to that signal. This is where the next phase of digital cardiac care will be tested. The challenge is no longer simply developing technologies capable of detecting more signals. It is building health systems capable of converting those signals into timely, affordable, and clinically appropriate action.

The broader digital ecosystem also has a role to play. As Vamsi Karatam, Founder & CEO, proRITHM, observes, “AI-led marketing innovation and advanced analytics are no longer optional capabilities; they are essential for global competitiveness.” His broader point about the importance of AI adoption, analytics and digital infrastructure is increasingly relevant to healthcare as well, where technology maturity depends not only on individual tools but on the ecosystem supporting their adoption.

The Real Test Begins After Detection

The technology-enabled heart-care model is therefore moving in a different direction from the traditional episodic approach. Instead of waiting for symptoms to become severe, healthcare systems can increasingly combine population screening, AI-assisted diagnostics, wearable monitoring and remote follow-up to identify risk across the continuum of care.

But technology cannot solve structural gaps on its own. Workforce shortages, unequal access, affordability, digital literacy, fragmented data and weak referral pathways can all limit the value of even the most advanced tools. The World Heart Federation’s 2026 cardiac rehabilitation roadmap similarly emphasises workforce strengthening, flexible models of care, patient engagement and policy investment alongside digital technologies.

Wrapping Up

Heart care is entering a period where the first warning sign may appear long before a patient reaches a hospital. It could be an unusual pattern on an ECG, an irregular rhythm detected by a wearable or a subtle change picked up through remote monitoring. What matters next is whether that signal is recognised, understood and acted upon.

That is perhaps the larger message of World Heart Day 2026. “Don’t Miss a Beat” is not only about noticing the symptoms of heart disease; it is about building a healthcare system that does not miss the opportunity to respond to them. Technology can bring that possibility closer, but its real impact will be measured by something far simpler that whether more people are able to get the right care before a warning becomes a crisis

The partnership will combine Neuberg Diagnostics’ diagnostic capabilities, technology platforms and quality systems with ProLife Diagnostics’ local presence and understanding of the Odisha healthcare market.

Neuberg Diagnostics and Bhubaneswar-based ProLife Diagnostics have announced a joint venture to enhance access to advanced, affordable, and quality diagnostic services across Odisha.

The new venture, named Neuberg ProLife, will combine Neuberg Diagnostics’ diagnostic capabilities, technology platforms, and quality systems with ProLife Diagnostics’ local presence and understanding of the Odisha healthcare market.

Commenting on the new initiative, Dr GSK Velu, Chairman and Managing Director, Neuberg Diagnostics said, “Through Neuberg ProLife, we are bringing together Neuberg’s technology, advanced diagnostic expertise and national scale with ProLife’s strong local presence and understanding of Odisha. Our vision is to build a future-ready diagnostic network focused on accessibility, affordability, early detection and preventive healthcare.”

The joint venture plans to establish 10 Integrated Diagnostics and Wellness Centres and more than 100 satellite laboratories and sample collection centres across Odisha over the next two years.

The proposed centres will be located in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Puri, Balasore, Bhadrak, Baripada and Jharsuguda.

The proposed hub-and-spoke model is intended to extend routine and specialised diagnostic services to Tier-II, Tier-III and emerging markets, while reducing the need for patients to travel to larger cities for advanced investigations.

The latest partnership builds on ongoing efforts by Neuberg Diagnostics to expand its diagnostic footprint.

In a recent development, Neuberg Diagnostics formed a joint venture along with Mahajan Imaging & Labs to strengthen and expand diagnostic, pathology, genomics, and wellness services across North India.

The partnership includes plans to establish laboratories across cities in seven states and add around 20 centres offering radiology services over the next three to five years.

The collaboration combines Neuberg’s pathology, genomics and digital capabilities with Mahajan Imaging & Labs’ expertise in radiology, nuclear medicine, PET-CT and advanced diagnostics.

The system combines a wearable ECG chest strap, mobile connectivity, and AI-supported ECG analysis for long-term heart rhythm monitoring.

Czech healthtech company Kardi AI has launched its AI-powered wearable ECG technology in India aimed at monitoring heart rhythms over extended periods.

The system combines a wearable ECG chest strap, mobile connectivity, and AI-supported ECG analysis for long-term heart rhythm monitoring.

Kardi AI is designed to extend the monitoring period while patients continue their normal daily activities. Patients wear a lightweight ECG chest strap. The recorded data is then transmitted through a mobile platform for AI-supported analysis.

The system assists physicians in reviewing ECG recordings and identifying potential rhythm abnormalities.

The company said its technology is designed to extend the observation period, potentially giving physicians more opportunities to identify intermittent abnormalities.

Kardi AI reported detection rates of up to 40% with its technology, compared with approximately 2–5% for conventional Holter monitoring.

The technology is intended to support physicians rather than replace clinical diagnosis or medical decision-making.

Kardi AI describes the product as prescription-grade medical technology rather than a consumer fitness device.

According to the company, its application provides preliminary AI-supported analysis, while the final diagnosis is made by a physician following appropriate clinical evaluation.

The technology was launched in Hyderabad by Dr Balakrishna, Joint Director, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India.

Furthermore, Hyderabad-based Eurasia Medical Technologies LLP is facilitating Kardi AI's India operations as its authorised representative.

Royal Sandur MedTech has been established with a broad mandate covering medical devices, surgical products, diagnostic products and healthcare consumables.

Bengaluru-based Sandur Manganese & Iron Ores has incorporated Royal Sandur MedTech as a wholly owned subsidiary, marking its entry into medical devices and healthcare consumables manufacturing.

The new entity will undertake manufacturing, processing, assembly, marketing, and distribution of products across the healthcare segment.

The move follows Sandur Manganese's broader diversification plans announced earlier in 2026, indicating plans to expand beyond its traditional metals businesses into sectors including hospitality, education and medical devices.

Royal Sandur MedTech was incorporated on September 25, 2026, with Sandur Manganese holding the entire share capital.

The parent company has subscribed to 10 lakh equity shares with a face value of INR 10 each, representing an initial investment of INR 1 Cr.

Royal Sandur MedTech has been established with a broad mandate covering medical devices, surgical products, diagnostic products, and healthcare consumables.

Its activities will include manufacturing, processing, assembling, marketing, and distribution, allowing the subsidiary to participate across multiple stages of the Medical Devices value chain.

Sandur Manganese is the flagship company of the Karnataka-based Sandur Group and operates manganese and iron ore mining activities in the Hosapete-Ballari region.

India's Medical Devices sector has been receiving greater policy attention as the country seeks to strengthen domestic manufacturing and reduce dependence on imports.

For new entrants such as Royal Sandur MedTech, regulatory approvals, quality certifications, product development, and healthcare distribution will be important considerations as the business moves from incorporation towards commercial operations.

In his new role as the CEO of Ananta Hospital, he will be leading Ananta Hospital’s operations, focusing on areas including operational discipline, innovation, and sustainable growth.

Ananta Hospital, Nikol, a unit of Krish Medicare, has appointed Abhijeet Pratap Singh as the Chief Executive Officer.

In his new role, he will be leading Ananta Hospital’s operations, focusing on areas including operational discipline, innovation, and sustainable growth.

His appointment is expected to further strengthen the hospital’s focus on clinical excellence and patient experience.

Sharing about his appointment in a social post, Abhijeet Pratap Singh, Chief Executive Officer of Ananta Hospital, said, “Delighted to share that I have joined Ananta Hospital, Nikol (A unit of Krish Medicare Pvt. Ltd.) & STAR HOSPITAL as Chief Executive Officer. I look forward to working with an exceptional team to strengthen clinical excellence, patient experience, operational discipline, innovation, and sustainable growth.”

Singh brings over 19 years of experience in hospital operations, administration, business development, quality management, and strategic growth.

Throughout his career, he has worked in leading healthcare organizations across Gujarat, Delhi NCR, and other regions, managing multidisciplinary teams and complex hospital operations.

His area of expertise includes P&L management, revenue enhancement, operational efficiency, patient experience, clinical service development, quality accreditation, consultant engagement, and institutional tie-ups.

Prior to joining Anant Hospital, Abhijeet Pratap served as the Chief Operating Officer at Nirmal Hospitals, Surat, Gujarat, where he was responsible for the operations and P&L management of two hospital units

In addition, he served as COO of HCG Hospital, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and Chief Administrative Officer of Shalby Hospitals, Ahmedabad, where he oversaw hospital operations and administrative functions.

Located in Nikol, Ahmedabad, Ananta Hospital was founded in 2024 as a 150-bed multi-speciality hospital.

Built upon the legacy of Star Hospitals Ahmedabad, it provides comprehensive, patient-focused medical care to the communities of East Ahmedabad and surrounding regions.

IIT Kharagpur will lead the technical development, including AI model architecture and system integration, while NIMHANS and LGBRIMH will contribute clinical expertise and validation.

NIMHANS, in collaboration with IIT Kharagpur and LGBRIMH Tezpur, has launched HEADS, a two-year project that will evaluate AI-assisted approaches for early depression screening.

Supported by the Wellcome Trust, the initiative will focus on multilingual AI and human oversight in mental healthcare.

The HEADS (Human-in-the-loop Evaluation of Assisted Depression Screening) project has brought together clinical, technical, and regional mental health expertise to explore how AI can support earlier identification of depression.

The initiative will focus on building tools suited to India's linguistic diversity rather than relying primarily on English-language datasets.

Under HEADS, AI models will be developed and evaluated for Kannada, Assamese, Hindi, Bengali, and English. The project is designed around a human-in-the-loop approach, meaning the AI system will support clinicians rather than operate as an autonomous diagnostic tool.

This framework is intended to retain clinical judgement and strengthen safeguards around AI use in mental healthcare.

The project will also involve a 15-member panel of Lived Experience Experts, comprising people with personal experience of mental health conditions.

Their participation will extend across areas including system design, consent protocols, language evaluation, bias audits, and stress-testing of the AI system.

Over 24 months, HEADS is expected to conduct around 4,500 clinical interviews across NIMHANS and LGBRIMH sites.

IIT Kharagpur will lead the technical development, including AI model architecture and system integration, while NIMHANS and LGBRIMH will contribute clinical expertise and validation.

The multilingual approach also addresses a key challenge in mental health AI: regional expressions of distress can carry cultural and linguistic nuances that may not be captured by systems trained predominantly on English data.

The project will therefore need to address issues around dataset availability, cultural interpretation, algorithmic bias, privacy, informed consent, and clinical validation.

As AI adoption expands across healthcare, HEADS could provide evidence on how AI-assisted screening can be evaluated within clinical settings while keeping human oversight central to decision-making.

The Health Sensor capabilities cover heart rate, SpO2, sleep, steps, and activity tracking, positioning the AI-Powered Smartwatch as a wellness and activity-monitoring device for children.

Sekyo, an Indian IoT security and wearable brand, has launched Neo Fit, an AI-powered kids smartwatch with an integrated Health Sensor, bringing together health and activity tracking, real-time location monitoring, and safety features in a single wearable designed for children.

The Health Sensor capabilities cover heart rate, SpO2, sleep, steps, and activity tracking, positioning the AI-Powered Smartwatch as a wellness and activity-monitoring device for children.

Neo Fit has also been equipped with an AI Learning Coach that provides study assistance through voice- and image-based interactions.

It also includes seven educational and mathematics games, along with reminders intended to support everyday routines such as homework and reading.

For child safety and communication, Neo Fit supports real-time GPS tracking, 4G video calling, WhatsApp calling and chat, Geo-fencing, route history, and SOS alerts with live location.

Parents can manage the device through the Sekyo parental-control application and use its Find My Watch function.

“Neo Fit is our vision of what a kids’ smartwatch can become when technology is designed around the real needs of children and parents. We wanted to move beyond basic calling and tracking to create a device that supports smart AI learning, encourages healthy habits, enhances safety and keeps families connected,” said Smridhi Goyal, CEO & Co-Founder, Sekyo.

“As children spend more time learning and interacting with technology, most parents face the same dilemma: how to keep the children connected and independent without handing them a full smartphone? A smartphone brings open internet access, social media, and constant screen distraction — concerns most parents aren’t ready to take on at a young age. Neo Fit is built as the smart alternative: it gives children the connectivity, learning support, and independence they need, without the smartphone habits and pressures parents want to delay,” she added.

The device is priced at INR 9,990 and is offered through Sekyo’s website and major e-commerce platforms.

Under ABDM, Bihar, Ladakh and Dadra and Nagar Haveli were also recognised as top-performing States/UTs across model districts based on district population categories.

Begusarai has been recognised as the Best Performing Model District under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) in the category of districts with a population exceeding five lakh, highlighting Bihar’s efforts to expand digital health infrastructure and adoption at the district level.

The award was presented by Union Health Minister JP Nadda at Vigyan Bhawan to Arvind Kumar Verma, Special Secretary, Bihar Health Department, and CEO of Bihar Swasthya Suraksha Samiti (BSSS) at Arogya Manthan 2026 in New Delhi.

Arogya Manthan 2026 was organised by the National Health Authority (NHA) to mark eight years of Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) and five years of ABDM.

The recognition has been attributed to Begusarai’s implementation and expansion of various ABDM components.

The district’s efforts have involved the administration, district ABDM team, healthcare institutions, health workers, and other stakeholders working towards wider adoption of digital health systems.

Among States and Union Territories, Bihar recorded more than 7.30 crore Scan and Register transactions as of August 2026, placing it at the top nationally on this measure.

Under ABDM, Bihar, Ladakh and Dadra and Nagar Haveli were also recognised as top-performing States/UTs across model districts based on district population categories.

ABDM is designed to create a connected digital health ecosystem in which healthcare facilities and professionals can participate in digital health networks while citizens gain access to digital health services and records.

Its infrastructure includes digital health identifiers such as ABHA, which can help individuals access and share health information across participating healthcare providers.

The recognition comes alongside several digital health initiatives being pursued across Bihar. Earlier this month, the state launched a health screening campaign targeting around six crore people across all 38 districts, with plans to maintain citizens’ health records digitally.

The campaign, which began on September 2, is scheduled to continue until November 30, 2026, and focuses on early detection of conditions including diabetes, hypertension, common cancers, heart disease and respiratory diseases.

Bihar has also been advancing the use of digital health records linked with ABHA IDs in government medical colleges, while plans for tele-ICU hubs and GPS-based hospital mapping have been proposed to strengthen access to critical care services.

The Begusarai award therefore reflects the district-level implementation of ABDM within a wider state effort to build digital infrastructure, improve health information access, and expand technology-enabled healthcare services across Bihar.

The project, started in November 2025 and will run until November 2028, aims to build and test an AI-based learning platform for ASHAs, along with a chatbot that can answer questions by voice in multiple languages.

The George Institute for Global Health India, in collaboration with Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (CCHRC), Assam, is developing an AI-enabled training platform and multilingual voice chatbot to support cervical cancer screening and community counselling by Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) in rural Assam.

Around 100 ASHAs participated in a co-design workshop organised as part of the initiative, along with trainers, doctors, programme coordinators, researchers and technologists.

The workshop focused on understanding the challenges ASHAs face during community visits, the support they need, and how technology could assist their screening and counselling work. It is part of a three-year pilot study, Leveraging Artificial Intelligence for Strengthening Cervical Cancer Screening Through Capacity Building, funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

The project, started in November 2025 and will run until November 2028, aims to build and test an AI-based learning platform for ASHAs, along with a chatbot that can answer questions by voice in multiple languages.

As part of the workshop, ASHAs reviewed 155 common questions that people ask about cervical cancer and screening. Using a bindi based voting system, they identified the questions they encounter most frequently in the field from women, husbands, family members, and others in their communities.

The exercise showed that the questions ASHAs encounter most often are not always the same as those considered clinically important. The inputs will be used to develop the chatbot knowledge base, covering priority health information needs as well as practical concerns raised during community visits.

The workshop also examined ASHAs’ comfort and confidence with digital technology. Younger and middle aged ASHAs reported regularly using mobile phones for reporting, communication and accessing information, while ASHAs in older age groups said digital tools and language can be more challenging. They also expressed willingness to learn and become more confident in using digital tools.

ASHAs mapped their career paths, including training, retaining their knowledge, counselling women on pregnancy and childbirth concerns, explaining test results and making appropriate referrals. The exercise also helped many ASHAs identify knowledge gaps and discuss using tools such as flipcharts to refresh their knowledge when required.

The participants highlighted the value of voice-based interactions in Bangla, simple language content and search functions that reflect the way ASHAs naturally ask questions. They also suggested features including short audio visual lessons, frequently asked questions, reminders, quizzes and progress tracking.

One of the ASHA workers who participated in the workshop said, “I am very happy to attend this workshop. This is the first time I have attended something like this. I have attended many meetings before, but this was very different. Even the questions about cervical cancer, what is important and what is not, were explained through an exercise using bindis. It felt like a fun and interactive way of learning, almost like a game. We learnt so much today, and through this workshop we got to know many things that we did not know before.”

The discussions also emphasised that digital tools should complement existing training approaches and build on the experience, knowledge and community relationships of ASHAs. Practical considerations including limited internet connectivity, the time available during household visits and the need for reliable, clinically verified information were also considered.

Dr. Anita Gadgil, Principal Investigator of the project and Senior Research Fellow at The George Institute for Global Health; Co Director, WHO Collaboration Center for Emergency Critical and Operative Care, said, “This workshop starts with a simple principle: technology for ASHAs should be designed with ASHAs. Their experience of explaining screening, responding to concerns and finding answers in real time will guide the language, content and functions of this AI platform. Our aim is to develop clinically validated support that fits their work, rather than adding another digital burden.”

The inputs from the workshop will shape the next phase of the project, which involves building the AI learning platform and chatbot. The training content and questions will undergo clinical review and repeated testing with ASHAs before rollout.

The study will then evaluate AI-supported training and chatbot access against standard training methods through a two arm cluster randomised controlled trial across 20 clusters involving approximately 110 ASHAs. The study will assess the practicality and reception of the tool, its use and consistency, and its potential to scale. Researchers will also track ASHAs’ knowledge, attitudes and practices to build a case for a larger future trial.

The proposed chatbot is intended to support ASHAs with training and field based information and will not replace clinical assessment, diagnosis or referral pathways.

Two years later, the question is no longer: What is NHCX? But has it delivered on its promise?

Millions of Indians purchase health insurance every year, believing that it will shield them financially during a medical emergency. Yet the true test begins when the claim is actually filed.

During FY 2023-24, around 3.26 crore health insurance claims were processed, settling 2.69 crore claims, reflecting an overall settlement rate of 82.46%. Despite the sector being expected to cross INR 1 lakh crore in annual premiums, trust in the claims process is relatively low.

People in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities often face delayed approvals, ambiguous clauses, repeated documentation, inconsistent communication between hospitals and insurers, and policy exclusions that have eroded their trust in the insurance ecosystem. While health insurance claims settlement has increased, they do not capture the challenges of uncertainty that policyholders face during the journey.

Due to this disconnect, in June 2024, India launched the National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX) under ABDM, creating a digital infrastructure to standardise and digitise health insurance claim exchanges between hospitals, insurers, TPAs, and government schemes.

Two years since the platform went live, the key question that remains is: Has NHCX made health insurance more transparent, faster, and trustworthy, or is the real transformation still ahead?

Why NHCX Matters Now

The National Health Claims Exchange is India's digital health insurance claims gateway under ABDM.

Built on the globally adopted FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) standard, it aims to ensure seamless, information-standardised claims data exchange between insurers, hospitals, TPAs, regulators, beneficiaries, and the government health scheme, aligning India with international best practices.

At its core, NHCX addresses a longstanding challenge in India's healthcare financing ecosystem, particularly the lack of a common language for health insurance claims. Before NHCX, hospitals and insurers relied on multiple portals, formats, and documentation requirements, resulting in manual processing, duplicate work, delayed approvals, and administrative inefficiencies. While healthcare providers increasingly adopted EMRs, hospital information systems, and digital diagnostics, the insurance claims journey remained fragmented.

The need for a unified claims infrastructure has become more urgent as India's health insurance market continues to expand. With More than 600 million beneficiaries under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, alongside multiple health insurers, hundreds of TPAs and claims processors, and thousands of hospitals processing millions of claims annually, the scale and complexity of the ecosystem demand greater interoperability and standardization.

The Indian health insurance market size was valued at $157.62 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $ 322.10 billion by 2034, exhibiting a CAGR of 8.27% during 2026-2034.

Yet growth has not always translated into trust. Even when a claim is listed as "settled", patients may face difficulties due to frequent document submissions and lack of communication between hospitals and insurers.

Hospitals often contend with multiple insurer portals and documentation requirements; insurers and TPAs face operational inefficiencies caused by fragmented workflows, and patients are left navigating a complex claims journey.

NHCX emerged as an attempt to solve these systemic problems, creating a common language for claims across India's healthcare ecosystem.

Much like the UPI, it aims to establish a shared infrastructure layer that enables multiple stakeholders to transact efficiently without building separate systems for every interaction.

The Current Landscape

NHCX is creating ecosystem-wide standards rather than isolated digital improvements.

It replaces disjointed communication channels with standardised digital workflows for eligibility verification, pre-authorization, claim submission, payment notifications, communication requests, and reprocessing requests by facilitating interoperable, machine-readable, auditable, and verifiable data exchange.

For hospitals, this reduces dependency on multiple insurer-specific workflows. For insurers and TPAs, it enables greater automation and standardization. For policyholders, it can improve the claim experience by providing rapid information exchange and greater transparency, which can help reduce claim delays.

More importantly, NHCX has initiated a shift from document-driven claims processing towards a standardised, data-driven model. As healthcare organizations continue investing in Hospital Information Systems (HIS), Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), and ABDM-compliant infrastructure, NHCX provides a unified mechanism for exchanging structured claims information across hospitals and payers. Its FHIR-based workflows can connect structured clinical data with financial claims workflows, creating opportunities for greater automation, analytics, and future AI-enabled claims processing.

As of September 2026, the platform has achieved substantial scale by connecting over 47,000 healthcare providers and 83 payers and has processed more than 4.03 crore claims, demonstrating that the platform has progressed beyond pilot implementations.

The data also highlights an important distinction between the government and private sectors. Within the private ecosystem, 38 insurers and TPAs have been integrated, along with 873 hospitals, generating over 158,280 pre-authorisation requests and 31,293 claim API requests.

In comparison, government-backed schemes have achieved much larger volumes, with 46 government integrators, 47,071 hospitals onboarded, over 165.85 million pre-authorisation requests, and nearly 90,330,229 claim API requests. This suggests that while NHCX has gained traction in the private insurance sector, its scale and utilization are currently being driven primarily by public health financing programs such as Ayushman Bharat and other government-sponsored schemes.

As NHA CEO Dr. Sunil Kumar Barnwal said, the long-term vision is for NHCX to become a trusted digital public infrastructure, much like UPI, where users may not know the technology behind the platform, but they trust it because it enables seamless and reliable interactions across the ecosystem.

This is why the next phase of NHCX will be judged not simply by the number of organizations onboarded, but by its ability to deliver measurable improvements in transparency, efficiency, and trust for every stakeholder in India's health insurance ecosystem.

NHCX Improved the Process. Has it Improved Outcomes?

This is where the discussion becomes nuanced.

NHCX has largely succeeded in solving a technology problem. Despite growing adoption, the claims experience remains far from seamless. In FY 2024–25, only 189 lakh health insurance claims, around 58% of total claims, were settled through the cashless mode. Industry data also suggests that nearly 10 lakh claims exceeded the promised timelines for initial approval or final settlement.

A recent survey also suggests that nearly 43% of health insurance policyholders who filed a claim in the last three years struggled with getting it. For patients, the challenge remains predictability and transparency throughout the claims process.

Bridging the Digital Maturity Gap

For hospitals, particularly the mid-sized and smaller ones, the most significant barrier to adoption remains the prevalence of legacy hospital systems. While major hospital chains have made investments in EMRs, HIS platforms, and digital revenue cycle management systems, a substantial portion of India's healthcare providers continues to use outdated technology.

Integrating these systems with NHCX often requires interoperability upgrades, API integration, data standardization, and workflow redesign. The platform's influence in Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets may be limited if adoption is restricted to digitally advanced hospitals in the absence of sufficient resources and technical assistance.

Adapting to a Standardized Ecosystem

Over 70% of all cashless claims are handled by TPAs, which continue to play a crucial role in India's claims ecosystem. TPAs must modify current operational workflows to conform to standardised digital procedures, even if NHCX streamlines information transmission.

For TPAs, striking a balance between size and efficiency is a problem. They will need to update procedures while keeping hospitals and insurers in sync as claim volumes and automation rise.

Insurers face their own set of adoption challenges. While many have integrated with NHCX, most organizations continue to approach implementation cautiously. Since processing claims is a crucial aspect of their business, insurance companies are naturally hesitant to switch from long-standing proprietary systems, disrupting their business.

The crucial question for insurers is not whether NHCX is effective, but rather if the operational benefits balance the risks and expenses of a significant system transfer. Implementation has therefore advanced gradually rather than rapidly.

A Shared Challenge: Interoperability Without Process Alignment

While NHCX has created a common language for claims exchange, it cannot automatically standardize the underlying processes. Hospitals vary in documentation practices, TPAs operate different workflows, and insurers continue to follow distinct adjudication and claims management models.

As a result, interoperability has advanced faster than operational transformation. True efficiency gains will require stakeholders to align workflows, documentation standards, and decision-making processes, not just exchange data digitally.

In an effort to strengthen interoperability within the health claims ecosystem, NHA recently announced plans to introduce a utility that enables the conversion of payers' insurance plans into standardised FHIR bundles. The utility will facilitate uniform and error-free creation of insurance plan information across payers, improving consistency, reducing manual effort, and supporting more efficient processing of health claims.

To further support wider adoption, NHA launched the NHCX Implementation Guide for Payers at Aarogya Manthan 2026, intended to support payers in implementing NHCX-enabled, interoperable, and standardised digital claims processes, helping strengthen coordination and streamline health insurance claim processing across the ecosystem.

The Missing Metric: Measuring Outcomes

Perhaps the biggest challenge for all stakeholders is demonstrating impact. Current statistics highlight onboarding, connectivity, and transaction volumes, but they do not reveal whether NHCX is improving real-world outcomes.

Hospitals want evidence of lower administrative burdens and faster discharges. TPAs seek smoother workflows and reduced manual intervention. Insurers want improvements in adjudication efficiency and cost management. Patients ultimately care about faster approvals, fewer delays, and greater transparency.

Without publicly available data on settlement times, first-pass approval rates, discharge delays, administrative costs, or patient satisfaction, it remains difficult to assess whether NHCX is delivering on its broader promise.

Trust the Next Frontier

It is important to note that the process of making insurance decisions has not been altered by NHCX. Policy conditions, exclusions, waiting periods, and underwriting procedures continue to control claim approvals, denials, and partial payments.

This difference draws attention to two fundamental issues with trust in the Indian health insurance market. The first is operational trust, or the effectiveness with which claims are handled. The second is coverage trust, or whether policyholders think their insurance will fulfil their expectations.

By lowering friction, increasing transparency, and strengthening audit trails, NHCX directly tackles the operational difficulty. It cannot, however, eliminate exclusions, simplify policy complexity, or settle coverage disputes.

The first phase of NHCX proved that India can build a shared digital infrastructure for health insurance claims. The next phase will determine whether hospitals, TPAs, insurers, and policymakers can translate that connectivity into measurable outcomes, and ultimately, greater trust in the health insurance ecosystem.

Wrapping Up

Two years after its launch, NHCX has accomplished something that many healthcare technology initiatives struggle to accomplish; it has made an invisible problem visible. For many years, fragmented systems, disjointed procedures, and a lack of transparency concealed inefficiencies in health insurance claims. By developing a uniform digital framework for the flow of claims throughout the ecosystem, NHCX has started to highlight those places of friction and has successfully built the digital rails for India's health insurance ecosystem.

Yet its ultimate success will not be measured by the number of hospitals onboarded, APIs integrated, or transactions processed. The challenge now is ensuring that those rails deliver measurable improvements in claim settlement timelines, operational efficiency, and patient confidence. The defining metric will be whether India can move from a healthcare system where claims are merely digitized to one where they are trusted.

Because in the long run, the most important claim in the healthcare industry is not the one that is processed most quickly but rather the one that offers patients assurance that the system will function when they most need it.

The acquisition is aimed at strengthening the diagnostic chain’s capabilities in genomics and expanding its portfolio of advanced diagnostic services.

Leading diagnostic service provider Dr Lal PathLabs is set to acquire a 70% stake in Gujarat-based SN Genelab (SN Gene) for a cash consideration of up to INR 168 crore, according to a regulatory filing by the diagnostics company.

The proposed transaction also includes a performance-linked earn-out capped at INR 31.5 crore.

As per reports, the acquisition will be made from the existing shareholders of SN Gene, following which the genomics company will become a subsidiary of Dr Lal PathLabs.

The transaction is expected to be completed by November 30, 2026.

According to Lal Pathlabs, the acquisition is aimed at strengthening the diagnostic chain’s capabilities in genomics and expanding its portfolio of advanced diagnostic services.

Incorporated on December 16, 2013, Gujarat-based S N Gene operates in the diagnostics-genomics segment, providing genomics diagnostic services.

The company reported a turnover of INR 57.96 crore in FY2026, compared with INR 53.36 crore in FY2025 and INR 43.27 crore in FY2024.

Dr Lal PathLabs said the proposed acquisition does not fall within the ambit of a related-party transaction.

By acquiring a majority stake in SN Gene, Dr Lal PathLabs will gain control over an existing genomics-focused business while adding its capabilities to the company's broader diagnostic network.

The transaction is also intended to provide an avenue for Dr Lal PathLabs to expand its advanced testing portfolio beyond conventional diagnostic services.

Founded in 1949, Dr Lal PathLabs is among India's largest diagnostic service providers, operating an extensive network of laboratories and patient service centres across the country

The acquisition comes as Dr Lal PathLabs continues to expand its diagnostic operations and explore opportunities in international markets.

Recently, Dr Lal PathLabs established a wholly owned subsidiary in Dubai, UAE, as part of its international growth strategy, with plans to pursue acquisitions, partnerships, and investments in diagnostics and allied healthcare services.

The UAE subsidiary will operate in the diagnostics sector and serve as a vehicle for strategic investments in healthcare-related businesses.

Its mandate includes evaluating acquisition opportunities, forming joint ventures, and developing partnerships that could support future growth in international markets.

A medical college is also planned at the hospital site in the future, linking healthcare delivery with medical education and workforce development.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has inaugurated the 750-bed Baba Baidyanath Medical Trust Hospital in Deoghar, Jharkhand, highlighting its potential to strengthen regional healthcare access and develop into a medical tourism centre.

The Baba Baidyanath Medical Trust Hospital has been established through a joint initiative of the Baba Baidyanath Medical Trust and P.D. Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Centre.

The facility includes an ICU, emergency unit, and general wards, with its design focused on patient convenience.

Sarma has said the hospital is expected to provide advanced healthcare services, particularly for economically weaker and middle-income sections of the population.

The development adds to Deoghar's expanding healthcare ecosystem, which includes AIIMS Deoghar. Sarma said the two institutions could complement each other and strengthen access to healthcare for people across Jharkhand and neighbouring Bihar.

He noted that patients from Deoghar, Godda and surrounding areas had previously travelled to Kolkata for specialised treatment. With healthcare infrastructure expanding locally, he said Deoghar could increasingly attract patients from outside the city.

“People from Deoghar, Godda and other parts of Jharkhand earlier had to travel to Kolkata for quality medical treatment. However, a strong healthcare ecosystem is gradually being established in the state. People will now increasingly come to Deoghar for medical treatment, and the town, which is a major centre of spiritual tourism, will gradually emerge as a centre of medical tourism as well,” Sarma added.

A medical college is also planned at the hospital site in the future, potentially linking healthcare delivery with medical education and workforce development.

At the inauguration, Sarma also said Assam now has 16 medical colleges and produces around 2,200 doctors annually, compared with about 350 earlier.

For Assam, Sarma outlined plans to further expand medical education and increase MBBS seats to 4,000.

He also referred to the state's plan to deploy two doctors at each of its 5,000 sub-health centres as part of its healthcare workforce strategy.

She will work closely with Apollo’s leadership, clinical teams, and project partners on the development of new hospitals, expansion of existing facilities, and upgrades of current hospital infrastructure.

Apollo Hospitals has appointed Upasana Kamineni Konidela as Director of Projects to advance the expansion of upcoming hospital projects and infrastructure upgrades across India.

Kamineni Konidela has been previously associated with Apollo’s healthcare and social-impact initiatives and has also served as Vice Chairperson of CSR at Apollo Hospitals.

More recently, she was involved in the development of Apollo’s 400-bed hospital in Hyderabad’s Financial District.

In her new role, Kamineni Konidela will work closely with Apollo’s leadership, clinical teams and project partners on the development of new hospitals, expansion of existing facilities and upgrades of current hospital infrastructure.

Her mandate will also include strengthening project processes and coordination from the design stage through commissioning.

Her priorities will include new facilities, expansions and upgrades to existing hospitals, and consistent design standards across patient spaces. She will also work with project teams while focusing on clear signage and wayfinding, easier navigation, efficient clinical spaces, and a more comfortable experience for patients and their families.

Commenting on her new role, Upasana Kamineni Konidela said, “My grandfather, Dr. Prathap C. Reddy, built Apollo on the belief that world-class healthcare should be within reach of people in India. My responsibility is to carry that belief into the hospitals we build and the facilities we improve. As Apollo grows, I want every project to serve its neighbourhood, create meaningful opportunities for the people who work with us, and help more people take their health into their own hands. We have an opportunity to show the world what thoughtful design, compassionate care and Indian clinical excellence can achieve together.”

The latest announcement comes amid the group advancing an estimated INR 8,600 crore expansion programme across India.

The group has also earmarked INR 1,565 crore for listed brownfield expansion projects

The programme covers projects across Hyderabad, Delhi NCR, Chennai, Mumbai and Bengaluru, alongside Lucknow, Varanasi, Indore, Guwahati and Ranchi, among other locations.

Out of this, the particular projects and budgets within Upasana’s mandate are yet to be confirmed by Apollo.

Sharing the announcement in a social post, Preetha Reddy, Executive Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals, said, “Over the years, I have watched her engage with healthcare from many different perspectives. Through our work in communities, her commitment to preventive health and wellbeing, and most recently, her leadership in bringing our 400-bed hospital at Financial District, Hyderabad, to life, she has developed an understanding of healthcare that goes well beyond buildings and infrastructure. As Apollo embarks on an important phase of expansion across India, Upasana will now bring that perspective to Projects, helping shape the next generation of Apollo hospitals.”

Apollo Group recently opened its 76th hospital in Hyderabad’s Financial District, a 400-bed facility designed as a next-generation smart hospital incorporating AI and digital integration.

The exercise focused on assessing how accurately a surgeon's hand movements could be transmitted to a robotic system at a distant location, while maintaining real-time visual feedback.

Indian doctors have demonstrated a live cross-border robotic telesurgery between India and China, remotely controlling a robotic surgical system located in Chengdu, nearly 5,000 kilometres away.

The pre-clinical demonstration has tested the ability of surgical movements and real-time visual information to travel across international distances with the precision and speed required for remote procedures.

Led by Dr Vivek Bindal, Principal Director and Head of the Minimal Access, Bariatric, and Robotic Surgery Department, the procedure used the BORNS Robotics System.

Dr Vivek Bindal said: "Healthcare is entering an era where expertise does not necessarily have to be confined by geographical boundaries. The highlight of this live telesurgery is that it combined surgery, robotics, connectivity, and international collaboration to test what is technically achievable. In the future, telesurgery will not be limited to operations alone; it will also serve as a vital medium for remote mentoring and proctoring, allowing experts to support and share their skills with surgical teams worldwide."

The exercise focused on assessing how accurately a surgeon's hand movements could be transmitted to a robotic system at a distant location, while maintaining real-time visual feedback.

The pre-clinical telesurgery involved animal models and included procedures such as gallbladder removal, abdominal surgery, hysterectomy and kidney-related operations.

The demonstration showed that surgeons in India could control a robotic surgical system in China across the approximately 5,000-kilometre distance.

Dr Gaurav Agrawal, Director of Hospital Operations and Chief Operating Officer (NCR Region 3), Max Healthcare, said: "We continuously incorporate the latest technological advancements into medical services with the broader interests of patients in mind. As a leading institution performing a high volume of precision robotic surgeries, our primary focus remains on improving clinical outcomes. Although cross-border robotic telesurgery is still in an experimental phase, successful research and technological breakthroughs of this nature are crucial for the future of healthcare. These efforts lay the foundation for a future where cutting-edge surgical expertise is unbound by geography, ensuring patients in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, regional states, and international locations gain enhanced access to specialized, life-saving care."

The demonstration remains a pre-clinical exercise and does not represent routine clinical adoption of cross-border robotic telesurgery.

Wider use will require appropriate regulatory clearances, clinical protocols, connectivity safeguards, and patient-safety measures.

Earlier research has also demonstrated the feasibility of long-distance robotic surgery, including trials involving surgeons in India and robotic systems developed in collaboration with China.

These include the NHPR Mobile App, NHCX Implementation Guide for Payers, Guidebook for a Model Digital Health Facility, SDE application, and Framework for Auto-Adjudication of Claims under AB PM-JAY.

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda has launched several digital health and health-assurance initiatives at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, as part of Aarogya Manthan 2026.

The initiatives introduced by the National Health Authority (NHA) aim to strengthen the use of digital infrastructure and health data, enable interoperability, and support technology-enabled processes across India’s healthcare and health-assurance ecosystem.

These include the National Healthcare Providers Registry (NHPR) Mobile App, NHCX Implementation Guide for Payers, Guidebook for a Model Digital Health Facility, Secure Data Environment (SDE) application, and Framework for Auto-Adjudication of Claims under AB PM-JAY.

The NHPR Mobile App is a key initiative introduced as part of the digital health ecosystem designed to enable registration of healthcare professionals and healthcare facilities through a mobile-based app.

Among the key initiatives is the Secure Data Environment, developed by NHA with the support of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.

The platform is designed as a governed environment for access to and analysis of AB PM-JAY and ABDM health data.

Under the proposed framework, approved entities will be able to work with de-identified datasets or execute code within an isolated NHA environment. Outputs generated through the environment will be reviewed before release. The platform also seeks to support startups and advance healthcare innovations.

The initiative is intended to expand health research, programme planning, outcome analysis and responsible AI innovation while incorporating safeguards for personal data.

The NHA has also launched an NHCX Implementation Guide for Payers, aimed at supporting the implementation of the National Health Claims Exchange and standardising technology-enabled health insurance processes.

Further, the Guidebook for a Model Digital Health Facility seeks to provide a framework for implementing digital health systems and practices across healthcare facilities.

The Union Health Minister also unveiled the Framework for Auto-Adjudication of Claims under AB PM-JAY, designed to support technology-enabled approaches to claims processing under the government health assurance scheme.

Underscoring Ayushman Bharat, the Union Minister, said, "We made significant efforts to get Odisha, West Bengal, and Delhi on board with Ayushman Bharat... We grew weary of urging them not to block the poor from their rightful benefits, yet they did not yield. Eventually, Ayushman Bharat was implemented in Odisha, then in Delhi, and subsequently in West Bengal. Today, Ayushman Bharat is operational across 36 States and Union Territories. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to you all for this achievement. We all know it offers cashless treatment, and migrant workers are deriving immense benefit from it. Ayushman Bharat has transformed the nation's healthcare landscape. "

The latest initiative builds on existing digital health infrastructure under ABDM, including Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA), Healthcare Professionals Registry (HPR), and Health Facility Registry (HFR).

As of September 2026, more than 97.8 crore ABHAs have been created, and over 121 crore health records have been linked. More than 5.6 lakh health facilities and 11 lakh healthcare professionals are registered on the ABDM ecosystem.

It also forms a part of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), extending the use of digital systems for health assurance, claims processing and data-enabled healthcare delivery, with the scheme providing health cover of up to INR 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation.

Over the years, the scheme has expanded its reach across the country, with more than 60 crore beneficiaries covered under the scheme. It has also facilitated more than 13 crore hospital admissions, involving treatment worth over INR 2 lakh Crore.

ABDM, launched in September 2021, complements the health-assurance framework by establishing digital infrastructure for a connected and interoperable healthcare ecosystem.

Higlighting the ABDM, Nadda noted, "The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission has completed five years. It is a truly remarkable initiative; I am pleased to share that approximately 97.8 crore Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) cards have been distributed, and 121 crore records have been linked to them. The rightful utilization of Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts has commenced, and patient-centric operations are underway, with 121 crore records linked to ABHA cards. This is a significant milestone."

The latest launch forms part of Aarogya Manthan 2026, organised by NHA to review progress under India’s health-assurance and digital health programmes and discuss priorities for the next phase.

As per reports, the programme marks eight years of AB PM-JAY and five years of ABDM.

Speaking on the ocassion, Union Minister Nadda, said, "These milestones provide an opportunity to take stock of the progress made and renew the commitment towards the welfare of the poor and marginalised sections of society, in line with the hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas'.”

According to the Health Secretary, more than 900 million citizens now have unique health identities, while interoperable digital registries and ABHA-enabled health records are supporting continuity of care and access to health services.

India has highlighted its Ayushman Bharat programmes and expanding digital health infrastructure as key components of its efforts to advance universal health coverage, with Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava pointing to Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, AB-PMJAY and e-Sanjeevani at global health meetings in New York.

India has showcased its public health and digital health initiatives at two global health engagements held on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81).

At the Seventh Annual Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends of Universal Health Coverage and Global Health, the Health Secretary has highlighted the role of more than 1.8 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs in bringing primary healthcare closer to communities.

The centres provide services spanning reproductive and child health, non-communicable disease screening and management, mental health, elderly and palliative care, as well as preventive and curative care.

The government has also positioned Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) as a mechanism for improving financial protection among vulnerable and underserved populations.

The Free Drugs and Diagnostics Service Initiative and the Prime Minister’s National Dialysis Programme were also highlighted for their role in reducing patients’ healthcare expenses.

According to the Health Secretary, more than 900 million citizens now have unique health identities, while interoperable digital registries and ABHA-enabled health records are supporting continuity of care and access to health services.

Telemedicine has also expanded significantly through e-Sanjeevani, which has facilitated more than 497 million teleconsultations.

The digital health ecosystem has additionally incorporated technologies and delivery models such as teleradiology, AI-enabled X-rays, and Mobile Medical Units to extend services to remote and underserved communities.

Of the planned 2,000 beds, 1,000 will be allocated to economically weaker sections eligible under state and central government health insurance schemes, according to the group.

The Adani Group has entered the West Bengal healthcare sector with a proposed 2,000-bed hospital in New Town, Kolkata, involving an estimated investment of INR 4000 crore.

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari recently laid the foundation stone for the Adani Arogya Mandir project at Bengal Silicon Valley Tech Hub, New Town, Kolkata.

The proposed facility will be developed by Adani Foundation as a not-for-profit institution, aimed at building a comprehensive healthcare ecosystem for Eastern India and beyond combing advanced Academic Medical Centre and research facility.

Commenting on the new initiative, Suvendu Adhikari, Chief Minister of West Bengal, said, “Mr Adani, we look forward to your presence to rebuild Bengal. The final vision is not just a hospital campus; it will be a fully integrated healthcare city. Nowhere in India is there a hospital of this high standard. The hospital will give a big boost to medical tourism. This is historic, meaningful and an auspicious day for us. Viksit Bharat 2047 can happen only if Bengal develops.”

The proposed facility is expected to provide healthcare services to over 200,000 inpatients and more than 2 million outpatients annually and generate about 10,000 jobs.

Spread across 51.75 acres, the Adani Arogya Mandir is designed as a multi-speciality hospital, alongside step-down and transitional care facilities.

The comprehensive ecosystem is expected to feature Meditel and Vishram Gruh, providing accommodation for relatives of patients receiving care at the hospital.

The Adani Group also stated the project will include provisions for patients from economically weaker sections.

Of the planned 2,000 beds, 1,000 will be allocated to economically weaker sections eligible under state and central government health insurance schemes, according to the group.

The Adani Arogya Mandir campus will also feature a medical college, with an annual intake of 150 undergraduates, over 100 postgraduates and more than 40 super-specialists.

Additionally, it will include a College of Nursing and an institution for allied healthcare and paramedical education aimed at building a multidisciplinary ecosystem for the next generation of doctors, nurses, technicians and allied healthcare professionals.

The broader campus ecosystem will also provide residential facilities for the healthcare professionals and their families.

In its first phase, the multi-speciality hospital will focus on cancer care, providing advanced tertiary and highly specialised healthcare services.

Further, the facility will include a research ecosystem encompassing genomics, precision medicine, biomedical informatics, artificial intelligence, clinical trials, molecular and other applied biomedical sciences.

The hospital seeks to focus on translating scientific discoveries into improved diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

The institution also plans to collaborate with international partners to co-create new knowledge, technologies, clinical pathways and intellectual property, bringing global scientific expertise and capabilities into an Indian research environment.

It seeks to address India’s unique healthcare priorities while producing scientific solutions that benefit the entire world.

Speaking on the development, Gautam Adani, Chairman, Adani Group, said, “The Adani Arogya Mandir will be a world-class, not-for-profit medical institution that will have 2,000 beds, with a thousand beds catering to economically weaker sections of society, eligible under State and Central health insurance schemes.”

Furthermore, the Adani Foundation also partnered with Mayo Clinic Global Consulting in the United States and Singapore's SingHealth to bring global expertise in clinical care, academic medicine, digital health, quality, workforce development and innovation.

The investment is planned to establish a healthcare and academic institution in Kolkata, with a subsequent Phase-II to include Centres of Excellence across various specialties and super-specialties.

According to the Adani Foundation, the integrated Agrogya Mandir healthcare facility is expected to improve access to advanced care in the region and potentially reduce the need for patients to travel outside the region for specialised treatment.

Beyond healthcare, Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani also announced plans to invest more than INR 1 lakh crore in West Bengal by 2035 across sectors including ports, logistics, power generation, power transmission and distribution, roads, bridges, green cement, and hyperscale data centres.

Five years after its nationwide rollout, India's Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission has moved from building digital health infrastructure to creating a nationwide ecosystem of health identities, registries, interoperable systems and linked health records.

The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) was launched nationwide on 27 September 2021, following a pilot across six Union Territories. Implemented by the National Health Authority (NHA) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the mission was designed to create the digital infrastructure needed for a more connected, interoperable, and citizen-centric healthcare system.

Five years into its national rollout, ABDM has expanded well beyond the creation of digital health IDs. As of 17 September 2026, more than 97.61 crore ABHA IDs were operational, and more than 119.95 crore health records had been linked to them. The ecosystem also included more than 5.78 lakh verified health facilities and 11 lakh healthcare professionals registered on the platform.

The scale is significant, but the more important question is what sits behind these numbers. ABDM has developed a digital public infrastructure containing health identities, national registries, consent-based information exchange, interoperability standards and digital platforms meant to connect citizens, healthcare providers, insurers and health services.

Where it Started

The nationwide rollout of ABDM was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 27 September 2021. The mission evolved from the earlier National Digital Health Mission and a pilot conducted in six Union Territories: Ladakh, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep.

The Union Cabinet approved ABDM as a Central Sector Scheme with a ₹1,600 crore budget for five years. Government documents describe the scheme period as 2021-22 to 2025-26, with the National Health Authority serving as its implementing agency.

At the centre of the architecture is the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA), a unique 14-digit digital health identifier. It allows health records generated across participating healthcare facilities and digital applications to an individual's account and shared through the ABDM network with the required consent.

The mission was not designed as a single centralised database containing every Indian's medical information. Instead, ABDM provides common digital infrastructure, registries, standards, and mechanisms through which different health systems can interoperate. The government has stated that there is no centralised storage place for health data under ABDM, and that information exchange happens between meant stakeholders after patient consent.

What ABDM Has Actually Built

ABDM's infrastructure has grown beyond ABHA into a wider set of digital building blocks.

These include:

• ABHA - the digital health identifier for individuals.
• Health Facility Registry (HFR) - a national registry of verified healthcare facilities, including hospitals, clinics, laboratories and pharmacies.
• Healthcare Professionals Registry (HPR) - a registry of verified healthcare professionals.
• Health Information Exchange and Consent Manager (HIE-CM) - infrastructure supporting consent-based health information exchange.
• Unified Health Interface (UHI) - an interoperable network designed to enable discovery and delivery of digital health services across participating platforms.
• National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX) - a digital infrastructure layer meant to help interoperability in health insurance claims.

This means that ABDM is no longer simply an identity programme. It is increasingly functioning as digital public infrastructure for India's healthcare ecosystem.

The government reported in May 2026 that more than 450 public and private health technology solutions had successfully integrated with the ABDM ecosystem. Linked health records also crossed 100 crores, up from approximately 50 crores in February 2025 to more than 100 crores in May 2026.

Five Years, by the Numbers

ABHA growth has accelerated sharply over five years: from 14.7 crore accounts in 2021 to 30.4 crore in 2022, 50.6 crore in 2023, 72.2 crore in 2024, and 84.5 crore in 2025. By September 2026, the number had reached 97.61 crore operational ABHA IDs.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reports the first five figures on a calendar-year basis. ABDM crossed 90 crore ABHA accounts in May 2026 and after that reached 93.95 crore ABHA numbers by 10 July. The latest government update, however, puts the number of operational ABHA IDs at 97.61 crore as of 17 September 2026.

The number of linked health records has expanded even faster. In May 2026, ABDM crossed the 100-crore linked-record milestone. By 17 September, that had reached 119.95 crore.

One important distinction is necessary: ABHA IDs, linked health records, and unique individuals are different measures. A single person can have multiple health records linked to their ABHA. Therefore, 119.95 crore linked records should not be interpreted as 119.95 crore people with complete longitudinal electronic health records.

The ecosystem has also expanded on the provider side. As of 17 September 2026, the ABDM platform registered more than 5.78 lakh verified health facilities and 11 lakh healthcare professionals.

From Identity Creation to Record Linking

The growth in ABHA numbers is only one part of ABDM's expansion.

In May 2026, the government reported that more than 100 crore health records had been linked to ABHA accounts. It said the number of linked records had increased from around 50 crores in February 2025 to roughly double in approximately 15 months. The government also reported that around 10 crore health records were being linked every two to three months at that stage.

The milestone was supported by integrations with government programmes, state health platforms, and private digital-health solutions. These included the National Non-Communicable Disease Programme, CoWIN, PM-JAY, Uttar Pradesh's eKavach, Andhra Pradesh health programmes, the Reproductive and Child Health programme, eHospital, eSushrut, Gujarat's TeCHO and Rajasthan's iHMS.

This is important because the value of a digital health identity depends mostly on whether health information is actually created, linked, and usable through it.

Which States Are Leading?

Government data published in May 2026 showed big differences across states.

Uttar Pradesh had more than 15.3 crore ABHAs, making it the largest contributor by volume. Rajasthan and Maharashtra each had crossed 7 crores, while Bihar had more than 6.3 crore and West Bengal around 5.9 crore.

The May milestone also showed high ABHA saturation in several states and Union Territories. The government reported full saturation in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu.

Gender distribution has remained broadly balanced. In May 2026, women accounted for 49.75% of ABHA holders. The latest September figures show 49.74% women, 50.26% men and 0.01% other genders among ABHA ID users.

What's Actually Changed on the Ground?

One of the clearest examples is Scan & Share, the QR-code-based OPD registration service introduced under ABDM.

Scan & Share enables patients at participating health facilities to scan a QR code and receive a digital queue token for OPD registration. This reduced registration waiting time from one hour to just 2–5 minutes. By 18 June 2026, more than 23.21 crore ABHA-linked tokens had been generated, and by the July 2026 Mission Steering Group meeting, the number had reached approximately 24 crore Scan & Register tokens.

This shows that ABDM is not only increasing digital registrations but also changing how healthcare services are delivered. A third-party evaluation conducted between June and August 2025 reported shorter waiting times, cost savings and better access to services, particularly for women and underserved populations.

Beyond Registries: Software Adoption

ABDM's development has also involved encouraging healthcare facilities and technology companies to digitise their own systems.

As of 10 July 2026, the government reported that 2.72 lakh healthcare facilities had adopted ABDM-enabled software. More than 450 public and private health technology solutions had integrated with the ecosystem by May 2026.

The government has also used financial incentives to encourage adoption through the Digital Health Incentive Scheme (DHIS).

As of 18 June 2026, payments under the scheme included:

• ₹107+ crore to hospitals
• ₹2.95 crore to diagnostics, laboratories and pharmacies
• ₹26+ crore digital solution companies.

These incentives are significant because they show that ABDM's expansion has not relied only on creating government infrastructure; it has also attempted to bring private providers and technology companies into the ecosystem.

Bringing Smaller Clinics into the Digital System

Another development in 2026 was the launch of eSushrut@Clinic, a lightweight ABDM-enabled Hospital Management Information System developed by C-DAC for smaller clinics.

The government introduced it because many smaller outpatient clinics face difficulties with manual processes and may find large hospital information systems too complex or expensive. The platform is intended to provide a more affordable, government-backed option for smaller facilities and support their participation in ABDM.

This is relevant to the mission's wider challenge: building digital infrastructure at large hospitals is different from achieving adoption across India's much more fragmented network of smaller clinics, pharmacies, laboratories and other providers.

Integration With Government Health Programmes

ABDM is increasingly being integrated with existing government health programmes rather than operating as a standalone digital platform.

Government reporting identifies integrations involving:

• Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY
• Nikshay
• Reproductive and Child Health (RCH)
• Non-Communicable Disease programmes
• Gujarat's TECHO
• Uttar Pradesh's eKavach
• Rajasthan's Pregnancy, Child Tracking and Health Services Management (PCTS)
• Tamil Nadu's CMCHIS.

The July 2026 Mission Steering Group review also highlighted integration with PM-JAY, CGHS, ESIC and Nikshay.

The expansion of Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY across states is also relevant to the wider ABDM ecosystem. West Bengal became the 36th State/UT to implement PM-JAY in June 2026, followed by its formal launch in August 2026. This provides a recent example of the expanding national health-programme ecosystem within which ABDM is being integrated.

This integration is potentially more important than the number of ABHA accounts alone because it determines whether information generated through different programmes and providers can become part of a more continuous digital health journey.

ABDM and the Wider Ayushman Bharat Ecosystem

ABDM is part of the wider Ayushman Bharat ecosystem. While PM-JAY provides financial coverage for hospitalisation, Ayushman Arogya Mandirs focus on primary healthcare, ABDM provides digital health infrastructure, and PM-ABHIM supports health infrastructure.

PM-JAY completed 8 years on 23 September 2026 and till 21 September 2026, more than 48.51 crore Ayushman cards had been issued. By 31 August 2026, PM-JAY had supported around 13.25 crore hospital admissions worth ₹2.03 lakh crore through more than 38,000 empanelled hospitals.

Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda also highlighted PM-JAY's coverage of more than 60 crore people in his anniversary remarks.

These PM-JAY figures provide background information and are separate from ABDM's own progress and statistics. PM-JAY focuses on financial protection, while ABDM provides the digital infrastructure that connects health identities, records, and healthcare services.

New Digital Health Layers in 2026

The year 2026 has also seen ABDM expand into more citizen-facing digital services.

On 29 June 2026, the government launched Aarogya Setu 2.0, positioning the application as a citizen-facing gateway to digital health services and a Personal Health Record platform.

The government also launched the Unified Health Interface (UHI), designed as an interoperable network through which users can discover and access health services across participating digital platforms.

This also highlighted AI-related digital health initiatives, including SAHI and BODHI, reflecting the government's broader effort to connect digital public infrastructure with emerging technologies in healthcare.

These developments indicate that ABDM's architecture is increasingly extending beyond identity and record exchange toward actual digital health services.

The Interoperability Challenge

Creating a national digital health network is not simply a question of moving data from one computer system to another.

ABDM's architecture uses interoperability standards to allow different health systems to communicate. FHIR supports structured exchange of health information, while clinical terminology standards such as SNOMED CT and LOINC are important for ensuring that information exchanged between systems has consistent clinical meaning.

This distinction matters because two hospitals can technically exchange a digital record while still using different terms, codes, or structures to describe the same clinical information.

ABDM uses health registries, common standards, and patient consent to share health information instead of storing all data in one central database. Digital health applications are also tested in a sandbox and undergo security checks before joining the ABDM network, such as WASA (Web Application Security Assessment).

The Gaps in Five Years

ABDM has built the basic digital infrastructure, but the bigger challenge is making it part of everyday healthcare.

One clear gap is the difference between creating an ABHA and actually linking and using clinical records. In Rajasthan, for example, ABHA is automatically created through the state's iHMS system, but ABHA-to-EHR linkage remains below 20%. This shows that having a digital health ID does not necessarily mean that a patient's clinical records are being connected to it.

Another challenge is cross-facility record sharing. The digital health system is most useful when a patient's records from one facility can be accessed at another facility with consent. However, evidence from implementation across states suggests that records generated during registration or earlier visits are not yet consistently retrieved during subsequent visits.

There are also practical barriers involving patient consent, older hospital software, provider workflows, laboratories and pharmacies. Many existing hospital systems still need to be integrated with ABDM standards, while providers need simpler workflows and stronger reasons to use the system regularly.

The government has also identified capacity building, stronger state-level implementation, integration across government programmes and greater participation from private healthcare providers as areas requiring continued attention.

The key challenge for ABDM, therefore, is moving from digital registration to regular use of digital health records in patient care.

What Comes Next

The government's latest roadmap points toward a phase focused on expanding adoption and making existing infrastructure more useful.

• strengthening state-level implementation;
• increasing capacity-building efforts;
• deeper integration with government health programmes;
• greater participation from private healthcare providers;
• improving interoperability and adoption of digital health standards;
• leveraging emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence; and
• strengthening collaboration between the Centre, states, Union Territories and other stakeholders.

The direction is also visible in the initiatives introduced during 2026: UHI, Aarogya Setu 2.0, eSushrut@Clinic and the expansion of health-tech integrations all move the mission further from simply creating digital identities toward building a functioning digital health ecosystem.

Five Years On: The Bigger Picture

ABDM's first five years can be understood as the construction of a large-scale digital health foundation.

The numbers show the scale:

• 97.61 crore operational ABHA IDs
• 119.95 crore linked health records
• 5.78 lakh+ verified health facilities
• 11 lakh+ healthcare professionals
• 450+ integrated public and private health-tech solutions
• 2.72 lakh facilities using ABDM-enabled software as of July 2026
• Around 24 crore Scan & Register tokens as of July 2026.

But the numbers also need to be read carefully. ABHA accounts are not equivalent to unique people with complete electronic health records, and linked records are not equivalent to complete longitudinal patient histories.

What ABDM has demonstrably built is a large-scale digital public infrastructure layer for India's healthcare system: a national health identity, provider and facility registries, interoperability mechanisms, consent-based information exchange and an expanding ecosystem of digital health applications.

The next phase will be about how effectively these components work together in routine healthcare across primary care, hospitals, diagnostics, pharmacies, insurers, government programmes and private providers. The shift is therefore from building the digital infrastructure to making it useful in everyday healthcare.

The company announced at the Oracle Health and Life Sciences Summit, with the new capabilities expected to roll out to US healthcare organizations in the coming months.

Oracle Health has announced an expansion of embedded artificial intelligence capabilities across its Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) portfolio, bringing AI-driven workflows into early stages of the healthcare revenue cycle, including patient scheduling, financial clearance, clinical documentation, charge capture, coding, and billing.

The company made the announcement at the Oracle Health and Life Sciences Summit, with the new capabilities expected to roll out to US healthcare organizations in the coming months. The approach is designed to identify reimbursement issues earlier in the process, before they result in claim errors, denials, or revenue leakage.

The expanded portfolio includes five core automation modules. Autonomous Prior Authorization evaluates payer coverage requirements, retrieves documentation rules, populates required clinical information, and coordinates payer communications.

Clinical Document Quality Integrity (CDI) analyzes clinical documentation in real time to identify gaps related to reimbursement and risk adjustment. It can provide contextual guidance to clinicians and CDI teams before billing.

Oracle's Charge Capture & Integrity capability analyzes procedural narratives, clinical context, service codes, and billing modifiers to identify missed charges and potential claim errors during charge review.

The portfolio also includes Autonomous Professional Fee Coding, which evaluates encounter documentation and longitudinal patient information to suggest CPT, HCPCS, and ICD-10 codes within existing coder workflows.

For the back end of the revenue cycle, Automated Appeal Management analyzes electronic remittance advice (835 ERA) data to identify payment variances and underpayments. The system can compile appeal packages using relevant clinical records and payer policy references.

Linking RCM With Enterprise Finance

Oracle is also connecting its clinical revenue cycle capabilities with Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications, linking patient accounting and charge generation with general ledger accounting, treasury management, revenue recognition, and financial analytics.

According to Oracle, the integration is intended to provide finance teams with more direct visibility into net revenue realization and unbilled receivables while reducing manual reconciliation between hospital billing operations and enterprise finance functions.

The portfolio reflects a broader shift toward applying AI earlier in the revenue cycle, as health systems manage rising labor costs, payer denials, and financial pressures. Oracle's strategy combines clinical, RCM, and enterprise financial workflows within its broader cloud application environment.

The new model is designed to address a process in which healthcare providers often complete separate credentialing applications for multiple payers.

CertifyOS has launched a National Shared Credentialing Program with UnitedHealthcare, Cigna and Centene as initial participants, aiming to standardize provider credentialing and eliminate duplicate submissions across health plans.

The new model is designed to address a process in which healthcare providers often complete separate credentialing applications for multiple payers. CertifyOS said providers submit an average of 17 credentialing applications annually, creating additional administrative work and costs.

Under the program, participating health plans provide CertifyOS with information on providers requiring credentialing. CertifyOS then manages the credentialing process, including provider outreach, submission verification and checks against National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and Medicaid standards.

Providers will be able to submit their credentialing information through the CertifyOS platform once, rather than separately providing the same information to each participating health plan.

Anshul Rathi, CEO of CertifyOS, said the company expects between 1.4 million and 2 million providers to complete credentialing through its platform next year. The program is planned for launch this fall.

CertifyOS estimates that the US healthcare system spends more than $2 billion annually on provider credentialing. The company said a unified process could potentially reduce credentialing-related costs by up to 75%.

Health plans currently spend an estimated $200 to $500 per provider per credentialing cycle, while providers incur approximately $700 annually in costs and time associated with submitting applications to different payers, according to CertifyOS.

Mike Kane, senior vice president for provider data operations at UnitedHealthcare, said the shared model is intended to reduce duplicative credentialing requirements and allow providers to spend more time on patient care.

CertifyOS said the platform could also support regulatory compliance and improve provider data management as participation expands.

The company’s AI health chatbot, which remains free globally, is available in more than 30 languages and is used by more than 9 million people across 160 countries.

August AI, an artificial intelligence-enabled telehealth company, has launched its direct-to-consumer August Care service in the U.S., offering clinical consultations, discounted laboratory services, prescription support and AI-powered health navigation for a $39 monthly membership.

The company’s AI health chatbot, which remains free globally, is available in more than 30 languages and is used by more than 9 million people across 160 countries. August said the chatbot provides health information based on its knowledge base and clinical guidelines, rather than medical advice.

Under August Care, members receive unlimited AI health chats, one telehealth visit per month, next-day access to laboratory services and prescriptions sent to pharmacies within 10 minutes of physician approval. Additional telehealth consultations cost $19. Members also receive unlimited follow-up messaging for one year after a consultation.

August is also piloting overnight medication delivery and can ingest prescriptions and laboratory reports to explain medical information in plain language. The platform can retain patient conditions and medical history over time, integrate with external electronic health records (EHRs), and assist with benefits navigation.

The company claims the subscription model can save members up to $3,000 annually, or up to $3,500 for people with chronic conditions, through lower consultation and laboratory costs and medication coupon support.

August AI was founded in 2022 by CEO Anuruddh Mishra following his experience with a rheumatoid arthritis misdiagnosis. The company said it has since treated 100,000 patients in the U.S.

The company said its AI system was developed with clinicians and includes safeguards for identifying risks and escalating cases to appropriate care settings. Licensed physicians remain responsible for prescriptions, clinical notes and clinical decisions, while AI supports patients between consultations.

August said its models are trained on 300 million real patient interactions. The company claims its underlying models score 100% on the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), compared with 95% two years ago.

August AI has raised $3 million to date, with Accel among its backers. The company plans to explore reimbursement options for August Care, initially focusing on underinsured and uninsured populations.

August plans to retain its AI chatbot as a free service while expanding its role in healthcare navigation, including potential tools for prior authorization and follow-up reminders.

The Cigna Group is partnering with OpenAI to develop AI-powered tools for patients with complex health conditions, beginning with cancer care and oncology support.

The collaboration will integrate OpenAI’s frontier reasoning models into Cigna’s clinical workflows and consumer-facing experiences. The companies said the initiative will help clinical teams identify patient needs earlier, coordinate care, and provide patients with information and next steps through Cigna’s existing channels and programs.

As part of the initial effort, oncology nurses and case managers at Cigna Healthcare and Accredo Specialty Pharmacy will receive AI-powered tools that bring together clinical, pharmacy, behavioral health, and benefits information. The combined view is intended to help care teams identify appropriate interventions and support based on individual patient needs.

The tools will also incorporate information provided directly by patients, including questions, reported side effects, and personal preferences. Cigna said this information can help its teams respond to concerns and coordinate support between in-person physician visits.

Katya Andresen, chief data, digital and AI officer at The Cigna Group, said the collaboration will combine OpenAI’s model capabilities with Cigna’s clinical expertise and healthcare context to anticipate patient needs and support more personalized care.

The companies plan to expand the collaboration beyond oncology and use a broader range of health intelligence capabilities across different patient needs over time.

The partnership builds on Cigna’s existing use of artificial intelligence. Accredo’s Pharmacy Forward program uses technology to address medication adherence and reduce time to treatment, while Cigna’s insurance business has also announced plans to use AI in personalized care management programs.

Nate Gross, M.D., head of health at OpenAI, said the goal is to use AI to make healthcare easier for patients and caregivers to understand and navigate while building on the expertise and judgment of clinical teams.

It is intended to support a broader range of life sciences applications, including drug discovery, research biology, clinical development, and manufacturing.

Anthropic has launched Claude Opus 5.5, its latest AI model addition to the Claude 5.5 family, with expanded capabilities for biology and scientific research.

It also includes new safeguards and a verification programme for life sciences organisations.

The model is designed for complex, multi-step tasks, including software development, agentic workflows, and knowledge-intensive work.

According to the company, Claude Opus 5.5 offers enhanced capabilities in biology, including molecular prediction and design.

In an evaluation conducted with Dyno Therapeutics, the model demonstrated improvements on a long-horizon molecular prediction and design task, while expert red-teamers rated its scientific novelty as comparable to the strongest model they had previously evaluated, according to Anthropic.

The new model incorporates the same biology safeguards as Fable 5.1.

Pharmaceutical companies, academic laboratories and startups can apply through Anthropic’s recently launched Life Sciences Verification Program to access Opus 5.5 aimed at supporting research and development activities.

The programme provides vetted organisations, including academic laboratories, startups and pharmaceutical companies, with access to models under a set of safeguards designed for a broader range of biology-related work.

The verification programme requires organisations to undergo reviews covering research credentials, security standards and ethical oversight.

The model is intended to support a broader range of life sciences applications, including drug discovery, research biology, clinical development and manufacturing.

The platform is currently available across Anthropic's platforms, including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure. Developers can access the model through the Claude Platform using the model identifier claude-opus-5-5.

Earlier this week, Anthropic partnered with OpenEvidence to bring AI clinical decision support to physicians in approximately 100 resource-limited countries, including Angola, Sudan, Uganda, Mongolia, and Haiti.

The funding will also support the expansion of its business across Delhi NCR

Gurugram-based healthtech startup, Rio Health, has raised INR 43.08 crore or $4.5 million in a pre-Series A funding round led by new investor Version One Ventures.

The round also included participation from existing investors Xeed Ventures, Good Capital and Amplify Partner.

According to its regulatory filings accessed, Rio.ai’s board has approved the allotment of 7,130 compulsorily convertible preference shares (CCPS) at an issue price of INR 60,415 per share to raise the aforementioned amount.

Version One Ventures led the round with an investment of INR 21.30 crore, followed by Xeed Ventures with INR 11.84 crore and Good Capital Fund II with INR 9.47 crore, while Amplify IV PCC invested INR 47 lakh.

Rio.ai plans to use the newly raised capital for operating and working capital requirements, capital expenditure, and strengthening its capital base.

The funding will also support the expansion of its business across Delhi NCR, with further plans to enhance its network from three to more than 15 dark stores.

It also plans to strengthen its AI-powered platform and technology infrastructure intended to support its ordering, inventory, and delivery operations.

The startup is targeting ARR of more than INR 150 crore over the next nine to twelve months.

Founded by Ankur Agrawal and Amit Ahuja, Rio Health operates an AI-powered quick-commerce platform for medicines and healthcare essentials.

The startup operates at the intersection of healthcare, artificial intelligence, and quick commerce, with its platform designed to make the process of ordering medicines and healthcare products more accessible through a conversational interface.

Its platform enables users to order medicines and other healthcare products via WhatsApp and delivers medicines and healthcare essentials across Delhi NCR in 20 to 30 minutes.

The startup currently provides access to more than 20,000 SKUs, while long-tail medicines can be sourced through its distributor network.

The partnership will extend CUH’s existing Epic electronic patient record system to Royal Papworth Hospital through an Epic Connect model.

Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have partnered to introduce a shared electronic patient record across the organisations.

Under the partnership, CUH’s existing Epic electronic patient record system will be extended to Royal Papworth Hospital through an Epic Connect model.

The two trusts will work with Epic Systems Corporation to implement the shared system.

The shared EPR is intended to support the exchange of patient information across the two hospitals, which are located next to each other on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.

The trusts said the system will provide clinical teams with access to patient information in one place when patients move between their services.

Sharing thoughts, Harvey McEnroe, COO and executive senior responsible officer for the EPR programme at Royal Papworth Hospitals, stated the partnership as “a huge step forward” for both trusts, adding that “We are grateful to NHS England, our integrated care board and all our partners for their support and collaboration in helping make our ambitions to create a shared electronic patient record a reality. This clinically led decision will transform the way we deliver care, strengthen collaboration between our hospitals, and enhance our research capabilities, benefiting patients and staff for years to come.”

The initiative is intended to support more coordinated care by providing clinical teams with patient information in one place, helping streamline transitions, reduce duplication, and minimise the need for patients to repeat their medical history.

It is also expected to support transparent communication among staff, smoother patient pathways and more efficient workflows across the two organisations.

Royal Papworth Hospital currently operates a separate EPR system. Under the new arrangement, CUH’s Epic platform will be extended to the hospital, with the existing system being replaced as part of the implementation.

Cambridge University Hospitals has used Epic as its electronic patient record system since 2014.

Commenting on the development, Dr Sue Broster, Chief Medical Officer at Cambridge University Hospitals, said, “This important development will improve the experience of patients receiving care across our two hospitals. By bringing information together securely in one place, it will support smoother transitions, reduce duplication and help us achieve our aim of patients only having to tell their story once. It will also help ensure that care remains consistent and is delivered at the right time.”

The latest expansion seeks to expand Thyrocare’s diagnostic network beyond major metropolitan markets and increase the availability of diagnostic services across other regions.

Thyrocare Technologies has announced the launch of its new diagnostic laboratory in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, aimed at expanding its presence across the region.

The latest facility is equipped for routine as well as specialised diagnostic testing and requirements, with trained professionals.

It was launched in collaboration with Mumbai-based online healthcare platform SecondMedic.

Under the collaboration, Thyrocare, a Mumbai-based diagnostics company, will provide accredited automated testing systems, while SecondMedic will support the collaboration through its digital healthcare access and multi-specialty consultation network.

The collaboration is expected to strengthen its local presence in Jamshedpur and across Jharkhand while advancing access to diagnostic services and faster report delivery to patients across Jharkhand.

Commenting on the new launch Rahul Guha, MD and CEO, Thyrocare, said, “At Thyrocare, our focus has always been on making quality and trustworthy diagnostic services more accessible to people across India. The launch of our laboratory in Jamshedpur, in partnership with SecondMedic, is another step towards making our presence strong in the emerging markets and bringing our technology-led diagnostic capabilities closer to patients. We remain committed to building a network, combining affordability, quality, and accessibility for supporting both ongoing and preventive healthcare needs.”

The latest expansion seeks to expand Thyrocare’s diagnostic network beyond major metropolitan markets and increase the availability of diagnostic services across other regions.

The Jamshedpur laboratory launch follows Thyrocare's recent efforts to expand its diagnostic capabilities and geographic footprint.

Earlier, the Navi Mumbai-based diagnostics company launched an advanced genomic laboratory in Navi Mumbai aimed at expanding its diagnostics portfolio

The facility is equipped with advanced next-generation sequencing technologies, supported by robust bioinformatics and data interpretation capabilities.

It also includes AI decision-support tools for lesion tracking, SUV quantification and response assessment.

5C Network, an AI-native radiology company, has launched a remote Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Nuclear Medicine to expand nuclear medicine reporting across hospitals in India.

Headquartered in Bengaluru, the remote-delivery network is designed to address the shortage of nuclear medicine physicians in India by providing subspecialty remote reading capabilities, integrated directly into hospital scanners across the country.

Commenting on the new development, Kalyan Sivasailam, Co-Founder & CEO, 5C Network said, “India has the scanners, but not enough physicians to read them, and it cannot add them fast enough, at roughly 40 new specialists a year against volumes compounding at 13%. A Centre of Excellence is how you make scarce expertise travel: pooled sub-specialty readers, interpreting to a high standard, with AI supporting them for speed and accuracy.”

As per reports, over 500 PET-CT installations and 350 SPECT/gamma cameras rely on just 800 nuclear medicine physicians nationwide.

With PET-CT reporting limited to licensed specialists, a pool growing by only around 40 physicians annually while scan volumes surge 13%, scanners outside major metros operate far below capacity.

The Centre of Excellence is intended to address the capacity gap, with 5C Network estimating a potential national volume of nearly 7,500 PET-CT studies per day

Through a distributed remote-reading framework, the CoE seeks to connect local scanners to a national panel of credentialed specialists.

The platform incorporates standardised reporting criteria including PERCIST, Lugano, PSMA-RADS and SSTR-RADS.

It also includes AI decision-support tools for lesion tracking, SUV quantification and response assessment.

Additionally, to support the growth of the remote reporting network, 5C Network has appointed Dr Ajit Shinto to lead the CoE.

He has more than 20 years of experience, commissioned India’s first digital PET-CT scanner, and has reported more than 30,000 studies.

He has established nuclear medicine departments across Kovai Medical Center, Amala Institute, Apollo Proton Cancer Centre, and Bharath Hospital..

Sharing his thoughts, Dr Ajit Shinto, Head of the Centre of Excellence for Nuclear Medicine at 5C Network, said, “Nuclear medicine in India is limited less by equipment than by reading capacity. A remote reading model built on credentialed physicians takes that scarce expertise to centres that cannot hire it. What a Centre of Excellence adds is depth sub-specialty readers, structured reporting, peer review, AI in the read. Better science, closer to the treatment decision.”

Beyond remote reporting, 5C Network said the CoE will focus on research, multi-institutional collaborations, theranostics and new diagnostic molecules.

The company said this is intended to support nuclear medicine standards and attract incoming talent.

The platform is expected to initially focus on expanding reporting capacity for Tier-II, Tier-III and metropolitan hospitals across India.

The company also said the network has been structured to support potential international expansion in the future.

The collaboration will use non-invasive fingernail analysis to support screening for anemia, circulation, and other blood-health risk profiles.

QC Healthcare, a US-based healthcare innovation holding company, has partnered with Sanguina, a US-based digital health and biotechnology company, to integrate AI-powered blood health technologies into its virtual care platforms, beginning with My Pediatric Doctor and My Adult Doctor.

The collaboration will use non-invasive fingernail analysis to support screening for anemia, circulation, and other blood-health risk profiles.

The initial deployment will focus on QC Healthcare’s nationwide 24/7 pediatric and adult telehealth platforms, with further applications being evaluated across its broader healthcare ecosystem.

Sanguina’s platform analyses fingernail video to generate blood-health insights, including an anemia screening capability and a Circulation Score. The latter measures the speed and time taken for blood to return to the fingertips after brief pressure is released.

The companies said these measurements are intended to support screening, monitoring and clinical decision-making, rather than replace laboratory tests, physical examinations or emergency care.

For My Pediatric Doctor, the technology could provide additional information when clinicians assess issues linked to childhood development, nutrition and chronic conditions.

My Adult Doctor could use between-visit blood-health information as added context for patients experiencing fatigue or unexplained symptoms, managing chronic conditions, undergoing preventive evaluations or receiving pregnancy and postpartum care.

The companies are also evaluating potential applications in maternal health, oncology and veterans’ care.

Future plans include potential integration with My VA Doctor and My Oncology Doctor, which are currently in development.

Other possible deployments could involve hospitals, health systems, employers, payers, maternal-health programmes and research organisations for remote monitoring, chronic disease management and follow-up care.

The collaboration will also support clinical validation, real-world evidence generation and clinical trial activities. Any expansion into additional clinical applications will be subject to appropriate validation and regulatory review, according to the companies.

The four-year partnership includes an initial investment of approximately $25 Mn between 2026 and 2030 through direct and in-kind contributions from the MTN Group Foundation and the Gates Foundation.

MTN Group Foundation and the Gates Foundation have launched the Nigeria Maternal Health Multiplier, an AI-enabled maternal health care initiative designed to connect women, frontline health workers and primary health care facilities.

The four-year programme aims to expand access to maternal health support across underserved communities in Nigeria by 2030.

According to the organisations, Nigeria accounts for nearly 30% of maternal deaths globally, while only 59% of women complete four or more antenatal care visits. The programme has therefore selected Nigeria as its first market for implementation.

The Maternal Health Multiplier will build on Nigeria’s Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII), which is being deployed by the Federal Ministry of Health under its Sector-Wide Approach.

Rather than operating as a standalone digital service, the platform is intended to work alongside existing health systems and primary care services.

Its digital health model will combine AI-enabled, phone-based decision support for mothers and frontline health workers with affordable smartphones and mobile data.

“AI has enormous potential to improve health, but only if its benefits reach the people who stand to gain the most,” said Mark Suzman, CEO of the Gates Foundation. “Left to the market alone, potential tends to benefit those who can already afford it, not the people who need it most. That’s where philanthropy has a role to play: not as a substitute for investment, but as a catalyst for it. Programs like the Maternal Health Multiplier are creating AI tools for and putting them into the hands of Nigerian mothers and frontline health workers, helping keep moms and their babies healthy.”

Improved connectivity at primary health care facilities will also form part of the programme, allowing health workers to access real-time guidance and helping pregnant women use digital health services without connectivity and affordability becoming major barriers.

By 2030, the partnership aims to help 500,000 women access trusted maternal health guidance, equip 5,000 frontline health workers with tools to identify complications during pregnancy and childbirth at an earlier stage, and support 500 health facilities in delivering more consistent maternal health care.

The programme is intended to cover the continuum from pregnancy and childbirth through the postnatal period.

The four-year partnership includes an initial investment of approximately $25 Mn between 2026 and 2030 through direct and in-kind contributions from the MTN Group Foundation and the Gates Foundation.

The investment is expected to support the initial implementation and help attract additional funding for potential expansion into other markets.

“As artificial intelligence evolves, we can put trusted, locally relevant health insights directly into the hands of mothers and healthcare professionals, tailored to their unique needs and languages. Starting in Nigeria, our ambition is to demonstrate a scalable model for improving maternal and child health outcomes across Africa. The true value of innovation lies in its ability to improve lives and create better futures for generations to come,” Ralph Mupita, MTN Group president and CEO.

The partnership brings together MTN’s connectivity infrastructure, digital inclusion capabilities, mobile financial services, and device distribution networks with the Gates Foundation’s experience in maternal, newborn, and child health, digital health innovation, responsible AI, and evidence-based scale-up.

Further experiments and independent research will be needed to determine its biological significance and potential applications.

Anthropic has reported that its Claude AI model helped identify a previously unknown enzyme system in bacteriophage DNA, marking an early result from the company’s new biology research programme.

The system, called array-associated reverse transcriptases (ART), has features that resemble parts of CRISPR, although its function is still being investigated.

Anthropic’s new biology effort builds on the growing use of AI for genomic analysis and molecular research. The company established a wet biology laboratory in the San Francisco Bay Area earlier this year, bringing computational analysis together with laboratory experiments conducted by human scientists.

The lab currently operates at BSL-1 and BSL-2 levels and does not handle pathogens capable of infecting humans.

For the reported discovery, Claude agents searched large collections of DNA sequences for unusual reverse transcriptases (RTs), enzymes that can copy RNA into DNA.

Anthropic says the system examined more than 200,000 RTs, identified about 3,500 candidate systems and narrowed these down to 20 for closer analysis.

The process took about 21 hours and involved roughly 950 Claude agents processing around 210 million tokens.

The ART system consists of an RT, a neighbouring partner gene and a long sequence of repeated DNA elements. Anthropic says the arrangement was unusual because the repeat pattern resembled a CRISPR array.

Initial laboratory experiments also indicated that the repeat region is expressed as distinct short RNAs, although researchers have not yet established the system’s primary biological function.

CRISPR itself originated as a bacterial defence mechanism against invading viruses and was later adapted by scientists into a powerful gene-editing technology.

Anthropic has stressed that ART is not CRISPR, and the company has not established that the newly identified system can function as a programmable gene-editing tool.

Further experiments and independent research will be needed to determine its biological significance and potential applications.

CRISPR researcher Feng Zhang, after reviewing Anthropic’s preprint, described the identification of RNA-repeat arrays associated with reverse transcriptases as “genuinely intriguing” and said it merits further investigation.

Anthropic has also acknowledged that its work builds on previous research, including studies of related biological systems.

The startup has reported a valuation of INR 22 Cr and annual revenue of INR 1.26 Cr for 2025-26.

Chandigarh University alumnus Utkarsh Luthra has built Medoc Health, an AI-based hospital and patient care automation startup focused on digitising hospital workflows, clinical documentation, and patient information, which has been adopted by 98 hospitals across five states.

The AI-based hospital & patient care automation startup ‘Medoc’ was developed with support from the Chandigarh University Technology Business Incubator (CU-TBI), which has provided incubation, mentorship, technology infrastructure, industry exposure, and business support.

The startup has reported a valuation of INR 22 Cr and annual revenue of INR 1.26 Cr for 2025-26.

Founded with a focus on healthcare providers in Tier-II and Tier-III cities, Medoc Health has built an integrated platform covering hospital management, clinical documentation, diagnostics, insurance, patient records and communication.

The startup has also developed offline-first capabilities for hospitals operating with inconsistent connectivity and supports 12 Indian languages.

Luthra said the idea emerged from challenges observed during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly delays and operational difficulties caused by fragmented processes and the absence of streamlined SOPs.

“I saw the need for a technology-driven solution that could save time, streamline operations, and offer a cost-effective approach for hospitals, particularly across Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. The aim was to democratize access to efficient hospital and patient-care automation, making these solutions accessible beyond major urban centres,” Luthra said.

Medoc Health currently offers nine integrated products. Its Axon platform manages functions including outpatient and inpatient services, billing, inventory, pharmacy, human resources and finance, while DocAssist supports clinical documentation and prescriptions.

Monarcs uses AI to analyse medical images and diagnostic information and flag findings for clinical review. Other products address insurance, compliance, communication and patient records.

One of the startup’s key offerings, Medoc Sync, digitises handwritten prescriptions, laboratory reports and clinical notes, including documents written in multiple Indian languages.

The startup says its radiology technology can pre-screen X-rays, CT scans and MRIs for more than 40 findings, while its diagnostics engine can process more than 60 diagnostic panels.

“A conventional automation system for a 100-bed hospital can cost around ₹8 to 10 lakh, whereas we have developed a solution that can bring the cost down to around 3 lakh, reducing the hospital automation cost by up to 60 per cent. The objective is not to replace doctors or nurses with technology, but to give them affordable tools that make their work more efficient and allow hospitals to improve productivity and grow their revenues,” Luthra added.

The startup has received INR 10 lakh in seed funding from NIT Jalandhar under the Startup India ecosystem and is in discussions for an additional INR 50 lakh. It has also received INR 50 lakh from an angel investor.

Founded by Vikram Kadam and Neha Zade and launched in October 2024, betterhood is building India’s first brand dedicated to preventive pain care.

Preventive pain care brand betterhood has raised INR 11.5 crore in its Seed round, led by Sauce, with participation from existing investor Kairon Capital. The company will use the funds to deepen its product portfolio, expand distribution and scale its content and physiotherapist community.

Founded by Vikram Kadam and Neha Zade and launched in October 2024, betterhood is building India’s first brand dedicated to preventive pain care. Rather than treating pain only once it turns chronic, the brand is built for the larger group of Indians who feel the early signs of back, neck and joint discomfort and want to stay ahead of it.

Its range spans posture and ergonomic supports, orthotic soft goods such as back, knee, ankle and wrist support, and pain relief and recovery products. These categories represent a market of roughly INR 20,000 crore in India, which is growing in the low to mid-teens. Including adjacent spaces the brand is building toward, such as rehabilitation and fitness tools and personalized nutrition, the preventive pain care opportunity is closer to INR 35,000 crore.

What distinguishes betterhood is that its products sit alongside an education layer the brand owns outright. It runs this through articles, Q&A on open forums and podcasts with experts. For betterhood, products are only one part of the pain-care journey; the right knowledge is equally important.

The company is also building Physio Circle, a nationwide community of physiotherapists driving awareness around posture, pain prevention, movement and recovery. The community is already more than 7,000 physiotherapists strong. The goal is to help India understand and take charge of its musculoskeletal health.

The founding team brings together experience across consumer, healthcare, retail, e-commerce and growth. Vikram Kadam, Neha Zade, Manoranjan Nayak and Subhanandan Palit bring this breadth to research-led product development, education and community-building. The team is further strengthened by Shayamal Vallabhjee, Chief Science Officer and a sports scientist with over two decades of experience across elite sport and chronic health.

The funds raised will support betterhood’s next phase of growth. The capital will go toward deepening the portfolio, expanding distribution across quick commerce and modern retail, scaling the content and physiotherapist community, and strengthening the team across product development and growth.

Yash Dholakia, Partner at Sauce, said, “More than half of Indian adults over 45 live with musculoskeletal pain, and the age of onset keeps moving earlier. With increasing focus on movement and active lifestyle among the millennials, preventive pain management is a crucial enabler, and hence a large opportunity to build a digital first brand.”

“What sets betterhood apart is that it is not selling a single product into that need. It is building around the whole consumer, across posture, support, recovery and education, and it is earning trust by creating awareness,” Dholakia added.

Deepankur Malhotra, Founder & Managing Partner at Kairon Capital, said, “We were the first investors to back betterhood, at a very early stage, when Vikram and Neha were setting out to build a new category around preventive pain care. What stood out to us then was the scale of the problem, the clarity of their consumer insight and, most importantly, the quality of the founding team.”

Vikram Kadam, Co-Founder, betterhood, said, “We started betterhood with a simple belief: pain care should fit into everyday life, rather than be something people figure out only when pain gets in the way. There is a huge opportunity to rethink how India manages pain and recovery, and this investment round gives us the fuel to build that category with ambition.”

Neha Zade, Co-Founder, betterhood, said, “At betterhood, we want to make taking care of your body feel as natural as taking care of everything else. From everyday aches to recovery, we’re building products that people can reach for without overthinking it.”

San Diego-based AI drug discovery company Iambic Therapeutics has filed for an initial public offering (IPO) and plans to list its common stock on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “IAM.”

Iambic disclosed the proposed listing in a registration statement filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The company has not yet disclosed the number of shares to be offered or the expected price range.

Iambic combines artificial intelligence with automated chemistry and biology experimentation for drug discovery and development. The company said it intends to use the net proceeds from the IPO primarily to advance the clinical development of its drug candidates IAM1363, IAM217 and IAM-C1.

IAM1363 is an oral HER2 inhibitor currently being evaluated in a Phase 1/1b clinical trial for patients with HER2-altered solid tumors. IAM217 is being developed for ovarian cancer, triple-negative breast cancer and other solid tumors, while IAM-C1 is designed to inhibit CDK2 and CDK4 enzymes involved in cancer cell growth.

According to the SEC filing, Iambic also expects the proceeds to provide additional working capital and support other general corporate purposes. The company said it could use a portion of the funds for potential acquisitions or investments in businesses, products, services or technologies, although it currently has no material acquisition or investment commitments.

Iambic has raised approximately $461.8 million from investors since its founding, including a $100 million funding round last year. Its investors include NVIDIA, Q Healthcare Holding, a subsidiary of the Qatar Investment Authority, Catalio Capital Management, Nexus Venture Partners and Coatue Management.

NVIDIA held approximately 9.6 million Iambic shares before the proposed offering and also serves as a strategic technology collaborator.

The proposed IPO comes amid increased public-market activity among technology and healthcare companies. Smart ring maker Oura recently launched its IPO, offering 50 million shares at $40 to $44 per share, while AI companies OpenAI and Anthropic have also taken steps toward potential public listings through confidential SEC filings.

Iambic’s IPO timing, offering size and valuation have not yet been disclosed.

According to Zocdoc, typical appointments through its network occur within 24 to 72 hours of booking, compared with national average outpatient specialist wait times of more than 30 days.

Zocdoc has launched its Care Access Network, an enterprise platform that enables healthcare providers to make real-time appointment availability discoverable and bookable across external channels, including Google Gemini, Amazon Health AI, Yelp, Healthgrades, Blue Shield of California, search engines, and commercial insurance directories.

The network allows providers to maintain a single scheduling integration rather than managing separate calendar connections and directory listings across multiple platforms. Zocdoc said its network synchronizes with more than 175 electronic health record (EHR) and practice management systems (PMS), allowing available appointment slots to reflect schedule changes in real time and booked visits to flow into clinical templates.

According to Zocdoc, typical appointments through its network occur within 24 to 72 hours of booking, compared with national average outpatient specialist wait times of more than 30 days.

The company is also introducing a zero-upfront-cost participation model. Licensed healthcare providers can join the network without an initial fee. Providers do not pay booking fees when existing patients schedule appointments or when patients search for a specific clinician by name. A one-time transaction fee applies when Zocdoc facilitates the discovery of a new patient and a confirmed appointment.

The expansion follows findings from a national Zocdoc survey on healthcare search and scheduling. The survey found that 69% of patients looking for a new doctor use multiple channels, while more than one-third reported switching providers because of scheduling difficulties. Another 43% said they would switch to a practice offering easier digital booking.

Zocdoc is also expanding its Practice Solutions suite, which includes digital intake, automated insurance eligibility verification, patient communication tools, and branded scheduling widgets. The company said these website scheduling widgets have generated a 25% to 30% increase in organic practice website bookings.

In addition, Zocdoc is deploying Zo, an AI-powered phone assistant that can answer calls around the clock, access real-time provider availability, and schedule appointments without front-desk intervention.

The company is positioning the Care Access Network as an infrastructure layer between AI and search interfaces and provider scheduling systems. Through developer APIs, machine-readable availability feeds, and Model Context Protocol (MCP) server hooks, Zocdoc is enabling platforms such as Gemini and Amazon Health AI to connect patients from care discovery to appointment booking.

“Keeping up with every new place patients search for care is becoming an impossible task for providers. With Zocdoc, now they don’t have to,” said Richard Fine, Chief Business Officer at Zocdoc.

Sarnaik also proposed equipping ambulances with cameras and telecommunications facilities. The system would allow doctors at hospitals to monitor patients remotely and provide treatment guidance while they are being transported.

Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has directed officials to integrate the state-run 108 ambulance service with private ambulances on a digital platform to ensure that the nearest available ambulance can reach road accident victims quickly.

The proposal was discussed during the 13th meeting of the State Road Safety Council at Mantralaya on Tuesday. Sarnaik emphasized the need for faster emergency medical response during the critical “golden hour” following a road accident, according to an official release.

The meeting was held after a gap of more than three years, although the council is required to meet twice a year. Public Health Minister Prakash Abitkar, Public Works Minister Shivendra Raje Bhosale, the Transport Department’s Additional Chief Secretary, the Transport Commissioner and other senior officials attended the meeting.

Sarnaik also proposed equipping ambulances with cameras and telecommunications facilities. The system would allow doctors at hospitals to monitor patients remotely and provide treatment guidance while they are being transported.

The minister further called for a policy covering air ambulance services along the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway, other expressways, coastal roads and remote areas.

The meeting also reviewed the implementation of the PM-Rahat scheme, under which eligible accident victims can receive cashless treatment of up to Rs 1.5 lakh per person for a maximum of seven days. Sarnaik directed officials to ensure the scheme is implemented effectively.

To address road safety and vehicle-related violations, officials proposed a pilot project using electronic “weigh-in-motion” sensors to identify overloaded vehicles. The council also discussed remote-sensing technology to detect pollution from moving vehicles and the integration of pollution-under-control certificates with vehicle and e-challan systems.

According to the state government, road accident deaths in Maharashtra declined by 6% between January and July 2026 compared with the corresponding period in 2025, despite an increase in the number of vehicles.

Two-wheeler riders accounted for 60% of road accident deaths in Maharashtra in 2025, while pedestrians represented 22% of fatalities.

Eleven districts in the state have also been included in the “Zero Fatality District” initiative, which covers 100 critical districts nationwide in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and SaveLIFE Foundation. The districts are Nashik Rural, Pune Rural, Ahilyanagar, Solapur Rural, Jalgaon, Satara, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Rural, Beed, Nagpur Rural, Kolhapur and Dhule.

The 600-bed multi-specialty hospital will be developed in two phases. The first phase is expected to begin operations by the end of 2026, while the second phase is planned for July-August 2027.

Pratap University, Jaipur, is set to establish Maharana Pratap MediCity across 40 acres of its campus in Chandwaji, Jaipur, bringing together a 600-bed multi-specialty hospital, a 100-bed Ayurveda hospital and facilities for medical and healthcare education.

The integrated facility will support academic programmes and clinical training across medical, nursing, Ayurveda, paramedical and veterinary disciplines. Programmes planned at the MediCity include MBBS, Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS), BSc Nursing, General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM), physiotherapy, medical laboratory technology and technician courses.

The university will also offer the Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry (B.V.Sc. & A.H.) programme as part of the MediCity's academic offerings.

The 600-bed multi-specialty hospital will be developed in two phases. The first phase is expected to begin operations by the end of 2026, while the second phase is planned for July-August 2027. Academic programmes across medical, nursing, paramedical, Ayurveda and veterinary disciplines are expected to commence from the 2027-28 academic session.

MediCity is planned as an integrated setting that combines classroom-based education with clinical and practical training. Students will receive exposure to healthcare environments through the hospital and associated facilities as part of their academic programmes.

The project will also focus on training healthcare professionals for hospitals and healthcare institutions across Rajasthan, particularly in nursing and paramedical fields.

Commenting on the project, Shailendra Bhadauria, Chancellor, Pratap University, said, “Maharana Pratap MediCity is envisioned as a place where education, healthcare and skill development come together. We aim to create an institution where students receive strong academic foundations along with meaningful practical exposure, while the healthcare facilities serve the wider community.”

Bhadauria added that the initiative is intended to help meet the demand for trained healthcare professionals in Jaipur, Rajasthan, and healthcare institutions across the country.

Nursing informatics, as defined by the American Nurses Association, integrates nursing science, computer science, and information science to develop and sustain healthcare information systems that support nurses, patients, and healthcare organisations.

In India, nursing informatics remains an emerging specialty, with limited formal education and training programmes compared with more established markets such as the US and UK. Despite this, the field is gaining importance as hospitals adopt digital health technologies and data-driven care models. The market remains fragmented, with private-sector organisations playing a key role in adoption, while early adopters are helping shape how nursing informatics develops across the wider healthcare ecosystem.

Market Origins & Evolution

India's story is significantly more complicated than the US', where hospital information systems were pioneered by academic institutions in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. India's early computerized hospital systems focused on finance and inventory; nursing components came later and were driven by the private sector:

• Max Healthcare began implementing EHRs in 2009 and reached HIMSS EMRAM Stage 6 by 2012, one of the first Indian hospital groups to do so, requiring structured nursing documentation and closed-loop medication administration.
• Apollo Hospitals implemented systems in four of its Chennai and Hyderabad hospitals at the same time, also reaching HIMSS Stage 6.
• Meanwhile, public hospitals were using open-source products such as OpenMRS and DHIS2 to support their IT needs, a divergence that continues to this day.

India's early hospital information systems, then, were not developed with nursing in mind: They were systems to support billing and operations, where nursing functions such as vitals collection, care planning, and medication administration were often mere adjuncts.

Current Clinical Applications

There are a few recurring use cases for nursing informatics systems across different hospitals, public health programs, and nursing education:

• ABHA-linked registration and documentation: Under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission framework, nurses collect ABHA IDs from patients at registration and use them to submit prescriptions and laboratory results.
• Remote/Command centre monitoring: Apollo's AI-based monitoring solutions allow nurses to receive and respond to early warning notifications from nurse stations or mobile devices about deteriorating patients, rather than being limited to bedside monitoring.
• Nurse call and communication systems: This is a smaller but growing segment, as the market transitions from wired to wireless nurse call systems.
• The Mumbai public HMIS implementation (2018-present) is one of the few publicly available case studies in India related to nursing informatics.
  • It was piloted at BYL Nair Hospital and is largely notable for revealing implementation challenges, such as inadequate hardware, slow network performance, unsatisfactory training completion, and a shortage of data entry clerks to support the system, all of which were obstacles during the rollout.
  • Nurses received specific training as part of the implementation, making it an unusual insight into how nursing informatics is managed and received at the ground level in a public hospital in India.

Market Size & Growth

Nursing informatics is not yet a distinct category, but it is part of a growing healthcare information system sector in India. Projections are based on adjacent sectors' growth:

• India's healthcare information system market is expected to be worth approximately $52.8 Bn by 2030, growing at a CAGR of approximately 16% between 2024 and 2030, and forecast to be the second-largest revenue-contributing market in the Asia-Pacific region by 2030.
• The nurse call systems market is growing more slowly but steadily, projected to reach $63.6 Mn by 2030 from USD 22.4 million in 2022 (CAGR of 13.9%), but India still only comprises about 1.3% of the global market.

Over 97.45 crore ABHA IDs were provisioned, and hospitals are increasingly using the ABHA framework to manage nursing documentation, OPD registration, prescriptions, and laboratory submissions.

Key Growth Drivers

There are a couple of key drivers fuelling the nursing informatics market growth in India, and the most significant is policy: ABDM provides the infrastructure; the nursing sector is filling it. At the same time, the workforce crisis in nursing is driving interest in nursing informatics, both because it is a specialty nursing field with potentially strong demand and because informatics nursing roles are projected to grow 30-40% in the next five years.

Industry voices are citing the US experience with EHRs and clinical decision support systems as a model, with medication error reductions of approximately 30% as a motivating factor. Regional factors are also at play: The APAC digital health market is projected to reach approximately $180.94 Bn by 2033, largely driven by smartphone penetration (over 70% of the population is now online) and 5G-enabled telehealth, a key component of nursing informatics.

Structural Gaps & Challenges

India's nursing informatics market is poised to grow steadily, if modestly, in the coming years, fuelled by a combination of policy and workforce drivers. This growth is taking place against a backdrop of increasing digitization of healthcare in India overall, with nursing being one of the areas where digital solutions are being adopted most rapidly. That said, there are some key areas where the market is still emerging:

• Adoption is uneven: While approximately a fifth to a third of healthcare providers in India use digital instruments in meaningful ways, most of these are in the private sector, with public and rural facilities lagging by a significant margin.
• Digital literacy is a constraint: An analysis conducted between 2025 and 2026 comparing nursing students in Germany and India revealed some gaps in digital competencies as self-reported by students. Another study in coastal Karnataka found similar gaps in awareness of ABDM on the part of the population that is intended to use it.
• The market is fragmented and sensitive to price: There are a number of domestic and international vendors competing to provide systems, and smaller, tertiary care facilities in tier-2/3 cities are hesitant to make the investment.

Informatics nursing roles are projected to grow by approximately 11% between 2023 and 2033, nearly double the rate of registered nursing in general, and this is a global projection rather than a specifically Indian one. However, it is already informing nurse educators and digital health trainer recruitment and curriculum design in India, with a number of short courses and postgraduate modules being offered, many of which are ABDM-specific. The real inflection point for the nursing informatics market in India is a shift in the nursing education sector to address the digital literacy gap.

Strategic Implications & Outlook

For digital health leaders and hospital administrators, the lesson from Max Healthcare and Apollo’s decade-long EMRAM journeys is that nursing informatics maturity is achieved when nurses’ documentation is designed into the system rather than mandated as part of an accreditation. Leaders considering EHR or HIS procurement should ask vendors about their ability to support nursing-informatics-enabled care, including closed-loop medication administration and mobile charting, as much as they seek clinical decision support for physicians. The Mumbai HMIS case study is a warning shot that the lack of appropriate change management around nurses’ expectations and capacity building around new data-entry processes will damage buy-in far beyond the point of initial implementation.

For India’s health system and policymakers, the ABDM infrastructure layer has served its purpose, and the next logical step is to acknowledge the data’s findings around equity and competency. The fact that 97.45 crore ABHA IDs have been created speaks volumes about the size of the opportunity, but it is also a sobering reminder that public and rural facilities, which employ the majority of India’s nurses, lag behind their private and tertiary counterparts in terms of both technology infrastructure and interoperability capabilities. The more meaningful policy lever from here is to shift the focus to nursing education and competency building in underserved facilities.

For health innovators, the opportunity likely presents itself in the most obvious way: by targeting an underserved market that is expected to grow exponentially within the next five years. Nurse call systems and documentation tools are still commoditized and fragmented across providers, with solutions varying from in-house tools to full-scale enterprise EHR systems. The market for entry-level solutions for tier-2/3 city hospitals and nursing homes is enormous, as these facilities are unable to justify budgets like their metro counterparts for software and training. Founders looking to disrupt the industry from within by targeting nursing competencies and processes rather than physician-centric care delivery will have a significant impact within the next five years.

Through the new investment, the medical device company seeks to focus on strengthening its core business and investing in products, manufacturing, technology, and talent.

India-based medical devices manufacturer Romsons Group has completed a strategic private equity transaction with Singapore-headquartered global investment firm Temasek.

Under the transaction, Temasek has joined Romsons as a long-term strategic partner through a minority investment. The financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed

The partnership brings together Romsons’ strong Indian healthcare platform and operating capabilities with Temasek’s global experience and long-term investment perspective.

According to Romsons, the partnership goes beyond a capital investment and is aimed at supporting long-term growth for Romsons.

As part of the partnership, Romsons and Temasek will also evaluate strategic partnerships and acquisitions in India and overseas where these are aligned with the company’s objectives.

The company stated the partnership will also place greater emphasis on governance, institutional processes and execution as it scales its operations.

Through the new investment, the medical device company seeks to focus on strengthening its core business and investing in products, manufacturing, technology, and talent.

Further, the company also plans to expand its presence across Indian and international markets while enhancing its product portfolio.

Commenting on the development, Kishore Narain Khanna, Managing Director, Romsons Group, said, “The association with Temasek marks an important new chapter for Romsons. We have built a strong foundation in the Indian healthcare market over the years, and this partnership gives us an opportunity to build on that foundation with greater capabilities and a global perspective. Our focus will remain on strengthening our business, investing in products, manufacturing, technology and people, and creating sustainable long-term value. We look forward to working closely with Temasek as we pursue the opportunities ahead.”

Founded in 1952, Romsons manufactures and sells medical devices and personal care and hygiene products in India and international markets. Its portfolio covers areas including anaesthesia, urology, surgery, transfusion, gastroenterology, cardiac, and patient care.

Currently, the company has a presence across more than 80 countries and has over 1,500 distributors.

The latest development follows reports from October 2025 that Temasek had entered exclusive talks to acquire a 15-20% minority stake in Romsons at a valuation of around $1 billion.

Another 125-bed government hospital is also coming up at Hebbal, taking the combined investment to INR 150 crore.

The Karnataka Government has announced plans to set up a 125-bed multispeciality government hospital in Bellahalli, Yelahanka taluk, with an estimated cost of INR 75 crore.

Recently, the Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda laid the project foundation. According to the Minister, the hospital aims to boost healthcare accessibility, while also addressing a longstanding gap in healthcare infrastructure in the Byatarayanapura constituency.

“Recognising this gap, we have been pursuing the matter continuously for the past four to five years. Today, that effort has finally translated into the foundation for a 125-bed, fully equipped government hospital,” said Byre Gowda.

The hospital is expected to benefit residents of Thanisandra, Kempapura, Kogilu, Nagawara, Hegdenagar, Jalahobli, Marenahalli, Sathanur and Bagalur, as well as surrounding rural and urban settlements.

The hospital is planned as a multi-storey facility with multiple specialised services, with two more floors proposed in the future to take the capacity to 250 beds.

Alongside the Bellahalli facility, another 125-bed government hospital is also coming up at Hebbal, taking the combined investment to INR 150 crore.

The Minister said the area has a substantial population of workers and middle-class families for whom private healthcare can be a significant financial burden.

He further noted that a 60-bed hospital constructed by the Greater Bengaluru Authority at Singapura has been completed and is ready for inauguration.

State Health Minister UT Khader, MLA of Gandhinagar and former state health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, and other public representatives were present during the event.

The latest development follows the recent inauguration of KLE JGMM Medical College and KLE Hospital and Medical Research Centre in Hubballi.

The facility adds a 1,200-bed hospital and 250 medical college seats to North Karnataka’s healthcare and medical education infrastructure.

The integrated Hospital campus has been developed across about 50 acres with an investment of nearly INR 700 Crore.

The CM also inaugurated the redeveloped 317-bed hospital at UNM General Hospital in Vyara, Tapi district.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has laid the foundation stone for a new 800-bed UNM Medical College and General Hospital project in Vyara, Gujarat’s Tapi district.

The proposed 800-bed hospital is being developed through a public-private partnership (PPP) between the UNM Foundation, the Philanthropic wing of Torrent Group, and the Gujarat government.

The broader project also includes a 150-seat MBBS medical college and student hostel in Vyara.

As part of the PPP collaboration, the UNM Foundation has committed INR 910 Crore for the development of the hospital.

According to the organisation, the upcoming hospital is expected to benefit nearly 8 lakh people in Tapi and adjoining areas of Gujarat and Maharashtra while reducing the need for patients to travel to distant centres for healthcare services.

The CM also inaugurated the redeveloped 317-bed hospital at UNM General Hospital in Vyara, Tapi district.

The Transitional Hospital spans 9,986 sq m and has been developed at the existing UNM General Hospital campus.

The facility includes 271 ward beds and 46 critical care beds and is intended to maintain healthcare services while the larger 800-bed hospital project is constructed.

Its outpatient department capacity has increased from about 700 to 1,200 patients daily, with 24 dedicated OPD rooms covering 17 clinical specialities.

The new hospital is equipped with four operation theatres, including three for major surgeries and one for Caesarean and maternity services, along with an emergency minor OT and a post-mortem OT. Critical care facilities include 34 ICU beds, 12 NICU/PICU beds, and six emergency room beds.

Additional facilities include advanced pathology and microbiology laboratories, a blood storage centre, X-ray and ultrasound equipment, an eight-bed dialysis unit, CSSD, a Kangaroo Mother Care room, and an NRC ward.

The initiative is intended to improve access to healthcare for tribal and rural communities by providing medical services closer to their homes while reducing travel time and associated costs.

As part of the collaboration, William Morice II, M.D., PhD, president and CEO of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, has been appointed Scientific Adviser to Pathology Asia Holdings.

Mayo Clinic Laboratories and Pathology Asia Holdings have announced a strategic investment and collaboration to expand access to advanced Diagnostics and Precision Medicine across Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, with LifeStrands Genomics, a genomics and life science subsidiary of Pathology Asia, playing a central role in the genomics-focused initiative.

Mayo Clinic Laboratories and Pathology Asia Holdings have strengthened their long-standing relationship by combining Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ clinical and diagnostic expertise with Pathology Asia’s regional laboratory network and market capabilities.

As part of the collaboration, William Morice II, M.D., PhD, president and CEO of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, has been appointed Scientific Adviser to Pathology Asia Holdings.

“Healthcare providers across Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand are increasingly seeking advanced diagnostic solutions to guide patient care,” said Dr. Morice. “Our collaboration with PAH and LifeStrands Genomics reflects our commitment to a long-term strategic relationship that unites complementary strengths in laboratory diagnostics and genomics. Through this collaboration, we are bringing advanced diagnostic capabilities closer to patients and equipping healthcare providers with the insights needed to deliver personalised care.”

Pathology Asia operates across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Australia, providing pathology and laboratory Diagnostics through a network that includes Innoquest, Singapore Diagnostics, TissuPath and Safework Health.

Its specialist genomics businesses include LifeStrands Genomics and DNA Laboratories.

The collaboration will focus significantly on expanding molecular and genomic testing through LifeStrands Genomics. The organisations plan to support testing for genetic conditions, disease-risk assessment, diagnosis and treatment planning, allowing healthcare providers to incorporate genomic information into more personalised care.

In selected markets, LifeStrands Genomics will operate as “LifeStrands in collaboration with Mayo Clinic Laboratories.”

LifeStrands Genomics operates specialist laboratories in Singapore and Australia alongside DNA Laboratories, providing molecular and genomic testing across areas including oncology, reproductive health, inherited disorders and wellness.

The two organisations will also pursue joint scientific initiatives, education and thought leadership to support the wider adoption of genomics in clinical practice.

“Mayo Clinic Laboratories' investment marks an important milestone in our relationship and a strong foundation for the next phase of diagnostic innovation across the region,” Christopher Ting, M.D., founder and CEO of Pathology Asia Holdings, added. “Combining Mayo Clinic Laboratories' global clinical and scientific expertise with PAH's regional diagnostic capabilities and network will enable us to broaden access to advanced testing and increase access to genomics and precision medicine capabilities across Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.”

Mayo Clinic Laboratories provides more than 4,400 tests and pathology services through its partnership with Mayo Clinic’s Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology.

Anthropic will provide the technology supporting the system, while OpenEvidence will adapt the platform to regional healthcare environments, including differences in infrastructure, disease patterns, diagnostic capabilities and treatment availability.

Anthropic and OpenEvidence have partnered to expand access to medical AI for clinicians in regions beyond the US and Europe, with limited medical literature, specialist expertise and continuing medical education.

The initiative will make a specialised version of OpenEvidence available free to healthcare providers across about 100 countries, including Uganda, Angola, Sudan, Haiti and Mongolia, enabling healthcare providers to access evidence-based medical information at the point of care.

OpenEvidence is a medical knowledge platform that enables doctors to ask clinical questions and receive answers based on peer-reviewed research and treatment guidelines.

Its content ecosystem includes sources such as th New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA Network, NCCN guidelines, Nature, and Cochrane reviews.

Anthropic will provide the technology supporting the system, while OpenEvidence will adapt the platform to regional healthcare environments, including differences in infrastructure, disease patterns, diagnostic capabilities, and treatment availability.

OpenEvidence has previously worked with health organisations in Rwanda and Botswana to adapt its technology for local clinical needs.

Daniel Nadler, Founder& CEO of OpenEvidence, said, “One hundred percent of what we are building for these places is context adaptive.”

“Access to medical knowledge shouldn't depend on geography,” Nadler added.

He also noted that smartphones can provide clinicians with access to medical information that was previously concentrated in leading institutions.

In August, US clinicians used OpenEvidence 42 million times, according to Nadler. He said several hundred million Americans will have been treated by doctors who used the platform to help guide care in 2026.

Anthropic and OpenEvidence have not disclosed the financial terms of their collaboration.

Anthropic president Daniela Amodei said the technology needed to support expansion into low-resource settings now exists, while noting that market incentives alone would not enable such an initiative.

Ayushman cards under the scheme covered about 33% of India’s population, while more than 38,000 public and private hospitals were empanelled.

Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) has completed eight years, with the government reporting more than 48.51 crore Ayushman cards and 13.25 crore hospital admissions worth INR 2.03 lakh crore as the scheme continues to expand financial protection for eligible beneficiaries.

The AB-PMJAY journey has reached its eighth year since the scheme was launched on September 23, 2018, to extend financial protection for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation.

As of September 21, 2026, Ayushman cards under the scheme covered about 33% of India’s population, while more than 38,000 public and private hospitals were empanelled as of August 31, 2026.

“What began 8 years ago as the Sankalp for Seva of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji has transformed healthcare access for millions, with Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY — the world’s largest Health Assurance Scheme — now covering more than half a billion people across the country.” Union Health Minister JP Nadda said.

AB-PMJAY provides cashless hospitalisation cover of up to INR 5 lakh per family annually. The scheme covers 1,961 procedures across 27 medical specialties and is designed to reduce the financial burden associated with major medical treatment.

Government data has also shown a decline in out-of-pocket expenditure, with household out-of-pocket spending falling from 62.6% of total health expenditure in 2014-15 to 43.4% in 2022-23.

The beneficiary base has expanded beyond the original eligible population in recent years. In March 2024, AB-PMJAY was extended to around 37 lakh families of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), anganwadi workers, and anganwadi helpers.

More than 44.81 lakh Ayushman cards had been created for these groups as of September 21, 2026. The scheme was subsequently expanded to cover all citizens aged 70 years and above, with more than 1.36 crore Ayushman Vay Vandana cards issued as of September 21, 2026.

AB-PMJAY forms one part of the wider Ayushman Bharat framework. Ayushman Arogya Mandirs provide comprehensive primary healthcare, while the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) is building digital health infrastructure through ABHA IDs, health records and connected healthcare facilities.

The fourth component, PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), focuses on strengthening health infrastructure, disease surveillance and critical-care capacity.

Together, these initiatives are intended to connect financial protection under AB-PMJAY with primary care, digital health services and healthcare infrastructure.

AB-PMJAY is a centrally sponsored scheme, with Centre-State funding generally shared at 60:40, while a 90:10 ratio applies to specified states and Union Territories.

For 2026-27, the Union Budget has estimated INR 9,500 Cr for the scheme.

Chhibber also highlighted the need for greater focus on patient safety, ethical marketing practices and pricing, while calling for regulators to recognise the differences between medical devices and pharmacology.

India’s medical device sector has grown from a $5 billion industry in 2020-21 to $18 billion today, with manufacturing increasing by more than 100% as the industry moves towards greater self-sufficiency, according to Dr Rajiv Chhibber, Joint Forum Coordinator, Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AiMeD).

Speaking at a recent event, Chhibber said the sector’s growth has been supported by policies of the central and state governments, including the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) and PRIP schemes. He also said Indian medical exports now reach around 187 countries.

“The medical device sector has grown into a significant industry. In 2020–21, it was a $5 billion sector, and today it has grown to $18 billion. For a long time, medical devices were considered an import-dependent sector, but with the policies of the central and state governments, the industry is moving towards self-sufficiency. Manufacturing has increased by more than 100% in India, supported by initiatives such as the PLI and PRIP schemes. Today, our medical exports reach around 187 countries. The medical device sector, which was once seen as a smaller subsector of the pharmaceutical industry, has become an integral part of the healthcare sector.”

Chhibber also highlighted the need for greater focus on patient safety, ethical marketing practices and pricing, while calling for regulators to recognise the differences between medical devices and pharmacology.

“We also need to focus on patient safety, ethical marketing practices and pricing, with the NPPA taking pricing-related matters seriously. Regulators must understand that medical devices are different from pharmacology. As technology advances, manufacturers need encouragement to invest in innovation, while ensuring that medical technology remains affordable in terms of both price and quality.”

The growth of India’s medical device sector was also linked to the country’s expanding role in global MedTech manufacturing and supply. Lars Wismer, Regional Head of Messe Düsseldorf for Asia (MDfA), said India has moved from being a major importer to a market where more production is taking place.

“India is definitely a growing market of the future, and we at Messe Düsseldorf for Asia are particularly focused on the country in the MedTech sector. India has come a long way from being a major importer to a market where more and more production is taking place. It is becoming a MedTech powerhouse, not only for the region but also for the world. Compared to Europe, the adoption rate in Asia is much higher, making Asian economies, especially India, an important market. India plays a significant role, not just as a customer but also as a manufacturer and supplier.”

Wismer also said such platforms can support knowledge exchange and discussions around new products, innovation and developments in healthcare.

“Medical Fair India provides a platform for knowledge exchange. It is not just about bringing new products and innovations together with buyers, but also about exchanging ideas, experiencing innovation and creating conversations around these developments.”

The discussions also covered the need for policies that support investment in medical device manufacturing, including capital expenditure and operational expenditure, while addressing the requirements of smaller enterprises and larger manufacturers.

The company plans to offer 50 million shares at $40 to $44 each, with Oura selling 13.5 million shares and existing shareholders offering 36.5 million shares.

Smart ring maker Oura Inc. and some of its existing shareholders are seeking to raise up to $2.2 billion through a US initial public offering (IPO), according to a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The company plans to offer 50 million shares at $40 to $44 each, with Oura selling 13.5 million shares and existing shareholders offering 36.5 million shares. At the top of the proposed range, the IPO could value Oura at approximately $14.1 billion.

The potential valuation is higher than Oura's approximately $11 billion valuation in 2025, when the company raised $875 million in a Series E funding round.

Founded in 2013, Oura develops smart rings that track health and fitness metrics including sleep, activity and heart health. The company sold approximately 3.6 million smart rings in the past year, according to its filing.

Oura's products connect with a mobile application that allows users to monitor health data and access Oura Advisor, its artificial intelligence-powered assistant. The company also operates a subscription-based Oura Membership service, which provides access to more than 50 health metrics and personalized insights covering areas including nutrition, fertility planning, therapy and medication monitoring.

The membership service had more than five million paid members as of June 30, 2026. In the US, subscriptions are priced at $5.99 per month or $69.99 annually.

Despite revenue growth, Oura reported a net loss attributable to stockholders of $924.3 million on revenue of $1.21 billion for the nine months ended June 30, 2026. During the same period a year earlier, the company reported a net loss of $182.8 million on revenue of $697.6 million.

Oura's major investors holding stakes of 5% or more include Fidelity Management and Research, Forerunner Ventures, Bedford Ridge Capital and Lifeline Ventures, according to the filing.

Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase, Allen & Co. and Jefferies Financial Group are leading the offering. Oura expects its shares to trade on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker OURA.

The partnership will combine Iambic’s molecular superintelligence platform with AbbVie’s therapeutic-area and drug discovery expertise.

AbbVie and Iambic have entered a multi-year collaboration to use Iambic’s AI platform to accelerate the discovery and development of small molecule therapies across immunology, neuroscience and oncology.

The partnership will combine Iambic’s molecular superintelligence platform with AbbVie’s therapeutic-area and drug discovery expertise. The companies will pursue drug candidates with potential to be first-in-class or best-in-class.

Iambic’s platform is designed to evaluate multiple molecular properties simultaneously during drug discovery. Its technologies, including Enchant and NeuralPLexer, are intended to help researchers identify promising molecules while reducing the time required to assess potential drug candidates.

The collaboration will use Enchant v3, Iambic’s next-generation multimodal transformer model. The system integrates biomedical data from across the drug discovery process and is designed to test multiple drug design hypotheses in parallel and at scale.

According to Iambic, Enchant v3 has been trained on more than 6,000 molecular properties and is designed to improve prediction accuracy across drug discovery and development.

“Combining Iambic's platform with the drug-hunting expertise of AbbVie scientists can help us make more precise decisions about the molecules we pursue,” said Jonathon Sedgwick, Ph.D., senior vice president and global head of discovery research at AbbVie.

The companies said the collaboration aims to design and evaluate drug candidates more efficiently across the three therapeutic areas. AbbVie said the partnership is part of its broader use of purpose-built AI capabilities in research and development.

Under the agreement, Iambic will receive an upfront payment and will be eligible for success-based milestone payments and tiered royalties on net sales of products generated through the collaboration.

The company plans to build a large multi-omics dataset by combining molecular data from up to one million biospecimens with longitudinal clinical information and other health-related data.

Mayo Clinic and Thermo Fisher Scientific have launched Precure LLC, a new company focused on generating population-scale molecular data to support the development of diagnostics, therapies, and other healthcare products.

Mayo Clinic is the majority owner of Precure, while Thermo Fisher is a minority owner. The company plans to build a large multi-omics dataset by combining molecular data from up to one million biospecimens with longitudinal clinical information and other health-related data.

Thermo Fisher will provide expertise and technologies in proteomics and mass spectrometry to support Precure’s data-generation efforts.

The launch builds on Mayo Clinic’s ongoing work to identify early biological signals associated with disease. In July, Mayo Clinic launched Precure Research, an investigator-led initiative examining genes, proteins, metabolites, clinical records, wearable-device data and environmental exposures to identify changes that may occur before clinical symptoms emerge.

Precure is expected to provide the infrastructure and collaborations needed to scale this work to population-level molecular datasets. The company will also work on translating insights from these datasets into potential diagnostics, therapies and other healthcare products.

Mayo Clinic plans to connect longitudinal clinical information collected over multiple years with molecular data generated from biospecimens. The company said artificial intelligence and large-scale data analytics will be used to identify patterns across the datasets and generate actionable insights.

Mayo Clinic began the Precure prospective study in January with funding from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. The study plans to enroll up to 100,000 participants and analyze biospecimens including blood, urine, saliva and stool. Participants will also provide voice recordings and complete surveys.

Mayo Clinic has allocated up to five years to develop the multi-omics and phenotype dataset.

Thermo Fisher CEO Marc Casper said Precure could expand the use of multi-omics data for earlier disease detection, drug development and more precise therapies.

The partnership extends an existing relationship between the two organizations. In 2021, Mayo Clinic and Thermo Fisher partnered on the clinical validation of next-generation sequencing, mass spectrometry and immunology diagnostic tools.

The new facility adds nine advanced modular operation theatres and more than 110 ICU beds to Regency Health Kanpur's existing infrastructure.

Regency Health has launched a new 475-bed hospital in Kanpur, taking its total bed capacity across Uttar Pradesh to more than 1,400 beds across nine healthcare facilities. The approximately 4 lakh sq. ft. facility expands the Regency Health Sarvodaya Nagar complex to 775 beds.

The new facility adds nine advanced modular operation theatres and more than 110 ICU beds to Regency Health Kanpur's existing infrastructure. With the expansion, the integrated healthcare complex will have 775 beds, 18 advanced modular operation theatres and more than 200 ICU beds across three towers spanning approximately 8 lakh sq. ft.

The facility includes several advanced medical and surgical capabilities, including the Da Vinci X Robotic Surgical System, a digital subtraction angiography (DSA) lab for neurointervention, LINAC Halcyon radiotherapy, a Gamma Camera and a 3 Tesla MRI.

The expansion was announced by Dr. Atul Kapoor, chairman and managing director, Regency Health; Dr. Rashmi Kapoor, director, Regency Health; and Abhishek Kapoor, CEO, Regency Health, along with the company’s leadership team.

Dr. Atul Kapoor said the expansion is part of Regency Health’s efforts to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and clinical capabilities in Kanpur and across Uttar Pradesh.

Abhishek Kapoor said the integrated complex has been developed to expand access to advanced medical technologies in the city. He highlighted robotic surgery, neurointervention, radiotherapy, nuclear medicine and advanced imaging among the capabilities available at the facility.

The new hospital also includes facilities focused on patient and family requirements, including dedicated spaces for patients and relatives, family accommodation and technology-enabled services.

According to Regency Health, the latest expansion takes its healthcare network in Uttar Pradesh to more than 1,400 beds across nine facilities located in major cities across the state.

Dr Balamurugan, Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Muthus Group of Hospitals, Tamil Nadu

“We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us.” — Winston Churchill

Transforming hospital commissioning from a static technical milestone into a dynamic digital health strategy is essential for modern healthcare systems. Historically, commissioning focused strictly on physical infrastructure, mechanical validation, and regulatory compliance. Today, integrating cloud-native software architectures, interoperable clinical technology, and data-driven operational design transforms physical infrastructure into a dynamic platform for scalable patient care.

1. Pillars of Digital-First Hospital Commissioning

• Modular Infrastructure & Utility Readiness: Designing spaces with pre-routed utilities (HVAC, power, water) ensures that converting step-down units to ICUs requires zero structural demolition.
• Standardized Workflow Engineering: Process pathways must be digitized early to prevent workflow breakdown when expanding from a 50-bed layout to a 300-bed enterprise.
• Interoperable Technology Architecture: Core systems—such as the Hospital Information System (HIS), Electronic Health Records (EHR), and Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) — must be cloud-ready or built on open API standards to integrate future digital tools effortlessly.
• Workforce Adaptability: Cross-training care teams alongside digital workflow integration supports flexible staffing adjustments during volume surges.

2. Bridging Commissioning and Operations Through Technology

The transition from a newly commissioned facility to an active, full-capacity hospital requires continuous real-time orchestration. Technology serves as the central operational bridge across several critical functions:

Patient Flow & Bed Management

A common bottleneck in growing hospitals is the disconnect between bed availability, discharge processes, and admissions. Implementing central command centers powered by real-time location systems (RTLS) allows operations teams to track patient movement, anticipate bed turnover, and reduce emergency department wait times automatically.

Clinical Workflows & Interoperability

As patient volume scales, clinical documentation burden increases exponentially. Interoperable digital workflows ensure that diagnostic reports, nursing notes, and pharmacy orders flow automatically to the patient’s chart. This minimizes administrative overhead so clinicians remain focused on care delivery rather than data entry.

Resource Utilization & Asset Tracking

Unused or lost medical equipment—such as telemetry monitors or IV pumps—drains financial and operational resources. Intelligent asset-tracking systems configured during commissioning ensure that as the facility expands across new wings or floors, critical equipment can be located and deployed instantly.

3. Scaling Without Disruption: Flexibility in Action

Expanding services or increasing bed capacity should never require shutting down active clinical zones or disrupting the patient experience. Sustainable growth relies on flexible systems across three core operational areas:

By utilizing universal room design and modular IT architectures, facilities can expand service lines dynamically based on real-time community needs, whether that means expanding oncology services or scaling up outpatient surgery centres.

4. Practical Learnings & Recommendations for Healthcare Leaders

For hospital leaders, project directors, and clinical operations executives embarking on new facility projects, these key strategies keep scalability front and center:

1. Involve Clinical Operations Early in Commissioning: Don't leave facility layout exclusively to architects and engineers. Involve frontline nurses, doctors, operational staff, and patients’ representatives to identify workflow bottlenecks that blue-sky designs routinely overlook.
2. Prioritize Interoperability Over Features: When selecting digital systems during commissioning, prioritize vendors with open APIs and proven integration track records over platforms offering niche, isolated feature sets. Customization as per end-user requirements to be done at the earliest to improve technology adoption and acceptance
3. Design for Peak, Not Average, Capacity: Build operational models around peak throughput scenarios rather than average baseline numbers to prevent system gridlock during seasonal surges.
4. Establish a Continuous Commissioning Culture: Commissioning isn't a one-time event that ends at launch. Schedule regular operational reviews every 6–12 months to audit system performance, reassess bottleneck points, and adjust processes as patient volume grows.

Conclusion - Building for Tomorrow’s Healthcare Needs

Designing a hospital for scalability isn't just an architectural choice. It is a long-term strategic posture. By aligning infrastructure, personnel, and technology during the commissioning phase, healthcare leaders can build resilient organizations that expand gracefully, control operational costs, and deliver consistent, high-quality care to their communities for decades to come. Hospital leaders need to plan 10 years ahead of time, not merely 2 years, and make provisions in terms of infrastructure & space, personnel, technology, and services to meet the growing needs of the community. Plan for the future, not for today.

Disclaimer: This is an authored article; DHN is not liable for the claims made in the same.

The initiative is aimed at strengthening privacy and compliance to build a responsible and secure digital healthcare ecosystem.

Bengaluru-based healthtech company Prodoc AI and the Association of Healthcare Providers (AHPI) India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to support DPDPA implementation across India’s healthcare sector.

The partnership is expected to focus on supporting healthcare organizations to build stronger data governance, responsible AI practices, and patient trust into the way they operate.

“At Prodoc AI, we believe DPDPA goes beyond regulatory compliance. It presents an opportunity for healthcare organizations to strengthen data governance, embrace responsible AI practices, and build greater patient trust,” the healthtech company stated.

The initiative is aimed at strengthening privacy and compliance to build a responsible and secure digital healthcare ecosystem.

The MoU was signed in the presence of·Dr Sunil Khetarpal, Deputy Director General, AHPI, and Asit Kumar Vidyarthi, Co-Founder & CEO of Prodoc.AI.

Founded in 2022 by Asit Kumar Vidyarthi and Raghuvamshi Thakur, Prodoc AI offers an agentic AI and patient engagement platform for hospitals and healthcare providers.

The platform automates patient care journeys across numerous channels, including WhatsApp, voice, SMS, IVR, and web chat.

It currently supports more than 135 languages and is live across 200+ hospitals and healthcare providers.

Its platform integrates with existing HIS, EMR, LIS, and billing systems and is designed to support compliance with HIPAA, DPDPA, and ABDM (Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission) frameworks.

The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The deal remains subject to regulatory approval, and the companies have not announced a specific closing date.

Ascension is selling its ownership stake in Mercy Care, an Arizona Medicaid insurer, to CVS Health-owned Aetna, as the nonprofit health system continues to reduce its exposure to health insurance operations.

The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The deal remains subject to regulatory approval, and the companies have not announced a specific closing date.

Ascension has co-owned Mercy Care with CommonSpirit Health’s Dignity Health since the managed care organization was established in 1985. Aetna has administered Mercy Care’s day-to-day operations since 2002, according to an Aetna spokesperson.

Mercy Care serves approximately 404,000 members across Medicaid and plans for beneficiaries eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid in Arizona. The insurer reported $34 million in income last year, according to tax documents.

The transaction is the latest in a series of portfolio changes by Ascension following several years of financial pressure driven by rising expenses and the impact of a major cyberattack in 2024.

Ascension has divested several hospitals and acquired ambulatory surgery provider AmSurg as it shifts greater focus toward outpatient care. The health system also exited the Texas Affordable Care Act marketplace in 2024 and sold its stake in Network Health to Froedtert Health in 2023.

The changes have coincided with an improvement in Ascension’s financial performance. The health system reported $1.5 billion in net income for fiscal 2026, compared with $918 million in the previous fiscal year.

For Aetna, the acquisition adds ownership of a health plan it has administered for more than two decades. The insurer covers approximately 26 million people and has recently streamlined parts of its insurance business, including exiting ACA marketplaces for 2026 and reducing its Medicare Advantage footprint.

Mercy Care’s dual-eligible business may also be relevant to the transaction. Dual-eligible special needs plans serve beneficiaries enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid. These members generally have more complex healthcare needs, resulting in higher government payments than for standard Medicare Advantage coverage.

Aetna has expanded its focus on dual special needs plans in recent years.

The Roche Genentech Innovation Center Boston, located at Harvard University’s Enterprise Research Campus in Allston, will support research spanning early-stage drug discovery through late-stage clinical development.

Roche and Genentech have opened a 95,000-square-foot research and development center in Boston focused on cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic diseases, bringing together drug discovery, clinical development, artificial intelligence (AI), and data science teams.

The Roche Genentech Innovation Center Boston, located at Harvard University’s Enterprise Research Campus in Allston, will support research spanning early-stage drug discovery through late-stage clinical development.

The center will focus on conditions including obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Roche and Genentech said researchers will study the shared biology across these conditions to inform drug development and potential integrated treatment approaches.

Researchers from Roche Product Development and Genentech Research and Early Development will use AI, machine learning and data science across the research process.

Genentech CEO Ashley Magargee said the center brings the company’s scientists into Boston’s research ecosystem while combining disease biology expertise with AI and data science.

Roche and Genentech have signed a 10-year lease for the facility, which can accommodate up to 500 employees across research, clinical development, data science and related functions.

The Boston center adds to Roche and Genentech’s existing R&D operations in South San Francisco and Basel, Switzerland. It is also part of the companies’ previously announced $50 billion commitment to US manufacturing and R&D.

Roche and Genentech currently employ approximately 25,000 people across 15 R&D centers and 13 manufacturing sites in the US.

Roche Expands AI Focus in Drug Discovery

The Boston R&D center comes as Roche continues to expand its use of AI in pharmaceutical research. In March, Roche expanded its partnership with NVIDIA to establish a hybrid-cloud AI factory for drug discovery and research.

The infrastructure includes more than 3,500 NVIDIA Blackwell graphics processing units across on-premises and cloud environments. Roche said the system will enable researchers to test hypotheses at scale, analyze large datasets and develop predictive models for drug development.

Other pharmaceutical companies are also investing in AI-focused research infrastructure. Eli Lilly and NVIDIA announced plans in January to establish an AI co-innovation laboratory in the San Francisco area, with investments of up to $1 billion over five years.

Earlier this week, Anthropic and Novo Nordisk announced a partnership to apply Anthropic’s Claude AI models to drug discovery, scientific workflows and software development.

The financing includes a $200 million Series C investment that will be added to Angle Health’s balance sheet and a $400 million secondary tender offer for early investors and employees.

Angle Health has raised $600 million in an equity financing transaction at a post-money valuation of $2.7 billion, as the AI-native healthcare benefits company looks to expand its small and midsize business (SMB) health plans across the US.

The financing includes a $200 million Series C investment that will be added to Angle Health’s balance sheet and a $400 million secondary tender offer for early investors and employees. Vitruvian Partners led the transaction, with participation from Town Hall Ventures and existing investors Blumberg Capital, Portage Ventures, PruVen Capital, and Y Combinator.

Angle Health said the primary capital will support national distribution, provider integrations and further development of its AI-based underwriting infrastructure.

Founded in 2021 by CEO Ty Wang and Anirban Gangopadhyay, both former Palantir Technologies engineers, Angle Health currently serves more than 5,000 employer groups across 47 states. Its group health plans are available to businesses with as few as two employees.

The company manages nearly $1 billion in annualized premium equivalents and has reported four consecutive quarters of EBITDA and GAAP net income profitability. Revenue has grown 120% year over year, according to the company.

Angle Health uses automated underwriting tools to streamline the process of generating health plan proposals for small businesses. Its Benefit Builder and Quote-to-Card platforms allow brokers to submit group census information and receive firm, underwritten proposals within minutes. The platform also supports digital insurance card issuance during onboarding.

The company has also deployed automated clinical steering and curated outpatient provider partnerships covering areas such as specialty pharmaceuticals, home infusions, ambulatory surgery and imaging. Angle Health said these measures have helped keep median year-over-year renewal increases between 5% and 7%, compared with an 18% average cited for the SMB market.

The funding comes as Angle Health focuses on the commercial small-group insurance market, rather than individual ACA exchange or Medicare Advantage populations targeted by several earlier venture-backed health insurers.

Its offering combines plan administration, level-funded risk arrangements, telehealth and AI-enabled navigation within a single platform for small employers.

The guidance covers incidents such as device malfunction or deterioration, incorrect or out-of-specification test results, design flaws, labelling inaccuracies, use errors and serious public health threats.

Hospitals across India have been asked to strengthen systems for monitoring and reporting medical device adverse events, including malfunctions, near misses, and performance failures, under updated Materiovigilance Programme of India (MvPI) guidance.

Hospitals have been directed to establish structured processes to identify, document, assess, and report suspected adverse events associated with medical devices.

The updated guidance also calls for greater vigilance around critical devices and stronger documentation of incidents to support patient safety.

Updated Guidance for Hospitals

The guidance document, Guidance Document for Hospitals in India for Safety Monitoring and Reporting of Medical Device-Related Incidents/Adverse Events, Version 1.3, has been developed by the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) in collaboration with WHO India and other national stakeholders. The framework applies across primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare facilities.

Under the reporting framework, hospitals are expected to report suspected Medical Device Adverse Events (MDAEs) even when a definitive causal link with the device has not been established.

"Early reporting of suspected events facilitates timely assessment, investigation, signal detection, and implementation of appropriate corrective or preventive measures to enhance patient and user safety," the document states.

Reporting Timelines & Incident Monitoring

Serious adverse events involving death or serious deterioration in health must be reported to MvPI within 15 days, while non-serious events that could potentially result in serious harm should be reported within 30 days.

Suspected unexpected serious adverse events are required to be reported to the concerned licensing authority within 15 days.

The guidance covers incidents such as device malfunction or deterioration, incorrect or out-of-specification test results, design flaws, labelling inaccuracies, use errors and serious public health threats.

Where there is uncertainty about whether an incident qualifies for reporting, hospitals have been advised to report it.

Hospitals have also been asked to maintain records of device-related incidents, preventive maintenance and calibration, along with root-cause analyses.

"All significant or recurrent adverse events must undergo structured root cause analysis (RCA)," the document states.

Corrective and preventive actions should subsequently be implemented and monitored for effectiveness.

Active Surveillance of Critical Devices

The guidance recommends appointing a nodal officer or establishing a Medical Device Adverse Event Monitoring Centre (MDMC), where applicable. Regular training for clinical, nursing, and biomedical teams is also encouraged.

For critical and life-saving devices used in intensive care, cardiology, neurosurgery, oncology, and emergency settings, the guidance calls for active surveillance based on device risk and usage.

Monitored device lists should be displayed in relevant clinical departments, with designated personnel overseeing monitoring and reporting.

MvPI Network & Digital Reporting

The MvPI, launched in 2015, has established 775 Medical Device Adverse Event Monitoring Centres nationwide as of September 2026, according to the document. IPC serves as the National Coordination Centre, using reported data to identify safety signals and support recommendations to regulators.

Reports can be submitted through IPC's Adverse Drug Reactions Monitoring System (ADRMS), reporting forms, and other channels.

The guidance also allows consumers to report suspected adverse events directly.

The expanded monitoring framework comes as hospitals increasingly use connected devices, implants, in-vitro diagnostics, AI-enabled technologies, and software as a medical device, creating new categories of risk requiring continuous safety monitoring.

The initiative builds on the Ministry’s Ayush Grid digital infrastructure and includes AI-powered chatbots and assistants designed for citizens, researchers, students, practitioners and other stakeholders.

The Ministry of Ayush is expanding the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across Ayurveda and the wider Ayush ecosystem, with applications spanning healthcare, research, education, medicinal-plant trade and investment facilitation.

The initiative builds on the Ministry’s Ayush Grid digital infrastructure and includes AI-powered chatbots and assistants designed for citizens, researchers, students, practitioners and other stakeholders.

Among the applications is the MAISP Chatbot, which provides conversational access to information related to Ayurveda and other Ayush systems. The ARP Research Assistant, a generative AI-based tool, has been integrated with the Ayush Research Portal to help researchers navigate Ayurveda and other Ayush literature.

For educational institutions, the eLMS Chatbot supports AI-based Student Life Cycle Management. The e-CHARAK Chatbot provides assistance related to medicinal-plant trade, while Yoga Saarthi offers AI-based yoga recommendations. Nivesh Saarthi functions as an AI assistant for investment-related information in the Ayush sector.

The Ministry’s AI work was also featured in the AI Impact Casebook on Health, developed in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) and presented at the IndiaAI Impact Summit 2026. The casebook included a Ministry of Ayush use case titled “AI-driven Decision Support for Ayurveda: A Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) Approach.”

The Ministry is also participating in the IndiaAI Innovation Challenge, focusing on AI applications tailored to the Ayush sector. Identified use cases include voice-based electronic health records, disease-trend detection and personalized treatment-support solutions.

In July 2025, the WHO, International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) released a technical brief examining AI applications in traditional medicine. The brief highlighted the need for responsible, evidence-informed and culturally appropriate approaches to AI in traditional medicine.

The Ministry has additionally partnered with IndiaAI and the Digital India Bhashini Division (DIBD), MeitY, to explore AI, language technologies, digital health and advanced computing for Ayush. Ministry artefacts are available on AI Kosh to support AI research and dissemination.

Through the Bhashini collaboration, Ayush Grid portals are now available in 22 scheduled Indian languages, expanding access for Ayurveda practitioners, students and citizens.

The proposed network is expected to accommodate around 15,000-20,000 beds, with the company planning to expand beyond the NCR.

PB Health, the healthcare venture backed by PB Fintech, has outlined plans to build a network of 150 hospitals across more than 50 cities over the next five to six years, according to PB Fintech Chairman and Group CEO Yashish Dahiya.

The proposed network is expected to accommodate around 15,000-20,000 beds, with the company planning to expand beyond the National Capital Region (NCR) into Tier-II and Tier-III cities.

The company currently operates two hospitals in Gurugram and Noida and seeks to add four facilities by March 2027.

“We have started with the NCR. We should ideally have something in Delhi and Faridabad quite soon,” Dahiya said.

While the company’s initial approach has involved building and owning hospitals, the expansion plans include both greenfield and brownfield acquisitions.

“Following the completion of the first ten hospitals, we will focus on operations and management (O&M) instead of constructing new facilities,” Dahiya said.

He added that the company could acquire existing hospitals, land, buildings, and equipment, and that it would refurbish facilities or replace equipment where required.

Additionally, PB Health plans to raise around INR 10,000 crore to support the expansion, the breakup of which remains flexible, with the company considering a higher debt component.

Commenting on the funding, Dahiya said, “About INR 2,000 crore of the targeted capital has already been raised through seed funding, while the company expects to raise around INR 4,000 crore within the current financial year.”

“A subsequent funding round is at an advanced stage,” the CEO noted.

The venture also intends to use technology and preventive healthcare in its operating model.

Highlighting technology's role in PB’s operation, Dahiya noted, “Our hospitals will use voice-based documentation, with artificial intelligence (AI) tools converting conversations into structured information for doctors.”

However, he added that the technology will be used as an assistive tool rather than as a substitute for clinical decision-making.

PB Health has also acquired preventive healthcare platform Fitterfly as part of its strategy to reduce hospitalisation and manage chronic conditions.

“We intend to identify high-risk patients, including those with diabetes or heart conditions, and intervene before they require hospital care,” he added.

He further added that the expansion strategy is linked to Policybazaar’s insurance customer base.

“Around 17 per cent of our customers are from NCR, making the region the starting point for PB Health’s hospital network. The company intends to leverage its relationships with insurance providers beyond Policybazaar’s own customer base,” he said.

We will leverage the entire health insurance business of the country and act as a trusted partner to all participating facilities,” Dahiya further added.

PB Health is currently around 25-26% owned by PB Fintech, with the remaining stake held by institutional investors.

Furthermore, Dahiya stated the company could consider a public listing in five to six years, although no timeline has been set.

The partnership will combine Amrita Hospital’s clinical expertise in neurology and Brainlab’s intraoperative imaging and surgical navigation technologies

German Medtech company Brainlab and Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish North India’s first Centre of Excellence for Brain & Spine.

The proposed facility is expected to equip Brainlab’s Loop-X, a Mobile imaging robot, and seeks to provide access to technology-enabled neurosurgical and spine care while creating a platform for clinical training and knowledge sharing.

The partnership will combine Amrita Hospital’s clinical expertise in neurology and Brainlab’s intraoperative imaging and surgical navigation technologies.

Speaking on the new development, Dr Sanjeev Singh, Medical Director, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, said, “The centre would strengthen the hospital’s capabilities for complex neuro and spine care. With advanced intraoperative imaging and navigation, we can help our clinical teams by providing better visibility during surgery and allowing for verification in the operating room itself.”

The Loop-X is designed as a robotic mobile imaging system to generate 2D and 3D cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images inside the operating room, enabling surgical teams to view detailed images during surgery that can be integrated with the navigation system.

The intraoperative imaging technology is intended to assess anatomy, verify implant positioning, and obtain additional images during a procedure without moving the patient to a separate imaging facility.

This feature is expected to enable surgical teams to review updated anatomical information and verify the outcome of a procedure before the patient leaves the operating room.

In addition, Loop-X also allows imaging to be tailored to the area being treated and improve procedure outcomes. According to Brainlab, this can help optimize radiation exposure based on clinical requirements.

Commenting on the new partnership, Aseem Malhotra, Managing Director, Brainlab India, said, “With Loop-X, our mobile imaging robot, we are bringing intraoperative 2D and 3D imaging together with robotic functionality to support connected surgical workflows.”

The system combines robotic positioning with 2D and 3D intraoperative imaging and provides a scalable field of view of the procedure.

Its gantry opening is designed to accommodate different patient positions, while its robotic configuration allows imaging to be repeated during a procedure when required.

The centre will leverage the system to support complex brain and spine procedures and serve as a hub for clinical training, technology demonstrations and collaboration among surgeons and healthcare professionals.

The agreement is yet to be executed, and completion is expected on or before November 30, 2026, subject to shareholder and other applicable approvals.

Thyrocare Technologies has approved the divestment of its entire stake in Nueclear Healthcare (NHL), a wholly-owned radiology and diagnostic imaging subsidiary of Thyrocare Technologies, founded in 2011, for approximately INR 141.4 Cr.

The move marks its planned exit from the radiology and diagnostic imaging business, allowing the company to direct capital and management attention towards its core pathology operations.

Thyrocare has been reviewing the future of Nueclear Healthcare as its radiology business has required continued investment in imaging equipment, technology, maintenance and infrastructure.

The company had earlier indicated that it was evaluating options to restructure the business, with the latest agreement moving that process towards a full divestment.

Under the proposed transaction, Thyrocare will sell 1,11,11,000 equity shares, representing 100% of Nueclear Healthcare’s issued and paid-up equity capital, to Trovera Healthcare through a proposed share purchase agreement.

The agreement is yet to be executed, and completion is expected on or before November 30, 2026, subject to shareholder and other applicable approvals.

The INR 141.4 Cr consideration will comprise approximately INR 81.9 Cr in cash, subject to a working-capital adjustment, and INR 59.5 Cr through 42,500 compulsorily convertible preference shares (CCPS) of Trovera.

The CCPS will be issued at INR 14,000 each and are expected to represent about 4.5% of Trovera’s fully diluted share capital.

Trovera Healthcare was incorporated in June 2026 and proposes to operate in healthcare and diagnostic services.

It is not part of Thyrocare’s promoter or promoter group, and the proposed transaction has not been classified as a related-party transaction.

Alongside the INR 141.4 Cr Nueclear Healthcare divestment, Thyrocare has approved the purchase of land and buildings in Gurugram and Hyderabad from NHL for approximately INR 20.58 Cr.

Thyrocare currently uses these properties for diagnostic laboratory operations and pays rent to Nueclear Healthcare.

Narayana Health has earmarked about INR 30 billion in project capex, with projects scheduled for commissioning during FY28 and FY29.

India’s leading healthcare chain, Narayana Health, has outlined plans to add around 500 hospital beds in Delhi-NCR by FY29 to strengthen its presence in the region.

The proposed addition is expected to be completed over the next two to three years, according to Delhi NCR Cluster Director Ajay Kohli.

“We want to add around 500 beds more here,” Ajay Kohli said, referring to the planned expansion in Delhi.

As per reports, the new capacity forms part of the company’s capital expenditure programme through 2029.

As part of the proposed expansion, Narayana Health has earmarked about INR 30 billion in project capex, with projects scheduled for commissioning during FY28 and FY29.

The company has indicated an estimated INR 10 billion of capital spending in FY28 and another INR 10 billion in FY29.

However, the FY29 allocation applies to the company’s overall operations and has not been specifically assigned to the proposed Delhi expansion.

“Delhi is lacking still in terms of hospital beds compared with other metros," he said.

The demand is particularly strong for specialised healthcare services, including cancer treatment, Kohli added.

According to Kohli, patients from North India and the Northeast continue to travel for advanced care, while a significant share of specialised treatment capacity remains concentrated in western and southern parts of the country. The new expansion is intended to address this gap.

“Delhi is the epicentre of all of it,” Kohli said, highlighting the capital’s role in serving patients from Jammu, Himachal Pradesh and other northern regions.

Alongside the Delhi-NCR expansion, Narayana Health is also considering two additional facilities in North India.

The healthcare group is yet to finalise locations with s, with the projects subject to the company’s financial considerations, reports stated.

The group currently operates facilities in Jaipur, Gurugram, Delhi and Jammu in the northern region, with its North India cluster having 882 beds as per reports.

Further, the healthcare chain is also reassessing the size of its new hospitals. Kohli stated the company is moving away from the model of very large standalone hospitals and sees 250-300 beds as the standard size for a new hospital, with scope for further expansion.

“If you see our reports, hospitals have an occupancy of 60-65%,” Kohli said. He added that very large hospitals would need capacities of around 1,500–2,000 beds to operate efficiently, while smaller 300-bed facilities can reach occupancy levels more easily.

The expansion comes amid ongoing additions to hospital capacity in Delhi. Recently, Fortis Hospital signed an agreement with Seth Sunder Lal Jain Charitable Eye Hospital (SLJ Society) to provide healthcare services to an upcoming 400-bedded super speciality hospital in Ashok Vihar, Delhi. Following this transaction, Fortis's regional capacity is expected to expand to over 3,400 beds.

Earlier, Narayana Health partnered with the New Development Bank to support smart hospital capabilities in member countries through digital health, technology transfer, and patient-centric care.

The CM said the state was also strengthening healthcare infrastructure at district and sub-divisional hospitals, while expanding digital services and providing phased training to doctors and healthcare workers.

Tripura Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha has inaugurated an 18-bed ICU and a modern Central Sterile Services Department (CSSD) at the Super Speciality Block of Agartala Government Medical College (AGMC) & GBP Hospital, strengthening critical-care and infection-control infrastructure at the state’s major referral hospital.

The Super Speciality Block at AGMC & GBP Hospital has been expanded as part of Tripura’s efforts to provide advanced treatment within the state. The hospital has been developing specialised services and infrastructure to reduce the need for patients to travel outside Tripura for complex medical care.

The state has also notified four additional super-speciality departments covering Hepatology and Liver Disease, Endocrinology, Clinical Haematology and Cardiac Anaesthesiology.

The newly inaugurated ICU has 18 beds, divided equally between male and female patients. It is expected to support intensive monitoring and specialised care for critically ill patients requiring continuous medical and nursing attention.

The modern CSSD will manage the cleaning, sterilisation, storage, and distribution of sterile instruments and equipment for hospital departments and operation theatres, supporting infection-control and patient-safety processes. The two facilities have been commissioned at a combined cost of INR 13.5 Cr.

Speaking at the inauguration, Tripura CM Manik Saha said, “Currently, initiatives have been taken to provide digital services in all hospitals. Digital services are already being provided in many hospitals. With the launch of the new ICUs and CSSDs at Agartala Government Medical College and GBP Hospital at a total cost of Rs 13.5 crore, it will be possible to provide fast and continuous advanced medical services to the people of the state, and the health safety of the patients will also be ensured. Currently, nine super-specialty blocks are operational to provide advanced medical services.”

The Tripura CM also announced plans to establish special green corridors to facilitate faster movement of ambulances carrying critically ill patients during emergencies.

The Chief Minister said the state was also strengthening healthcare infrastructure at district and sub-divisional hospitals, while expanding digital services and providing phased training to doctors and healthcare workers.

He further announced plans for comprehensive CCTV surveillance at GBP Hospital and measures to maintain the availability of essential generic medicines.

Health and Family Welfare Department Secretary Kiran Gitte, MLA and Rogi Kalyan Samiti Chairperson Mina Rani Sarkar, AGMC Principal Dr. Tapan Majumder and GBP Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr. Bidhan Goswami attended the inauguration.

A hospital's data can move through India's digital health network perfectly well and still not be understood by the system that receives it. That's because moving data and understanding data are two different problems, and India has only fully solved the first one.

Any healthtech organisation and hospital chains developing off India's digital health system confront a similar hidden cost at some point: "interoperability tax." The two systems may exchange a patient record in exactly the same format and yet not be able to comprehend each other for the following reason: one of the systems may use another name for the same health condition. 

This is the problem between syntactic interoperability (when the systems have the technical capability to communicate with each other) and semantic interoperability (the systems understand the meaning of the message sent). Closing this gap is increasingly becoming a key differentiator in Indian digital health, not just a technical issue. This article highlights the requirements of semantic interoperability, why India's challenge in this regard is greater than any other country's and how much practices have caught up with policies.

What Semantic Interoperability Actually Means

India's national health data network, the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, uses a data format called HL7 FHIR. This solves what's called syntactic interoperability: it gives every hospital and app a shared, computer-readable structure for packaging health information. So a message sent from one system can be opened and read by another system.

But FHIR alone doesn't solve the harder problem underneath it: semantic interoperability. Two systems can both use correct FHIR messages and still record the same diagnosis using different words, unless they also agree on one shared "dictionary" for what those words mean. This second layer needs common coding systems, mainly SNOMED CT for medical terms, LOINC for lab tests and results, and ICD-10 or ICD-11 for classifying diseases. With these in place, a diagnosis or lab result means the same thing no matter which system recorded it.

India's own official EHR rulebooks are clear about this difference. They recommend FHIR for moving data around, and separately require SNOMED CT as the main dictionary for medical terms across health records. In simple terms: a hospital system can follow every FHIR rule correctly and still be unreadable, in a meaningful sense, to every other system on the network if it hasn't also built in these shared dictionaries underneath.

India's Twin-Track Standards Problem

India's version of this challenge has an extra layer that most countries don't have to deal with. It's not just about coding modern medicine correctly. India also has to code traditional Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani medicine systems that work under completely different ideas of diagnosis, and that are practised at a genuinely large scale across the country.

The government built a separate system to handle this. The Ministry of AYUSH launched the NAMASTE Portal (National AYUSH Morbidity and Standardised Terminologies Electronic Portal) in October 2017. It keeps a set of official codes for Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani conditions. It also runs a "dual coding" system that links these traditional-medicine codes to the World Health Organization's ICD-11 Traditional Medicine Module 2, which itself was only expanded to properly cover Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani in 2025.

This means an Indian healthtech company working across both modern and AYUSH care has to get two separate coding systems right at once: SNOMED CT and LOINC for modern medicine, and NAMASTE plus ICD-11's Traditional Medicine Module for traditional medicine. Both then need to fit cleanly into the same FHIR-based network. Very few other countries' digital health systems need to solve this exact double problem.

Where the Infrastructure Already Exists

The basic building blocks for semantic interoperability have actually existed in India for longer than many newer companies might realise. India became a member of SNOMED International back in March 2014. Since then, the National Resource Centre for EHR Standards (NRCeS), set up by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at C-DAC Pune, has acted as India's official centre for SNOMED CT, offering free tools, servers, and training to help people adopt it.

On the traditional-medicine side, a working dual-coding pilot has existed since November 2018. That's when a hospital system began recording both an official AYUSH code and an ICD-10/11 code for the same case, in real time, while also being built to work with ABDM and FHIR/HL7.

For companies building new systems today, this means the hard technical groundwork doesn't need to be reinvented. NRCeS already provides guides and tools for SNOMED CT and LOINC, and the NAMASTE portal provides its own codes and mapping tools directly. So the real question isn't "does this exist"; it clearly does. The real question is which companies actually bother to use it properly.

The Gap Between Policy and Practice

Numbers from the AYUSH side show real-world adoption is still concentrated among a limited set of facilities. According to the official statistics published on the Ministry of AYUSH's own NAMASTE Portal, 256 hospitals have registered on the platform, of which 187 are actively uploading data, with more than 12.1 million outpatient department records logged since the portal's 2017 launch. This represents a meaningful and growing base of usage, but still accounts for a small proportion of India's total AYUSH healthcare infrastructure nationally. 

Research on India's wider interoperability picture shows the same pattern on the modern-medicine side. Standards like FHIR, SNOMED CT, and LOINC are officially recommended and freely available, but how much any individual hospital or software company actually uses them varies a lot. Some build only a minimal, partial version. Others build the whole thing properly.

Old data makes this gap even harder to close. Even systems built specifically to follow ABDM and FHIR/HL7 rules have run into the problem of moving years-old medical records recorded before common coding systems existed into the new, standardised system. So the challenge isn't just about coding new data correctly going forward. It's also about the weight of old, inconsistent records already sitting in the system.

Why This Determines Competitive Advantage

Companies that build proper coding standards into their systems from day one avoid a cost that only gets bigger the longer it's put off. A hospital or health-tech platform that launches today with SNOMED CT and LOINC built in from the start can exchange clinically meaningful data with any other properly-built system right away. A company that skips this step will eventually have to go back and re-code its entire existing dataset to catch up, the exact same migration headache described above.

This interoperability tax creates a real first-mover advantage, not just a technical box to tick. As more of India's digital health network matures, companies with clean, consistent data will be able to offer more valuable services, things like clinical decision support tools, population health analysis, and cross-hospital research, all of which depend on data meaning the same thing everywhere. Companies without this layer will be stuck doing basic document exchange only, no matter how "FHIR-compliant" their messaging looks on paper.

For companies working across both modern and AYUSH care specifically, getting the dual-coding requirement right and paying this interoperability tax early is likely to become a real differentiator. It simply demands more investment in coding infrastructure than a company serving only the modern-medicine side needs to make.

What Still Needs to Be Resolved

Awareness and technical skill are still uneven across India's healthcare system. Getting SNOMED CT or NAMASTE dual-coding right takes real expertise that many smaller hospitals, clinics, and even some health-tech companies simply don't have in-house yet. Free tools from NRCeS and the NAMASTE portal help close this gap, but they don't remove it completely.

There's also no rule currently forcing anyone to get the coding right, the way there is a rule forcing basic ABDM registration. A hospital or app can register as a data provider and send FHIR messages without ever properly implementing the coding standards underneath. Right now, getting this right depends on companies choosing to do it carefully, not on any mandatory checkpoint.

And as shown above, moving old data into the new system remains a genuinely unsolved problem, not a solved one. Coding new information correctly from today onwards doesn't fix years of old records already sitting in the system. No simple, widely-used fix for this has emerged yet.

Where This is Headed

Government policy is clearly moving toward asking for more coding detail, not less. That's shown by the 2025 expansion of ICD-11's Traditional Medicine Module to properly cover Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani, and by continued work linking NAMASTE to global classification systems.

As ABDM's network keeps growing and more of India's healthcare system gets connected digitally, the companies that treated coding standards as a must-have from the beginning rather than a nice-to-have will likely find it far easier to plug into new, higher-value uses for their data. Companies that didn't will face a much bigger bill to catch up later.

Whether India's digital health system as a whole closes this interoperability tax gap between the rules on paper and what's actually happening will probably depend less on whether the standards and tools exist the evidence shows they mostly already do and more on whether smaller hospitals and companies get the support and the push they need to actually use them properly, instead of treating basic FHIR messaging as good enough on its own.

Sridhar Babu highlighted the state government’s plans to leverage emerging technologies to improve healthcare delivery and build collaboration among medical professionals, researchers and technology firms.

Telangana is positioning itself as a global destination for health innovation by seeking to bridge its established information technology, pharmaceutical, and life sciences sectors. Industries and IT Minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu outlined the vision while addressing a recent event in Hyderabad.

Addressing the gathering, Sridhar Babu highlighted the state government’s plans to leverage emerging technologies to improve healthcare delivery and build collaboration among medical professionals, researchers and technology firms.

The minister emphasised the need to address the rising prevalence of diabetes and metabolic disorders, which he attributed largely to changing lifestyle patterns.

He said that while conventional medical treatments remain essential, data-driven technology and early diagnostic tools are important for managing chronic conditions more effectively.

To support this approach, the state government is encouraging partnerships between healthtech startups and research institutions. Sridhar Babu also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting innovations aimed at addressing healthcare gaps and invited stakeholders to collaborate on strengthening public health infrastructure across Telangana.

As part of a new proof of concept initiative, the government plans to implement a precision-based metabolic care protocol for 50 selected patients across state-run hospitals.

The pilot will evaluate the application of digital health tools in a clinical setting and could support broader adoption of precision medicine within Telangana’s public healthcare system.

FMVL's Preventive Healthcare business is being developed through FlynnCare, a wholly owned subsidiary focused on AI-enabled screening, diagnostics, and connected healthcare.

Fischer Medical Ventures (FMVL) has outlined the expansion of its healthcare technology portfolio across radiology, preventive healthcare, and wellness, with a focus on integrated medical imaging, AI-enabled screening and diagnostics, digital healthcare, molecular testing, and technology-enabled rehabilitation.

The company’s Radiology business, which remains its founding and largest segment, combines a portfolio spanning MRI, CT, X-ray, and digital mammography, alongside screening and interventional radiology solutions.

Its imaging portfolio includes the AURIX 0.35T open MRI, AURA 0.7T open MRI, MICA/MICA Smart and QUIN 1.5T MRI systems, NEONA neonatal MRI, CLARION CT systems, Navigator digital mammography and X-ray systems, as well as next-generation MRI platforms currently under development.

The company also offers the Medharanya Suite for intraoperative MRI and an intraoperative CT platform designed for real-time surgical guidance.

According to the company, its Preventive Healthcare business is being developed through FlynnCare, a wholly owned subsidiary focused on AI-enabled screening, diagnostics and connected healthcare.

FlynnCare's portfolio includes Clinics 2.0, MIDAS and LIVE Dx, unified through its ATLAS healthcare analytics platform.

The company's eHAP devices, including the Health Lounge and Health ATM 2.0, bring together multiple screening capabilities across areas such as eye health, oral health, breast and cervical cancer risk, cardiovascular and pulmonary screening, diabetes-related risks, women's wellness and mental and occupational wellness.

The LIVE Dx platform combines connected healthcare devices, AI-enabled analysis, remote monitoring, and telehealth capabilities.

It is designed to support screening and care delivery across community, institutional, workplace, and household settings, with referral pathways to higher levels of care.

FMVL is also expanding its point-of-care molecular diagnostics capabilities through FMV Prime, a tabletop qPCR platform designed for molecular testing outside conventional laboratory environments.

According to the company, FMV Prime can conduct tuberculosis and rifampicin-resistance testing from a tongue swab in a single run in under two hours. Its broader testing menu is reported to cover more than 200 infectious diseases.

The company’s portable laboratory portfolio also includes an AI-powered immunofluorescence analyser and Mini CubeLab, a robotic platform combining haematology, clinical chemistry, immunofluorescence and cell imaging.

Beyond diagnostics, FMVL is developing a new Wellness Solutions segment centred on an AI-powered Integrated Rehabilitation Center concept, bringing rehabilitation, preventive wellness, functional fitness, recovery, healthy ageing and longevity services together in a technology-enabled facility.

The proposed model uses AI as a decision-support tool while retaining qualified professionals as responsible for assessment, treatment decisions, and client safety. The company's proposed flagship format covers approximately 5,000 square feet across nine functional zones, with the first rollout planned for Malaysia and an ambition to establish 20 centres over two years.

In addition, it is also strengthening its molecular research capabilities by deepening its partnership to bring Vecura, an AI-enabled molecular research platform, to India.

The initiative is intended to support pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology innovators, academic institutions and research organisations in areas including computational biology, molecular analysis, target identification, compound screening and molecular optimisation.

Through the platform, the company seeks to explore the intersection of AI, computational biology and India's Ayurvedic knowledge aimed at supporting research into bioactive molecules and evidence-based therapeutics derived from traditional medicinal ingredients.

The expansion comes as FMVL continues to develop its international footprint across Southeast Asia and other markets, with commercial deployments in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia and the Philippines.

In Indonesia, the company entered the market in October 2024 with its 4T4TB, Trace, Test, Treat, Track solution, integrating portable digital X-ray systems, AI-assisted image analysis, and the FMV Prime qPCR molecular testing platform for tuberculosis screening and diagnosis. The company describes this engagement as its first significant commercial presence outside India.

Reflecting on the company’s evolution, R. Govindan, Executive Chairman and Managing Director, Fischer Medical Ventures said, “Fifteen years ago we set out to build advanced medical imaging in a country that had never made it, for the countries that cannot afford to import it. We did that, and we are now doing it in five countries at once.”

He added that “FMVL's proposition extends beyond medical imaging hardware, with its systems integrating software, artificial intelligence, cloud-based radiology, screening capabilities, and digital-health connectivity.”

The da Vinci 5 is designed to provide enhanced surgical senses and visualization through features such as Force Feedback Technology.

Intuitive, a global medtech leader, has launched the da Vinci 5, its latest-generation robotic-assisted surgical system, in India.

The Da Vinci 5 builds on the design of the da Vinci Xi system and features more than 150 enhancements.

The latest introduction of da Vinci 5 in India will initially enable selected hospitals and programmes to gain experience with the platform as robotic-assisted surgery continues to expand across the country.

The da Vinci 5 is designed to provide enhanced surgical senses and visualization through features such as Force Feedback Technology.

The technology is intended to strengthen intra-operative awareness of the forces exerted on tissue during procedures through the console hand controls, supporting better patient outcomes.

The system also includes a 3D vision system and an ergonomic surgeon console designed to support surgical workflow and user comfort.

The platform seeks to provide actionable insights through increased computing capacity, new sensors, software, and advanced processors.

According to Intuitive, da Vinci 5 has 10,000 times more computing power than previous da Vinci systems, aimed at enabling the collection and processing of additional data to help surgeons quantify and assess aspects of surgical performance.

Further, the system seeks to improve operational efficiency through greater surgeon autonomy with the integration of key components that surgeons can control at their fingertips.

The system also includes features designed to streamline surgical workflows. These include controls that allow surgeons to manage selected system components from the console, a common user interface for care teams, and dynamic assistance designed to automate selected tasks.

Commenting on the occasion, Rohitt Mahajan, Vice President and General Manager, India, Intuitive, said, “The introduction of da Vinci 5 marks an important milestone in the evolution of robotic-assisted surgery in India. As the ecosystem matures, the focus is shifting from technology adoption alone to how innovation can consistently deliver better patient outcomes, support surgical excellence, and strengthen healthcare delivery. With advanced capabilities such as Force Feedback, enhanced computing power, integrated workflows, and connected learning, da Vinci 5 is designed to help surgeons and care teams continuously improve performance and patient care."

According to the company, Da Vinci 5 has been used by more than 15,000 surgeons globally.

Furthermore, the platform is reportedly cleared for use in India for surgical procedures including urologic, gynaecologic, and general surgery, as well as cardiac and thoracoscopic procedures.

The launch of da Vinci 5 adds to Intuitive’s existing portfolio of robotic-assisted surgical systems in India, with the company reporting that more than 200,000 procedures have been performed using da Vinci systems in the country to date

Speaking on the latest technology, Iman Jeddi, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and General Manager, da Vinci Platforms & Product Operations, Intuitive, said, "da Vinci 5 represents the next generation of robotic-assisted surgery, combining advanced sensing and vision technologies, intelligent software, and integrated workflows in a single platform. Together, these capabilities are designed to provide surgeons with richer information, greater awareness, and a more seamless surgical experience. We are excited to introduce da Vinci 5 in India as the robotic surgery ecosystem continues to evolve and mature.”

The integrated centre has been designed to provide a broad range of diagnostic services, including Uttar Pradesh's first Ultra-Fast AI-powered 3T MRI scanner, the Excel 3T, along with a 160-slice CT scanner.

Mahajan Imaging & Labs has made its first Noida centre operational, expanding its diagnostic network into Uttar Pradesh, bringing together imaging, pathology, genomics, molecular diagnostics, and personalised health services at a single location.

The Noida facility was inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on August 22, 2026, and has now commenced operations, marking Mahajan Imaging & Labs' entry into Uttar Pradesh and extending its presence across the Delhi-NCR region, following centres in Delhi and Gurugram.

The integrated centre has been designed to provide a broad range of diagnostic services, with advanced imaging and laboratory capabilities available under one roof.

It includes Uttar Pradesh's first Ultra-Fast AI-powered 3T MRI scanner, the Excel 3T, along with a 160-slice CT scanner.

Its imaging services include 3D-4D ultrasound, Colour Doppler, shear-wave elastography, full-field digital mammography, DEXA bone densitometry, CBCT/OPG and digital X-ray. The facility also offers neurophysiology services such as EEG and EMG.

Beyond imaging, the operational Noida centre provides pathology services spanning hematology, clinical biochemistry, microbiology, serology, immunology, histopathology and cytology.

It also brings molecular diagnostics, genomics, next-generation sequencing and personalised health assessments into the same facility.

Dr Harsh Mahajan, Founder & Chairman, Mahajan Imaging & Labs and Mentor, FICCI Health Services Committee, said, “Technology alone does not create excellence. Its real value comes when it is combined with experienced professionals, strong clinical understanding and a sense of responsibility towards every patient. Our endeavour has therefore always been to bring different areas of diagnostic expertise together so that they complement one another and help provide a clearer and more complete picture for doctors and patients.”

The Noida centre is intended to improve access to advanced diagnostic services for the city's growing population while reducing the need for patients to visit multiple locations for different tests.

Mahajan Imaging & Labs has also undertaken clinical and applied research with institutions including MIT, Max Planck Institute, AIIMS and IIT Delhi.

The hospital currently handles more than 1,600 OPD patients each day and has also introduced an e-registration facility to streamline outpatient registration.

Delhi’s Mata Gujri Hospital in Tilak Nagar has expanded its clinical infrastructure with a new 13-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), a dedicated ward for PMJAY beneficiaries and MCD employees, and advanced medical equipment aimed at strengthening specialised care.

Mata Gujri Hospital, formerly known as Tilak Nagar Colony Hospital, is operated by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and serves patients in the West Zone.

The hospital is among MCD’s civic healthcare facilities, which provide secondary-level services to residents across the capital. MCD itself administers healthcare facilities alongside its wider civic responsibilities across Delhi.

The newly inaugurated 13-bed NICU is expected to enable Mata Gujri Hospital to provide intensive care and continuous monitoring for critically ill newborns within the facility.

Alongside the NICU, the hospital has made several pieces of advanced medical equipment operational. These include a Colour Doppler Ultrasound machine for diagnostic imaging, a C-Arm system to support orthopaedic procedures, and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Phaco machines for ophthalmic care.

A separate ward has also been inaugurated for beneficiaries covered under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) and MCD employees.

Mata Gujri Hospital is listed as a PM-JAY-empanelled government hospital in Delhi, providing another route for eligible beneficiaries to access covered healthcare services.

The hospital currently handles more than 1,600 OPD patients each day, according to MCD. It has also introduced an e-registration facility to streamline outpatient registration.

Speaking at the inauguration, Delhi Mayor Pravesh Wahi said, “The Municipal Corporation of Delhi is committed to making modern and quality healthcare services accessible to citizens. Strengthening healthcare facilities in MCD hospitals is among the Corporation’s key priorities,” adding that the induction of modern medical equipment would enhance the quality of medical care provided to patients.

The upgrades are being undertaken under the ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’, according to officials.

The hospital is also expected to receive a CT scan facility in the near future, further expanding its diagnostic capabilities.

The integrated KLE JGMM Medical College and KLE Hospital campus has been developed across about 50 acres with an investment of nearly INR 700 Cr.

KLE JGMM Medical College and KLE Hospital and Medical Research Centre have been inaugurated in Hubballi, adding a 250-seat medical college and 1,200-bed hospital to North Karnataka’s healthcare and medical education infrastructure.

The integrated KLE JGMM Medical College and KLE Hospital campus has been developed across about 50 acres with an investment of nearly INR 700 Cr.

The facility has more than 30 lakh square feet of built-up space and has been designed to expand access to specialised healthcare while supporting the clinical training of medical students.

Union Minister for Education Pralhad Joshi inaugurated the JGMM Medical College and KLE Hospital and Medical Research Centre at Gabbur Cross in Hubballi on September 19.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also visited the campus, highlighting its capacity of 250 MBBS seats and 1,200 beds, including 300 beds reserved for economically disadvantaged patients.

The KLE Hospital infrastructure includes general and super-speciality services covering areas such as cardiology, neurology, neurosurgery, gastroenterology, nephrology, organ transplantation, urology, oncology, and endocrinology.

The hospital is also equipped with 24-hour emergency and trauma care, dialysis services, digital X-ray, high-resolution CT scanning, ultrasonography and modern laboratory facilities.

KLE officials had earlier highlighted AI integration within the hospital setup, along with modern equipment and an AI-powered skills laboratory designed to train students in handling medical emergencies.

The campus also includes digital learning spaces, simulation facilities, and laboratories.

"This is the most modern medical college and hospital in Hubballi. You can say artificial intelligence has also been integrated into this hospital setup. We have the most modern equipment, and our team consists of young, highly trained doctors who have completed fellowships outside Hubli. They are experts in their fields, and the entire staff is ready to serve the people," KLE Academy of Higher Education and Research Chancellor Dr Prabhakar Kore said.

The project follows the approval of JGMM Medical College by the National Medical Commission in 2021, initially with an annual intake of 150 MBBS students.

The intake has since increased to 250 seats, while KLE has outlined plans to expand postgraduate medical education across multiple departments.

KLE Hospital and Medical Research Centre began providing services in Hubballi in January 2025, with emergency and outpatient services subsequently expanded.

ANIIMS has initially allocated 10 Online OPD Appointments for each department through the platform.

The Andaman & Nicobar Islands Institute of Medical Sciences (ANIIMS) has introduced Online OPD Appointments at G.B. Pant Hospital, Sri Vijaya Puram, through the Government of India’s ORS Portal, enabling patients to schedule appointments online before visiting the hospital.

The Online Registration System (ORS) has been developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) as part of the Government of India’s Digital India initiative.

Integrated with the eHospital ecosystem, the ORS Portal enables participating government hospitals to offer digital OPD registration and appointment services, helping organise appointments and patient movement before hospital visits.

With the new facility, patients no longer need to visit G.B. Pant Hospital solely to register for an OPD appointment. They can use the ORS Portal to select the hospital, department, date, and available appointment slot remotely.

ANIIMS has initially allocated 10 Online OPD Appointments for each department through the platform.

To book an appointment, patients need to access the official ORS Portal and complete the required verification. They can then select G.B. Pant Hospital, ANIIMS, Sri Vijaya Puram, followed by the relevant OPD or department. After choosing an available date and slot, patients can review the appointment details and confirm the booking.

Patients are advised to retain the appointment number or confirmation received through the ORS Portal or SMS. On the scheduled date, they must report to OPD Registration Counter No. 1 at G.B. Pant Hospital, which also functions as the ORS Counter, for appointment confirmation. The appointment number or confirmation message must be presented at the counter.

The Online OPD Appointments facility creates a digital entry point into the hospital’s outpatient registration process while retaining an in-person confirmation step at the hospital.

The service is available through the Government of India’s ORS Portal at ors.gov.in/orsportal/.

Under the agreement, BPL Medical Technologies will develop the AI technology, which will be further integrated into mammography equipment, and scale it in remote parts of the country.

BPL Medical Technologies and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, have recently partnered to advance and support the development of AI-powered Mammography Technology in India.

As per reports, both parties have formalised an agreement for the transfer of an AI-powered mammography technology to support further development of the technology.

Under the agreement, BPL Medical Technologies will develop the AI technology, which will be further integrated within mammography equipment, and scale it in remote parts of the country.

The initiative brings together AIIMS Delhi’s academic research and inputs with BPL’s capabilities in medical equipment development, while expanding access to technology across the country, especially tier 2 and tier 3 regions.

The AI solution is designed to support radiologists in breast imaging, early intervention, and workflow management

Speaking on the collaboration, Dr. Nikhil Tandon, Director, AIIMS Delhi, said, “This technology transfer demonstrates how research generated within academic institutions can be translated into solutions that address real-world healthcare. I hope that this initiative would serve as the beginning of many more such developments emerging from AIIMS, reflecting the institute's continued emphasis on innovation, technology development and the responsible translation of biomedical research into clinical applications.”

The AI model has been developed to support the interpretation of mammography examinations, with the broader objective of supporting radiologists, particularly where expert breast imaging specialists are limited.

Commenting on the collaboration, Ajay Jindal, Chief Financial Officer, BPL Medical Technologies, said, “BPL MedTech and AIIMS Delhi are collaborating to take this AI innovation further by adapting it for mammography equipment and making it accessible even in remote areas. We see this as an important milestone in our work to collaborate with academia to create access to practical medical technologies across the country.”

“AI is becoming an important part of medical imaging and will significantly impact patient experience by helping radiologists with early intervention and seamless workflow,” he added.

The collaboration aims to strengthen the use of AI in breast imaging and advance the technology for clinical application.

The unit is equipped with SSI Mantra 3, a Made-in-India robotic surgical system, bringing advanced robotic-assisted surgery closer to patients in Manipur and the North East.

Shija Hospitals & Research Institute has unveiled an advanced Robotic-Assisted Surgery Unit in Manipur, making it the first robotic surgical facility in the state. The facility also marks the second robotic surgery facility in Northeast India.

The unit is equipped with SSI Mantra 3, a Made-in-India robotic surgical system aimed at bringing advanced robotic-assisted surgery closer to patients in Manipur and the North East.

Addressing the gathering, Rajeev Singh Thakur, Chief Secretary, Government of Manipur, stated that robotic-assisted surgery marks another significant chapter in Shija Hospitals' surgical innovation journey.

He also underscored the hospital's efforts to promote inclusive healthcare by taking medical services to remote and underserved areas through health camps.

Additionally, Sumant Singh, Commissioner, Health & Family Welfare, highlighted Shija's continued investment in technology and specialised healthcare.

He emphasised the importance of collaborative initiatives such as PMJAY in expanding access to quality healthcare.

The surgical platform is designed to support surgeons in performing complex, minimally invasive surgeries with enhanced precision, dexterity, and visualization.

Highlighting the initiative, Dr Palin Khundongbam, Chairman & Managing Director, Shija Hospitals, described it as a milestone and a significant addition to Shija's specialised surgical capabilities and a reflection of its continued commitment to innovation.

The latest development comes as Manipur continues to expand its digital healthcare infrastructure. Recently, Imphal West moved closer to becoming Manipur’s first district to offer fully integrated e-treatment services under the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) system, with the state working to strengthen access, continuity of care, and digital health record management.

The facility was inaugurated in the presence of Rajeev Singh Thakur, Chief Secretary; Sumant Singh, Commissioner, Health & Family Welfare; and Dr Palin Khundongbam, Chairman & Managing Director, Shija Hospitals.

The initiative in Manipur is expected to reduce the need for patients requiring such procedures to travel outside the Northeast.

By providing the service locally, the facility is intended to enable eligible patients to access robotic-assisted surgical care closer to home, potentially reducing the logistical and financial burden associated with travelling to other regions for treatment.

The government is also moving towards a “single door, single document, single approval” mechanism for new industrial projects.

Kerala will support the establishment of new medical device parks and enterprises as the State seeks to expand its medical device manufacturing base, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said while inaugurating the Kerala Medical Device Industry Association (KMDIA) in Thiruvananthapuram.

The move aligns with the government’s vision to s strengthen its medical device ecosystem. The CM has now outlined measures to expand manufacturing, attract investment and improve the ease of setting up new ventures.

The State government has said it will facilitate new medical device parks across Kerala as the sector gains importance within the State’s knowledge-driven economy.

Kerala’s Medical Device Manufacturing Push

Invest Kerala reports that the State contributes about 15% to India’s medical device industry and has an ecosystem of 85 medical device companies generating more than INR 9,000 Cr in annual revenue.

Medical equipment has also been identified as a priority sector under Kerala’s Industrial Policy 2023.

Satheesan said advances in technologies such as artificial intelligence and nanotechnology were creating new opportunities across diagnosis and treatment, increasing the need for continuous technology and knowledge upgrades.

He said Kerala should build on its existing manufacturing capabilities and develop products that can compete in international markets.

Single-Window Approval System

The government is also moving towards a “single door, single document, single approval” mechanism for new industrial projects.

According to the Chief Minister, amendments are being made to 19 laws to reduce delays and enable approvals within a defined timeframe.

An Investment Promotion Council headed by the Chief Minister, with the Industries Minister as Vice-Chairperson, will monitor investment projects and intervene where bottlenecks arise.

KMDIA Roadmap Targets INR 25,000 Cr Output

The KMDIA Strategic Roadmap 2026-2031, released by Industries Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty, has set a target of increasing Kerala’s medical device manufacturing output from an estimated INR 6,500- INR 7,500 Cr to more than INR 25,000 Cr by 2031.

It also seeks to raise Kerala’s share of India’s medical device production from around 15-18% to more than 25%.

The roadmap identifies active medical electronics, in-vitro diagnostics and orthopaedic implants as areas for expansion. It also proposes a Medical Devices City through a public-private partnership model, with plug-and-play manufacturing facilities, ISO Class 5-8 cleanrooms, accredited quality-control laboratories and shared sterilisation infrastructure.

These facilities are intended to lower the initial infrastructure burden for MSMEs and startups.

Focus on Research & Commercialisation

The roadmap further proposes stronger links between industry and institutions, including SCTIMST, IIT Palakkad, RGCB, and NIT Calicut, with a target of supporting technology transfer and commercialisation of more than 20 clinical patents.

KMDIA has positioned itself as an industry platform connecting manufacturers, startups, research institutions, clinicians, investors and government stakeholders to strengthen Kerala’s MedTech ecosystem.

The State’s proposed expansion therefore combines physical manufacturing infrastructure with faster approvals, research-industry collaboration and greater focus on high-value medical technologies.

The objective is to create conditions for Kerala’s medical device enterprises to scale production and access wider national and global markets.

The appointments were announced by Ascension President and CEO Eduardo Conrado, who said the organization was seeking directors with new perspectives and experience across healthcare and innovation.

Ascension has appointed Kedar S. Mate, MD, and David P. King to its Board of Directors, with both appointments effective September 16, 2026. The additions bring expertise spanning healthcare quality, patient safety, digital health, life sciences, and healthcare leadership.

The appointments were announced by Ascension President and CEO Eduardo Conrado, who said the organization was seeking directors with new perspectives and experience across healthcare and innovation.

Dr. Mate is co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Qualified Health AI, a digital health company focused on helping healthcare organizations implement artificial intelligence safely and securely. He also serves as President Emeritus and Senior Fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Senior Scholar at Stanford University School of Medicine, and faculty member in the Department of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Mate has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare quality, patient safety, clinical outcomes, and responsible innovation. He previously served as President and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and currently holds board positions with organizations including MLK Community Health System, Healthcare Excellence Canada, Results for Development, Blue Shield of California, and the Partnership for Quality Measurement.

King joins the board with experience in healthcare operations, life sciences, governance, and strategic consulting. He is Managing Member of KingMan LLC and previously served as Chairman and CEO of Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, now Labcorp. During his tenure, the company expanded from a US-based clinical laboratory into a global life sciences organization operating in more than 100 countries.

King currently holds leadership and governance roles with Smith & Nephew, Illumina, Privia Health, PathGroup, and Novant Health. He also served as Non-Executive Chair of AMSURG before its acquisition by Ascension.

Earlier in his career, King was a partner in the healthcare practice at Hogan & Hartson LLP, now Hogan Lovells, and served as an Assistant US Attorney for the District of Maryland.

Sheila Burke, Chair of the Ascension Board of Directors, said Mate and King bring complementary experience to the board as Ascension works on its strategy and long-term priorities.

The deal covers the 88-bed Idaho Falls Community Hospital and 38-bed Mountain View Hospital, which Intermountain had jointly owned with Surgery Partners and a group of physicians since 2023.

Intermountain Health has completed its acquisition of interests in two Idaho hospitals, their affiliated clinics and associated real estate, making it the sole owner of Idaho Falls Community Hospital and increasing its ownership stake in Mountain View Hospital.

The deal covers the 88-bed Idaho Falls Community Hospital and 38-bed Mountain View Hospital, which Intermountain had jointly owned with Surgery Partners and a group of physicians since 2023. Surgery Partners said it received $797 million in gross proceeds and $587 million in net cash proceeds from the transaction. The deal values the facilities at approximately $1.15 billion.

Physician ownership in Mountain View Hospital remains unchanged following the transaction. The hospitals and their affiliated clinics will continue to operate separately from Intermountain Health and remain locally managed.

The organizations also said there will be no changes to current employment arrangements, including compensation.

The two hospitals have more than 2,300 employees, including more than 150 physicians. Idaho Falls Community Hospital opened in 2019, while Mountain View Hospital has operated since 2002 and has developed into a surgical hub that includes a Level III neonatal intensive care unit.

Separately, Medical Properties Trust (MPT) completed a $413 million transaction with Intermountain Health involving the real estate of the two hospitals. MPT received $371 million in cash proceeds and said most of the proceeds will be used to reduce its debt.

For Surgery Partners, the transaction reduces its exposure to hospital operations and Medicaid while supporting its strategy to focus on short-stay surgical services and ambulatory surgery centers. Surgery Partners CEO Eric Evans said the transaction is expected to support adjusted earnings growth while reducing balance-sheet leverage and improving free cash flow conversion.

Intermountain Health, headquartered in Utah, operates 34 hospitals and approximately 400 clinics across six states. The nonprofit health system reported $18.5 billion in total operating revenue in 2025 and currently operates Cassia Regional Hospital, a 25-bed critical access hospital in Burley, Idaho.

The Idaho transaction follows Intermountain's recent announcement of a proposed joint venture with AdventHealth involving three Denver-area hospitals.

The pilot will operate in Lexington, Tennessee; Caro, Michigan; Franklin, Virginia; Fort Scott, Kansas; and Searcy, Arkansas, serving rural and underserved communities.

Walmart has launched a six-month pilot program that will place pharmacists in a new “Health Ambassador” role at five rural U.S. stores, focusing on diabetes, weight management, and maternal health.

The pilot will operate in Lexington, Tennessee; Caro, Michigan; Franklin, Virginia; Fort Scott, Kansas; and Searcy, Arkansas, serving rural and underserved communities.

Under the program, Health Ambassador Associates will help customers understand their health goals, navigate available resources and connect with relevant health and wellness services. The role will also include personalized coaching and in-person conversations covering nutrition, physical activity, sleep and stress management.

Walmart said the initiative builds on the accessibility of its retail and pharmacy network. Approximately 90% of the U.S. population lives within 10 miles of a Walmart store or club, while about 4,000 Walmart stores are located in medically underserved areas, according to the company.

The retailer said the pilot will examine how pharmacists, who already have relationships with local communities, can provide additional support and help customers access health resources closer to where they live and shop.

“Customers already turn to Walmart for affordable food and everyday essentials, convenient services and pharmacists they know and trust,” said Emily Aaronson, M.D., Walmart U.S. chief medical officer. She said the pilot will give pharmacists dedicated time to listen, coach and connect customers with relevant support.

The initial focus on diabetes, weight management and maternal health comes as Walmart continues to expand its role in healthcare services through its retail and pharmacy footprint.

Separately, Walmart announced a partnership with SCAN Health Plan to offer a co-branded Medicare Advantage plan in two states. Subject to regulatory review and approvals, the planned offerings could include pharmacy, vision, food and over-the-counter benefits.

The facility is expected to create more than 250 technology and operational jobs in its first year, with further expansion planned.

US-based healthcare and pharmacy company Walgreens India Private Ltd has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu government to establish its first Global Capability Centre (GCC) in India in Chennai. The facility is expected to create more than 250 technology and operational jobs in its first year, with further expansion planned.

The MoU was signed on September 18 in the presence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and Industries Minister S Keerthana. The new GCC will be located at the DLF Downtown Taramani complex along the government-designated Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) GCC corridor.

According to the state government, the Chennai centre will focus on technology and business services. Walgreens is expected to develop technology and business capabilities from the facility to support its enterprise operations, with phased expansion planned beyond the initial workforce.

The development comes shortly after Chief Minister Vijay returned from an official investment trip to the United Kingdom. Following his return, Vijay chaired review meetings with senior officials and department heads to assess investment commitments and their implementation.

During the review, the Chief Minister directed the Industries Department to establish clear timelines for implementing Memoranda of Understanding, including commitments secured during the UK visit. Officials said dedicated monitoring frameworks are being established to track investment commitments through to operational infrastructure.

The state government has been developing GCC corridors across Chennai as part of its efforts to attract global companies and expand high-value technology and business services. The Walgreens facility is planned within the newly designated OMR GCC corridor.

Vijay also reviewed welfare initiatives, including the Thaai Maaman Thanga Mothiram Scheme and the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme.

Senior officials present at the MoU signing included Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary M Sai Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary, Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce Department, S Vijayakumar, Guidance Tamil Nadu Managing Director Deepak Jacob, Walgreens Global Competence Center Head Umapathy Viswanathan and Walgreens Director Masood Ahmed.

Digital health is no longer a question of whether healthcare systems should adopt technology. The more consequential question is what they want technology to achieve.

Healthcare systems across the world are being reshaped by pressures that extend far beyond the traditional delivery of medical care. Ageing populations, rising chronic diseases, workforce shortages, growing healthcare costs and widening expectations for faster, more personalised care are forcing countries to rethink how health services are organised and delivered. At the same time, advances in artificial intelligence, electronic health records, telemedicine, connected devices and health-data infrastructure are creating new possibilities for how patients interact with healthcare and how governments manage entire health systems.

Across the world, governments are pursuing markedly different digital health pathways. The United States is trying to make a highly decentralised healthcare market more interoperable. The European Union is building a common framework around health data rights and cross-border exchange. China is integrating digital platforms into a vast state-led healthcare system, while Brazil is using digital tools to strengthen a universal public-health architecture. India, meanwhile, is attempting something different again: building population-scale digital public infrastructure that can connect patients, providers and health records across a highly diverse healthcare landscape.

There is no single global model. But the differences reveal an important lesson: digital health works best when technology is designed around the structure and priorities of the health system, rather than imposed on top of it.

Digitalisation is no longer simply about putting healthcare records on a screen or moving consultations online. It is increasingly becoming the infrastructure through which healthcare systems organise information, connect providers, anticipate risks and extend care beyond traditional institutional boundaries. The real value lies not in how much technology a health system adopts, but in how effectively that technology improves continuity, access, coordination and decision-making.

And this is where the global picture becomes particularly interesting. Different healthcare systems are building their digital futures differently, shaped by their financing models, population needs, regulatory cultures and technological capabilities.

So, how are different healthcare systems around the world turning digitalisation into a tool for better, smarter and more connected care and what can their contrasting approaches teach us about the future of healthcare?

Middle-East

The Middle East offers another distinct model of digital-health transformation, with Saudi Arabia using virtual care as part of its broader healthcare transformation under Vision 2030. The country's Seha Virtual Hospital (SVH) has developed beyond a conventional telemedicine platform into a national virtual-care network. According to Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health, the hospital currently supports more than 242 hospitals, covering 48 main specialties and 68 sub-specialties, with an annual operational capacity exceeding 597,000 beneficiaries. Its services include virtual intensive-care rounds, telestroke and emergency medicine, virtual oncology and cardiac teams, teleradiology, remote EEG and virtual home-care programmes.

What makes the Saudi model particularly relevant to the global comparison is its attempt to use one virtual institution to address a structural problem: specialist expertise is not distributed evenly across the country. Rather than expecting every hospital to maintain the full range of specialists and advanced capabilities, the virtual-hospital model allows expertise to be shared remotely across multiple facilities. The Ministry describes SVH as a mechanism for improving access to specialised care regardless of geographic distance, optimising specialist capacity and facilitating the exchange of expertise between healthcare facilities. The model therefore shifts the idea of a “virtual hospital” from simply conducting video consultations to creating a digital layer of specialist capacity that can sit across the physical health system.

Saudi Arabia's experience also illustrates how digital health is increasingly becoming a health-system strategy rather than a standalone technology programme. SVH has an Innovation Empowerment Center with a digital-health sandbox and a clinical research centre focused on evaluating digital-health solutions and generating evidence for data-driven health policies. The Saudi example therefore adds another dimension to the global comparison: while the US is working to connect a highly digitised but fragmented system, and India is building population-scale digital public infrastructure, Saudi Arabia is demonstrating how virtual care itself can be organised as national healthcare infrastructure.

ASEAN NATIONS

The contrast becomes even more interesting when the lens moves to Southeast Asia, where countries are navigating digital transformation from very different starting points. Singapore has a highly developed digital-health ecosystem, while Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and other ASEAN members are still strengthening the infrastructure needed for connected healthcare at scale. Across the region, the focus is increasingly shifting towards interoperability, digital-health governance, cybersecurity, infrastructure and workforce capabilities. Indonesia, for instance, is pursuing digital transformation alongside broader health-system reforms, including stronger digital surveillance and integration of health information, while Thailand has expanded telemedicine and digital services to improve access beyond major urban centres.

The next stage could take this regional cooperation beyond individual national platforms. In March 2026, WHO and partners launched a three-year initiative supporting ASEAN countries in moving from paper-based records towards secure, interoperable digital health wallets, aimed at allowing health information to move more reliably between healthcare settings. The region's experience shows that digital transformation is not only about introducing new technologies; it is equally about building the systems that allow them to work across borders, institutions and populations, while ensuring that connectivity does not widen existing gaps in infrastructure, affordability and digital skills

CHINA

The picture changes again in China, where the scale of the healthcare system has created a strong incentive to integrate digital technologies directly into service delivery. Digital hospitals, online medical services, electronic health records, remote consultations and AI-enabled clinical applications are increasingly being incorporated into the wider health system rather than operating as isolated technology projects. China has also invested heavily in digital infrastructure for public-health surveillance and healthcare management, while telemedicine and internet-based medical services have helped extend specialist expertise beyond major urban centres. The emphasis is therefore less on a single digital intervention and more on building an integrated ecosystem capable of operating at population scale.

Chinese hospitals and technology companies are experimenting with AI-assisted diagnosis, medical imaging, clinical decision support and intelligent hospital management, while policymakers are also developing frameworks around the responsible use of AI in healthcare. China's experience demonstrates the potential and complexity of combining a large technology ecosystem with a nationally coordinated health system. Its trajectory raises a question relevant well beyond China: when digital infrastructure becomes deeply embedded in healthcare, the challenge is no longer simply expanding access to technology, but ensuring that data governance, clinical validation, interoperability and patient trust develop at the same pace.

Digitalisation Beyond Top Nations

Digital-health transformation is not limited to wealthy healthcare systems. Rwanda offers one of the clearest examples of a lower-resource country using digital infrastructure as part of broader health-system reform. Its current Health Sector Strategic Plan places electronic medical records, a community health-worker information system, a citizen health app and national laboratory information systems within the country's health-system modernisation agenda. In April 2025, Rwanda also launched a Health Intelligence Center, designed to collect, process and analyse real-time information from across the health system to support evidence-based decisions.

Other lower-resource countries are pursuing similar strategies, although often at different levels of maturity. Ghana, for example, has been developing a national electronic-health architecture intended to harmonise health information, improve continuity of care and make patient information available at the point of care.

The wider picture is even more significant. WHO reported in 2025 that digital-health initiatives are multiplying across low- and middle-income countries, but warned that fragmented projects, weak infrastructure and limited national capacity can also deepen inequalities. Its Global Initiative on Digital Health notes that more than 70% of countries have a digital-health strategy, although many still lack adequate financing and enabling governance. The World Bank similarly argues that digital investments can help underserved populations when they are designed around real health-system problems, connected across services and taken to scale. The emerging lesson from poorer countries is therefore not that they must replicate the technology of richer nations, but that digitalisation can be used as a leapfrogging strategy which provides connectivity, workforce capacity, governance and equitable access to develop alongside the technology.

Where India Stands?

India's approach stands out because it attempts to build a common digital layer across a fragmented public-private healthcare ecosystem.

The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission has moved beyond creating individual digital identities towards building an interconnected architecture of patients, facilities, professionals and health records. By July 2026, more than 93.95 crore ABHA numbers had been created, with 105 crore health records linked, alongside 5.33 lakh health facilities and 9.85 lakh healthcare professionals registered on national digital-health registries. Around 2.72 lakh facilities had adopted ABDM-enabled software.

The significance lies less in the size of these numbers than in the infrastructure they represent. India's model seeks to create interoperable rails on which different healthcare services can operate, rather than building one central application for every healthcare need.

That approach could eventually support continuity of care, telemedicine, insurance claims, clinical decision-making and public-health intelligence. But scale also creates its own responsibilities: data quality, consent, cybersecurity, private-sector participation and actual utilisation will determine whether infrastructure translates into better care.

Big Digitalization Move

The picture becomes more interesting when the focus shifts to emerging economies working together on shared health-system challenges. India hosted the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on 12-13 September 2026, bringing together the expanded 11-member grouping. Health was among the areas of cooperation, with countries discussing universal health coverage, pandemic preparedness, responsible AI and digital-health infrastructure. At the BRICS Health Ministers’ Meeting earlier this year, member countries specifically discussed a Digital Health Architecture for Continuum of Care, aimed at strengthening interoperable digital ecosystems and extending digitally enabled healthcare to remote and underserved populations.

The significance becomes clearer when individual initiatives are placed alongside this collective agenda. India, for instance, has built the ABDM, with more than 940 million ABHA accounts and over one billion digital health records by 2026, creating an example of population-scale digital public infrastructure that other emerging economies can study. At the BRICS health discussions, countries also shared approaches involving telemedicine, referrals, longitudinal health records and interoperability, with India proposing a BRICS Compendium on Digital Health Architecture for Continuum of Care as a shared knowledge resource. The 2026 summit also highlighted AI-enabled health innovation, including an AI-based cervical-cancer screening technology among the 37 innovations showcased at the Bharat Innovates exposition.

BRICS therefore requires a different interpretation from the US or EU. It is not a single healthcare system, but a platform through which diverse emerging economies can exchange models and build cooperation around common problems. Its latest digital-health push suggests a gradual move from simply sharing experiences towards developing interoperable architectures, responsible AI frameworks and shared knowledge systems. The bigger question is whether these initiatives can translate into practical cross-country standards and scalable tools or remain primarily mechanisms for cooperation and knowledge exchange.

The Digital Health Divide is Becoming a Question of Architecture

The first generation of digital health focused heavily on digitising individual institutions like electronic records, hospital information systems, telemedicine platforms and mobile health applications. The next generation is increasingly concerned with what happens between those systems. That shift is visible across major healthcare markets: the US is moving towards interoperability after widespread EHR adoption, Europe is asking how health data can move securely across national borders, while India is building digital infrastructure to connect patients, providers and health records.

The comparison reveals a broader shift in how healthcare systems think about digitalisation. The question is no longer simply whether hospitals or governments have adopted digital tools, but whether those tools can communicate, share information securely and support continuity of care. As digital health moves from individual applications towards connected infrastructure, architecture and not adoption alone is becoming the defining question for the next phase of healthcare transformation.

What the World Can Learn From One Another

The most useful global comparison is not about deciding which country has “won” digital health. It is about identifying the capabilities each model is prioritising.

The US demonstrates the importance of interoperability after digitisation. Europe shows how data rights and governance can become part of health infrastructure. China demonstrates the potential of large-scale digital service delivery and integrated platforms. Brazil and the wider BRICS conversation highlight equity, public-health capacity and digital sovereignty. India demonstrates how population-scale digital public infrastructure can create common rails across a fragmented ecosystem.

These models also reveal what technology alone cannot solve. Europe still has gaps between data categories and providers. The US continues to work through fragmentation despite near-universal EHR adoption. South Africa's digital transformation remains tied to infrastructure, skills and implementation capacity. India's enormous digital footprint still has to translate into consistent use across states, providers and levels of care.

What Global Models Mean for India

The next global phase of digital health will therefore be less about adding another application and more about making existing systems work together.

The mature digital-health system of the future is likely to combine interoperable records, trusted data exchange, AI-assisted decision-making, predictive public health, digital identity, remote care and real-world governance. But the architecture will differ by country because healthcare itself differs by country.

That may be the most important lesson from the global landscape: there is no universal digital-health blueprint, but there are universal design principles that include interoperability, trust, inclusion, security, evidence and patient agency.

The countries that succeed will not necessarily be those that deploy the most technology. They will be those that build the strongest bridge between technology and the way healthcare is actually organised.

For India, the opportunity is particularly significant. ABDM has already demonstrated that digital public infrastructure can operate at extraordinary scale. The next question is whether that infrastructure can become the connective tissue of a genuinely intelligent health system, the one where data does not simply follow the patient, but helps the system understand where care is needed, how it can be delivered better, and who risks being left behind.

The HealthEx PowerPlug, rolling out this week in the Ultrahuman app in the US, uses HealthEx to connect member-authorized medical records with data from the Ultrahuman Ring.

Ultrahuman has launched the HealthEx PowerPlug, a new feature for Ultrahuman Ring users that brings medical records together with continuous wearable data, allowing members to view diagnoses, medications, procedures, and health biomarkers on a single timeline.

The HealthEx PowerPlug, rolling out this week in the Ultrahuman app in the US, uses HealthEx to connect member-authorized medical records with data from the Ultrahuman Ring. The feature maps 532 conditions, medications, and procedures from electronic medical records alongside metrics including resting heart rate, heart rate variability, skin temperature, and deep sleep.

Members can choose which healthcare providers and care sites to connect, provide consent to access their records, and stop sharing access at any time. HealthEx retrieves records nationwide through the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), after identity verification.

The integration is designed to help users identify potential gaps in follow-up care. Results, medications, diagnoses, and procedures are displayed with dates, while the PowerPlug can flag situations where a follow-up or health marker may need to be discussed at a subsequent appointment.

The feature also includes a Visit Pack, which generates a summary of the member's medical records, medications, and relevant wearable data for an upcoming doctor's appointment. It can also surface questions and tests for members to discuss with their physicians based on information in their records.

According to Ultrahuman, the feature addresses fragmented medical histories across hospitals, clinics, laboratories, and specialist practices in the US. The company cited an average US doctor's appointment length of 15 minutes and the involvement of multiple providers in patient care as factors that can make it difficult to assemble a complete health history.

“Crucial health records” can now be viewed alongside Ring measurements, said Mohit Kumar, CEO and founder of Ultrahuman.

Priyanka Agarwal, MD, MBA, co-founder and CEO of HealthEx, said combining medical records with continuous wearable data can give members a more complete picture to bring into their next clinical conversation.

The HealthEx PowerPlug is available to Ultrahuman Ring users in the US at $4.99 per month or $45.99 per year through the PowerPlugs tab in the Ultrahuman app. HealthEx Wallet, which provides access to a unified longitudinal health history, remains free through HealthEx.

Ultrahuman said deeper HealthEx integrations with its Vitamin D, GLP-1, and Respiratory Health PowerPlugs are planned.

The company said the feature is intended for general wellness and is not a medical device or a substitute for professional medical care. Ultrahuman and HealthEx also said member health data is not sold, used for advertising, or used to train AI models.

ARISTION plans to develop dedicated proton therapy infrastructure across the country with a long-term investment of approximately INR 1,900 crore

Israeli medical technology company P-Cure and Indian healthcare company ARISTION Proton Center have signed a binding agreement to deploy P-Cure's compact, synchrotron-based proton therapy systems in India.

The agreement marks the first deployment of P-Cure's ultracompact proton therapy system in India.

The initiative forms a part of ARISTION’s plans to develop dedicated proton therapy infrastructure across the country with a long-term investment of approximately INR 1,900 crore.

As per the company, the planned investment is intended to fund an integrated network of centres rather than standalone machine installations, with affordability and geographic access positioned at the centre of the model.

Key Takeaways

The agreement will bring together P-Cure's proton therapy technology with ARISTION's clinical and operational leadership to bring proton & ion precision treatment within the physical, geographic, and financial reach of ordinary Indian families.

The first centre will be established at Sentient Health City, Bengaluru, ARISTION's flagship 660-bed quaternary campus built around integrated artificial intelligence and augmented care solutions, followed by centres in Kochi and a third major metropolitan city.

Together, the three centres form the initial phase of a wider national proton therapy network.

Speaking on the development, Dr Lohith G Reddy, CMD & Radiation Oncologist, ARISTION Proton Center, said, “India already delivers world-class medical care. What has been missing is proton & ion precision treatment at the scale a nation of 1.4 billion deserves, which is the opportunity this partnership unlocks. P-Cure’s compact system gives us the economics to build not one showpiece facility but a national network, delivering the world’s most advanced radiation therapy at a cost structure Indian patients can actually access. Sentient Health City in Bengaluru is the first of three centres and the platform for what comes next.”

As per reports, ARISTION is currently seeking a joint venture partner for the Kochi centre while evaluation of locations and partners for the third proton centre is underway.

P-Cure’s system uses a compact, synchrotron-based architecture designed to reduce the physical footprint and infrastructure requirements typically associated with proton therapy facilities.

The approach is intended to reduce capital and operating requirements compared with conventional proton therapy facilities.

Across the planned network, ARISTON will integrate an AI and augmented intelligence layer to support care hospital operations, clinical workflows, and patient experience.

Surgy. Health, a next-generation AI operational layer for hospitals, will serve as the AI technology partner for the ARISTON group, supporting applications across these areas.

Commenting on the new partnership, Dr Michael Marash, Chief Executive Officer of P-Cure, said, “India represents one of the most important growth frontiers for proton therapy, and this agreement is a milestone for P-Cure as we bring our technology to the country for the first time. Our ultracompact system was built precisely for markets like India, where excellent economics, both at setup and in ongoing operations, have to go hand in hand with uncompromised clinical performance and the treatment capacity a national population demands.”

The startup plans to use the funding to support clinical validation of EvvyAI-powered diagnostic and precision care models across women’s health, with fertility as an initial focus.

New York-based precision healthcare startup Evvy has raised $40 million in an oversubscribed Series B funding round aimed at advancing its AI-powered diagnostic and care models.

The round was led by Catalio Capital Management, with participation from Rethink Impact, Muse Capital, and Alumni Ventures. Existing investors, including Amboy Street Ventures, Ingeborg, Foreground Capital and Flywheel Ventures, also participated.

Commenting on the new investment, Jacob Vogelstein, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Catalio Capital Management, said, “We were drawn to Evvy not only because of its growth, but because of the unique data and AI infrastructure the company is building, and the exceptional team executing on it. Its combination of proprietary data, clinical evidence, and a growing biomarker discovery engine creates an entirely new foundation for precision women’s healthcare. We believe Evvy is building the data platform that will define this category for decades to come.”

Founded in 2021 by Priyanka Jain, Laine Bruzek and Pita Navarro, Evvy has developed a clinical-grade dataset focused on the vaginal microbiome and its links to women’s health outcomes.

Its machine learning platform, EvvyAI, analyses biological data to support diagnostic development and treatment decisions.

Its testing platform is powered by CLIA-certified, NYS CLEP-approved metagenomic sequencing; ordered and interpreted by licensed clinicians; and matched with prescription treatment plans tailored to each patient's results and health history where relevant.

The startup plans to use the funding to support clinical validation of Evvy AI-powered diagnostic and precision care models across women’s health, with fertility as an initial focus.

Additionally, the startup will expand its distribution through medical professionals and partner organisations.

Further, Evvy will also continue its research partnership with US Fertility to investigate potential links between the vaginal microbiome and reproductive health.

According to the startup, its proprietary dataset and insights compound with every test, and its platform has already led to 13 peer-reviewed publications and abstracts, the identification of novel BV Subtypes, and the discovery of hundreds of previously uncatalogued vaginal microbiome genomes.

Its platform has served more than 100,000 patients and 3,000 practitioners through at-home testing, personalised treatment recommendations and ongoing biomarker monitoring, the startup reported.

Priyanka Jain, Co-Founder, Evvy said, “Women hear ‘unexplained’ constantly: unexplained infertility, unexplained recurrence, unexplained pain. It’s stated like a diagnosis, when it really just means medicine wasn’t built to measure female biology. We set out to build the datasets and AI infrastructure that precision medicine in women’s health has been missing. Evvy is building the evidence, infrastructure, and partnerships needed to make precision, data-driven care the standard for women’s health.”

Curapod M brings together medical-grade photobiomodulation (PBM), adaptive personalisation, and a digital intelligence platform to support menstrual pain management

Hyderabad-based healthtech startup Litemed India has launched Curapod M, a wearable technology-led solution designed for non-invasive menstrual pain and cramps.

Developed and manufactured in India, Curapod M brings together medical-grade photobiomodulation (PBM), adaptive personalisation and a digital intelligence platform to support menstrual pain management.

At the centre of Curapod M is a clinically validated photobiomodulation platform intended to address biological processes associated with menstrual pain, including prostaglandin-linked pathways involved in cramping.

The system uses specific red and near-infrared wavelengths through photobiomodulation, supported by a proprietary adaptive engine that personalises therapy.

The companion app is designed to track cycle-related information and therapy responses, with the system using this data to anticipate potential pain intensity in subsequent cycles and adjust the therapy approach accordingly.

Together, the device and app are aimed at transforming the user experience from reacting to pain to anticipating and managing it more intelligently through personalised therapy and technology.

According to the startup, the clinical evaluation of the device demonstrated that 80% of women experienced zero pain after using Curapod M.

Curapod M is expected to roll out across India through various e-commerce websites.

The startup plans to make the product available across metropolitan and Tier 2 markets.

Further, the startup reported that the Curapod M is licensed by CDSCO and registered with the US FDA.

Commenting on the new launch, Surya Prakash, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Curapod said, “With Curapod M, the intent was to go beyond simply responding to the sensation of pain and build technology that works further upstream on the mechanisms associated with it. That is where photobiomodulation and adaptive personalisation come together.”

The latest launch follows Litemed’s INR 20 Cr (around USD 2.2 Mn) in a pre-Series A funding round led by V3 Ventures, 3i Partners, and Ideaspring Capital.

The startup plans to leverage the capital to support research and development, device and app enhancements, manufacturing scale-up, and broader go-to-market execution.

The system is intended to assist clinicians in visualising gastrointestinal structures and identifying abnormalities during endoscopic procedures.

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, has installed the first made-in-India endoscopy system with advanced imaging features, aimed at strengthening its capabilities to provide specialised gastroenterology care to patients.

The EP-6000 endoscopy system was developed by Fujifilm India and manufactured at the company’s facility in Jodhpur as part of the Centre’s Make in India Initiative.

The system has been donated to the Department of Gastroenterology by Fujifilm India as a goodwill gesture and as part of its commitment to support patients in need.

The EP-6000 is designed to support endoscopic examination and gastrointestinal diagnosis through enhanced imaging capabilities.

The system is intended to assist clinicians in visualising gastrointestinal structures and identifying abnormalities during endoscopic procedures.

According to the institution, the installation seeks to strengthen domestic manufacturing of medical devices and reduce dependence on imports while expanding access to advanced healthcare technologies.

The new initiative seeks to support AIIMS Delhi’s gastroenterology department in delivering complex endoscopic procedures and strengthening specialised patient care at the premier tertiary care medical institution.

Speaking on the initiative, AIIMS Director Dr Nikhil Tandon said, “AIIMS has a longstanding commitment to advancing patient care through the adoption of cutting-edge medical technologies and clinical innovation. The installation of the first Made-in-India endoscope system will add to our capabilities to serve patients at large.”

The installation forms a part of AIIMS Delhi’s efforts to expand its imaging and diagnostic capabilities.

In an earlier development, the healthcare institution unveiled the Hyperfine Swoop System, establishing India’s first routine use of portable MRI for bedside brain imaging and enabling clinicians to capture diagnostic images directly at the point of care for critically ill patients.

Sironax’s platform uses brain delivery modules intended to help large molecules cross the blood-brain barrier and reach the brain.

Novartis has exercised its option to acquire Massachusetts-based biotech company Sironax’s brain delivery platform for $125 Mn, giving the Swiss pharmaceutical company control of technology designed to transport large molecules into the central nervous system.

Sironax will receive the payment when the transaction closes while retaining rights to use the platform for selected assets.

Novartis and Sironax entered into an option agreement in July 2025, allowing Novartis to evaluate the biotech’s technology before deciding whether to acquire it.

Fourteen months later, Novartis has exercised that option. When the original agreement was announced, Sironax said the arrangement could provide up to $175 Mn in upfront and near-term payments.

Sironax’s platform uses brain delivery modules intended to help large molecules cross the blood-brain barrier and reach the brain.

The technology could potentially be used with monoclonal antibodies, peptides, proteins, gene therapies and other biologics.

Sironax will continue applying the platform to selected programmes while using proceeds from the transaction to support its own drug pipeline.

“More importantly, we believe this transaction will help maximize the platform’s potential, enabling its application to a broader range of programs and ultimately benefiting more patients around the world,” Sironax CEO Shefali Agarwal, M.D. said.

The transaction adds to a series of Novartis investments in brain-delivery technologies. In August 2025, Novartis entered an option agreement with BioArctic involving its BrainTransporter technology, with the deal carrying potential additional payments of up to $772 Mn.

In January, Novartis also partnered with SciNeuro Pharmaceuticals on an Alzheimer’s antibody programme using blood-brain barrier shuttle technology, providing $165 Mn upfront and potential milestones of up to $1.5 Bn.

Sironax’s own pipeline includes three clinical-stage programmes: SIR2501, SIR4156 and SIR9900. SIR2501, an allosteric SARM1 inhibitor, is being developed for neuroaxonal damage and has received FDA Fast Track designation for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.

The Manufacturing Hub will supply critical materials for research, diagnostics, biotechnology, and biopharmaceutical production in India and the Asia-Pacific region.

Merck, a Germany-based science and tech company, has expanded its Jigani manufacturing facility in Bengaluru with an investment of about EUR 13 Mn, adding biological buffer manufacturing to its existing chemistry capabilities.

The Manufacturing Hub will supply critical materials for research, diagnostics, biotechnology, and biopharmaceutical production in India and the Asia-Pacific region.

“Merck’s Bengaluru manufacturing Hub shows what the India–Germany partnership can achieve when world-class German enterprise meets India’s manufacturing ambition. In the year we celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations, Merck will make advanced materials in Bengaluru for pharmaceutical research and semiconductor manufacturing, for India and for the world, in the true spirit of Make in India,” said Amardeep Singh Bhatia, IAS, Secretary to the Government of India, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Operational since 2003, the 10-acre Bengaluru facility has capabilities spanning specialty and fine chemicals, custom synthesis, and catalogue product manufacturing.

The site also houses a Microbiology Application and Training Lab, a Stable Isotopes Manufacturing Plant developed in collaboration with the Heavy Water Board under the Department of Atomic Energy, and a 7,200-square-metre temperature-controlled distribution centre.

The latest expansion adds biological buffer manufacturing to the site’s established chemistry operations. These materials and raw materials will support applications including DNA research, cell culture, diagnostics and drug manufacturing.

Production will take place locally under temperature-controlled conditions, with the expanded Manufacturing Hub serving customers from research and development through scale-up and commercial production.

“India is emerging as an increasingly important hub for life science innovation and manufacturing,” said Dhananjay Singh, Managing Director, Life Science business of Merck, India. “Merck is investing about €13 million in its Jigani site to strengthen regional manufacturing and expand biology and chemistry capabilities across India and the Asia-Pacific region. This investment will reinforce our global supply chain and support the ‘Make in India’ initiative. We appreciate the continued collaboration from DPIIT, the Heavy Water Board, the Government of Karnataka, and Invest India as Merck expands Jigani.”

The expanded facility also reflects Merck’s in-region, for-region approach, with local manufacturing intended to strengthen access to materials for customers across India and wider Asia-Pacific markets.

The new Innovation Hub will work across the development lifecycle of gene, cell and tissue therapies, spanning early-stage research and process optimisation through scale-up, manufacturing and regulatory readiness.

Switzerland-based Tenthpin Management Consultants has expanded its India footprint with the launch of an Innovation Hub in Bengaluru, creating a Global Centre of Excellence focused on AI, Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) and cloud-based solutions for advanced therapies and Life Sciences organisations.

Tenthpin already operates delivery centres in India, including Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune, with its Bengaluru operation positioned to support global Life Sciences clients.

Located at Global Tech Park in Koramangala, the new Innovation Hub will work across the development lifecycle of gene, cell and tissue therapies, spanning early-stage research and process optimisation through scale-up, manufacturing and regulatory readiness.

The centre will use AI-powered analytics, predictive modelling and cloud-based collaboration tools to support decision-making, reproducibility and resource efficiency.

The Innovation Hub will focus on AI, IoMT, Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) and intelligent clinical supply chains.

It will also develop AI-based products and accelerators designed to help Life Sciences companies manage operational complexity, regulatory requirements, and scaling in digital environments.

"Our new office in Bengaluru is more than an expansion — it's an investment in the future of Life Sciences innovation. Scaling and expanding of our presence in Bengaluru underscores Tenthpin's strong belief in the power of Indian talent and innovation. India has proven to be a cornerstone of our global delivery model — combining expertise, technical excellence, and a deep commitment to quality," Juergen Bauer, Founder and Chairman of the Executive Board of Tenthpin, said.

Michael Schmidt, Founder and Member of the Executive Board, said the Bengaluru centre would strengthen Tenthpin's capabilities in SAP Batch Release Hub, SAP Intelligent Clinical Supply Management and SAP Advanced Therapy Orchestration, alongside its AI-powered, GxP-ready software solutions.

The Innovation Hub is also expected to collaborate with research institutions, universities and industry partners in India.

Sachin Bhure, Partner and Managing Director, Tenthpin India, said the company plans to expand its Bengaluru footprint and double its current team over the next two years.

The Centre is expected to help researchers address some of the practical challenges involved in taking an innovation from the laboratory to the market.

IIT Kanpur has launched the Wadhwani Innovation Centre for Life Sciences and Medical Technologies, a Centre of Excellence designed to help move research from laboratories towards validated healthcare products and solutions.

The Centre will receive a $5 Mn contribution over five years to support researchers through different stages of innovation, including development, validation and commercialisation.

The Wadhwani Innovation Centre will work across a broad range of healthcare applications, including therapeutics, regenerative medicine, drug delivery, vaccines, medical devices and diagnostics.

Its focus will also extend to emerging areas such as neurodegenerative diseases, mental health, antimicrobial resistance and AI-enabled healthcare.

Beyond research support, the Centre is expected to help researchers address some of the practical challenges involved in taking an innovation from the laboratory to the market.

This includes technology validation, intellectual property management and navigating regulatory processes. It will also facilitate industry connections for technology transfer and commercialisation.

IIT Kanpur Director Manindra Agrawal said the institute’s biomedical research ecosystem, including its work in regenerative medicine, molecular medicine, neuroscience and artificial intelligence, provides a foundation for the Centre of Excellence.

The Wadhwani Innovation Centre is part of the Wadhwani Innovation Network (WIN)-IITK initiative of the Wadhwani Foundation, which seeks to strengthen research translation and commercialisation.

The Centre was inaugurated in the presence of Upendra Kumar Singh, Director General, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), New Delhi.

The programme will be funded through a INR 2,975-crore loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and a Rs 1,275-crore contribution from the Maharashtra government.

The Maharashtra cabinet has approved a INR 4,250-crore five-year health sector reform programme, Primary Healthcare Reimagined with Advanced Governance and Accessible Technology Integration (Pragati), aimed at strengthening primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare across the state.

According to a government resolution (GR) issued on Tuesday, the Pragati project will be implemented from 2026 to 2031. The programme will be funded through a INR 2,975-crore loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and a INR 1,275-crore contribution from the Maharashtra government.

The project will focus on upgrading healthcare infrastructure, expanding digital health services, strengthening disease prevention and improving early diagnosis, with a stated objective of reducing out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure.

A major component of Pragati will be the prevention, screening and early detection of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Primary health centres, Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, urban health centres and higher-level facilities will receive additional staff, medicines, diagnostic services and medical equipment.

The programme will cover hypertension, heart disease, stroke, chronic respiratory and kidney diseases, diabetes, childhood illnesses, cancer, mental health conditions and palliative care. An integrated referral and return-linkage system will connect patients identified at primary-level facilities with specialised care and follow-up services closer to their homes.

Under the digital health component, Pragati will strengthen the Maharashtra Health Technology Mission and develop a digital health ecosystem aligned with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM). Proposed services include online patient registration, outpatient and inpatient management, digital laboratory reports, e-prescriptions, medicine dispensing, referral and counter-referral services, discharge summaries, and electronic and personal health records.

The project will also incorporate artificial intelligence, telemedicine, advanced diagnostics and other healthcare technologies. Capacity-building programmes are planned for medical officers, community health officers and other healthcare personnel.

Pragati will additionally include preventive health campaigns promoting healthier lifestyles, including tobacco and alcohol avoidance, regular physical activity, balanced diets and routine screening for hypertension, diabetes and cancer.

The Maharashtra government expects early diagnosis and timely treatment, particularly for NCDs and cancer, to help reduce healthcare costs while expanding the state's capacity to deliver public health services.

The researchers reported that the reductions in hospitalizations, emergency department visits and medical costs were consistent across patient age groups, genders and geographic regions.

Humana researchers found that cancer patients receiving specialty pharmacy care coordination had 11.7% fewer hospitalizations, 2.7% fewer emergency department visits and 7.7% lower medical costs over one year, according to a retrospective observational study.

The analysis, conducted by Humana Pharmacy Analytics and Consulting, examined Humana Medicare Advantage members with Part D prescription drug coverage who had cancer and received medication adherence care coordination through the CenterWell Specialty Pharmacy Oncology Center of Excellence (COE). Outcomes were compared with members who opted out of the coordination services.

The study was published in the Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics & Outcomes Research.

The researchers reported that the reductions in hospitalizations, emergency department visits and medical costs were consistent across patient age groups, genders and geographic regions.

The COE provides optional Part D care coordination for beneficiaries undergoing treatment for complex cancer diagnoses. The program is led by specialty pharmacy pharmacists, nurses and other specialists and is designed to support medication adherence and treatment effectiveness.

Services include follow-up care, adherence support and monitoring for treatment-related side effects. The program also provides personalized clinical support and mail-order medication delivery.

The study specifically evaluated beneficiaries prescribed intravenous chemotherapy, oral targeted oncolytics and immunotherapies.

Bethanie Stein, Pharm.D., president of pharmacy at Humana, including CenterWell Pharmacy, said the findings support a coordinated approach to managing complex conditions such as cancer. She said the program is designed to provide patients with support around medication adherence and treatment during their care journey.

The findings come as CenterWell, Humana’s health services division covering primary care, home health and pharmacy services, continues to expand. CenterWell generated $12.89 billion in revenue during the first half of 2026, compared with $10.63 billion in the same period of 2025, according to Humana’s earnings reports and SEC filings.

Humana expects CenterWell’s total revenue to reach at least $25 billion in 2026.

In February, CenterWell also completed its acquisition of primary care provider MaxHealth from Arsenal Capital Partners. The transaction added 54 primary care clinics, four specialty and ancillary care clinics and 24 affiliated clinics to CenterWell’s network.

Following the transaction, the Tyagi Family will remain Yatharth Hospitals’ largest shareholder and continue to guide the company’s long-term direction.

Yatharth Hospital and Trauma Care Services Ltd has entered into a definitive agreement with global private equity investor Advent International for an investment of INR 3,150 crore in primary capital, giving Advent a 24.9% stake in the listed healthcare provider upon completion of the transaction.

The deal remains subject to customary closing conditions. Following the transaction, the Tyagi Family will remain Yatharth Hospitals’ largest shareholder and continue to guide the company’s long-term direction.

The investment will provide Yatharth Hospitals with additional capital as it expands its healthcare network and strengthens its clinical and operational capabilities. Advent is also expected to bring its healthcare investment experience and global operating insights to the partnership.

Yatharth Tyagi, whole-time director, Yatharth Hospitals, said the investment would support the company’s next phase of growth. He added that Advent’s healthcare expertise and global experience would help the company expand its reach and capabilities.

Pankaj Patwari, managing director at Advent, said the investment reflects the firm’s continued focus on India’s healthcare sector. He noted that Advent expects structural growth in the sector driven by expanding access, improvements in quality and increasing consolidation.

Atin Jain, director at Advent, said Yatharth Hospitals has developed a healthcare platform in North India combining clinical capabilities with operational execution. He said Advent would work with the founding family and management team as the company expands.

Yatharth Hospitals is a listed healthcare provider with a growing presence across North India. The company is led by the Tyagi Family, which will continue to retain the largest shareholder position following Advent’s investment.

The project will be developed within the existing hospital campus under Phase-IV of the Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), with costs shared by the Central and Delhi governments. 

The Delhi Cabinet has approved a ₹244.87 crore project to construct a 250-bed super-specialty-cum-trauma block at Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital in Dilshad Garden, East Delhi, to expand emergency and critical care capacity amid high patient occupancy. The project will be developed within the existing hospital campus under Phase-IV of the Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), with costs shared by the Central and Delhi governments. 

The proposed seven-storey facility will cover approximately 22,550 square meters and comprise a basement, ground floor and six upper floors. According to officials, it will include 250 beds, 72 ICU beds, 48 specialist outpatient department (OPD) rooms and nine operation theatres.

The bed capacity will include 20 emergency beds, five Burns ICU beds, 70 ICU beds, four isolation beds, 22 pre- and post-surgery beds, 102 general ward beds and 25 private rooms. The basement will house a blood bank and laboratory. 

The ground floor will accommodate a 24-hour emergency department along with CT scan, MRI and X-ray facilities. The fourth and fifth floors will contain 175 general and private ward beds, while the sixth floor will include administrative offices, classrooms and a laboratory for training doctors.

Specialty services planned for the facility include neurology, orthopedics, dermatology and dental care. Officials said 77 beds will be designated for critical care.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said GTB Hospital is the only major government hospital in East Delhi and has been operating with a heavy patient load, with nearly all beds occupied. She said the additional facility is intended to strengthen trauma services for accident victims and patients requiring critical emergency care. 

A joint committee comprising senior officials from the Central and Delhi governments will monitor the project and review construction progress every three months. The new hospital block is targeted for completion by 2028.

Smartwatches cannot diagnose a mental health condition, but a growing body of research suggests the physiological data they already collect may carry meaningful signals about a person's mental wellbeing.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 10.6 % of the adult population of India suffers from some form of mental illness, with a treatment gap of over 80% in cases of common illnesses like depression and anxiety. In light of this information, wearable devices used to monitor mental health are being investigated by researchers and technologists as another means of passively gathering information from consumer devices that are already in use by many individuals for physical fitness tracking.

What these Devices Actually Measure

Wearables to track mental health are not measuring mental health indicators. Smartwatches and other wearables collect physiological parameters like heart rate variability, electrodermal activity, sleep length, quality, and movement data, none of which alone can be considered an indicator of mental state. All the studies about using wearables to monitor mental state indicate that all these devices are collecting data that indirectly shows correlation with mental health and cannot be used for diagnosing anxiety, depression, or stress.

Heart rate variability (HRV), which is defined as variations in heartbeat intervals, is one of the indicators that is used widely in these studies because it depends on autonomic nervous system functions, and there is a known correlation between HRV and stress and emotional regulation. Electrodermal activity (EDA), which reflects variations in skin conductance related to sweating, is another physiological parameter that can be used to determine stress and anxiety-related physiological arousal.

Sleep and movement data are another type of signal. It is known that changes in sleep patterns and physical activity can correlate with depression scores in some populations. Changes in sleep patterns are often signs of several mental diseases, which makes sleep monitoring a potential source of information on mental health conditions.

Why This Matters for India

There is ample evidence of India's treatment gap in mental health in government statistics. The National Mental Health reveals a treatment gap of 84.5%, indicating fewer than 16% of those with a diagnosed mental disorder received care, with a treatment gap exceeding 85% in the case of more common ailments, like depression and anxiety.

The main initiative of the Indian government in terms of using technology to address issues with mental health was the launch of the National Tele Mental Health Programme, called Tele-MANAS, in October 2022, aimed at offering free tele-counselling via a toll-free helpline operating in 20 different languages, which was then complemented by a mobile application in 2024. By late 2025, nearly 30 lakh people contacted the Tele-Manas helpline since its launch, indicating significant demand for mental health services, which current infrastructure cannot cope with.

Wearables for mental health monitoring in this context are considered a complementary solution rather than an alternative to addressing the gap in treatment. The benefit is in collecting data passively without requiring a person to seek out care or even realise he/she needs care, which is important considering the current situation when people do not receive treatment.

What the Research Shows So Far

Research using wearable sensor data for stress and anxiety detection has reported high accuracy in controlled study conditions. Models using heart rate and electrodermal activity data have achieved accuracy rates above 90% in detecting anxiety and stress states within specific study populations, and research groups, including at least one Indian technical institute, have published work on deep learning models designed specifically to improve stress detection accuracy from wearable sensor signals such as blood volume pulse.

Longer-term monitoring studies have produced some of the more clinically notable findings in this space. One study involving patients with severe mental illness who wore sensor-equipped devices for six months found that changes in sleep and electrodermal activity preceded hospitalisation in some cases, suggesting wearable data could potentially serve as an early warning signal ahead of a clinical deterioration, though this finding comes from a small number of documented cases rather than a large validated population.

Where This is Being Applied

Monitoring wellbeing at the workplace and occupation is another research domain where efforts have been made by researchers to analyse if wearables-based tools for recognising stress levels could help workers with physically or mentally challenging tasks through self-monitoring rather than any form of clinical treatment.

Combination with mental health support systems is another area of research where some research projects have connected sensor information from the wearable with a mobile app with counselling services and mental tests included in it, so that the wearable serves as one of the means among others.

Student and academic wellbeing assessment is yet another area where data from consumer wearables like step count, sleeping patterns and heart rate from commercially available consumer devices have been used to analyse if such passive information gathering could help to identify students who need extra attention.

The Real Advantages This Offers

The immediate benefit is that of continuous, passive data acquisition, which is independent of the subject being aware of his or her condition or willing to share information about it. This is an important factor because a lot of people fail to notice early symptoms of mental illnesses or refuse to get help for reasons of stigma, and passive observation does not rely on either of these factors.

The second benefit is that of scale. Since the technology in question, smartwatches and fitness bands, is already widely possessed among people who use it for their general wellbeing, any application designed for detecting mental problems could theoretically become available to a broad audience without introducing new dedicated hardware.

The third benefit, applicable to conditions characterised by relapses like severe mental diseases, is that of preventive care. The knowledge of physiological signals preceding the crisis could allow intervening at the point where the crisis hasn't developed yet but can be prevented.

The Limits That Matter Most

Consumer wearables commonly rely on proprietary, undisclosed algorithms to convert raw sensor data into stress or wellbeing scores, and research has found that these outputs do not always correlate reliably with validated clinical or psychological measures, meaning a number shown on a smartwatch screen should not be interpreted as an equivalent to a clinical assessment.

Population and setting generalisability is a second significant limitation. Existing research is heavily concentrated in high-income countries, with comparatively little conducted in India or other low- and middle-income settings, and separate research on introducing wearables in low-resource environments has found that adoption raises practical and cultural considerations, distinct from the technology's underlying accuracy, that are not addressed by studies conducted elsewhere.

A third limitation, somewhat counterintuitive, is that self-monitoring itself is not always beneficial. Research on sleep-tracking wearables specifically has found mixed evidence on whether they improve sleep outcomes, with some studies noting that certain users experience increased anxiety directly related to monitoring their own sleep data, indicating that passive tracking can, in some cases, add a new source of concern rather than only providing reassurance.

What This Means Going Forward

It is clear from the research conducted thus far that the wearable devices for mental well-being have the capability of recording physiological signals that have an established, though not direct, connection to the mental well-being of an individual. Furthermore, it is an emerging area of study in the domain of technology and clinical care.

In the specific case of India, where there is a huge gap in clinical treatment for common mental illnesses, and also where the government’s digital platform for providing support in terms of clinical information via Tele-Manas is still growing, the use of wearables may provide additional assistance without replacing existing treatment methods and will require specific validation before becoming a clinically reliable practice.

It is not the advanced nature of the devices that will determine the utility of wearables as a supportive method in the context of India’s mental well-being, but rather the development of clinically valid research and monitoring of this technology’s progress.

Novo will also use Anthropic's models to strengthen AI-driven software development across the company.

Global pharma company Novo Nordisk has partnered with Anthropic to leverage the AI giant's Claude models to scale up discovery and development of new medicines.

Under the partnership, both companies will work together on drug discovery obstacles identified by Novo's scientists and computational teams, building out purpose-built solutions for particular scientific workflows while also supporting biological reasoning.

In the initial phase, the global drug maker will test Anthropic models and Claude Science in its research and development workflows.

The companies will focus on scientific problems where they expect the combined capabilities of AI models and Novo Nordisk’s scientific expertise to provide the greatest impact.

Beyond drug discovery, Novo will also use Anthropic's models to strengthen AI-driven software development across the company.

Commenting on the partnership, Mike Doustdar, president and CEO of Novo Nordisk, said, "This partnership is another testament to our ambition to become the world’s most AI-driven healthcare company, building on Novo’s current AI initiatives with other technology partners. "Joining forces with Anthropic will supercharge our R&D organization and help us on our mission to bring new, transformative health solutions to people living with chronic diseases.”

The collaboration will include data-governance controls and human oversight intended to ensure the technology is used in accordance with the company’s ethical and compliance standards.

The partnership follows a series of AI collaborations Novo has pursued.

Earlier this year, the Danish drugmaker struck a deal with OpenAI for AI-driven drug discovery, while in August it established an AI innovation hub in London with Amazon Web Services focused on accelerating drug discovery.

Speaking on the partnership, Anthropic co-founder and CEO Dario Amodei said, "AI’s increasing capability brings with it the potential to compress a century’s worth of biological and medical breakthroughs into a decade. By giving leading researchers access to safe, capable, and trusted frontier models, we can shorten research timelines, improve outcomes, and discover medicines and treatments that significantly improve human life."

As part of the agreement, both healthcare providers will leverage their professional expertise, infrastructure, technology, and clinical capabilities to develop an integrated model of cancer care.

HCG Cancer Hospital, Colaba , and Asian Cancer Institute (ACI), Cumballa Hill Hospital have announced a strategic collaboration to strengthen access to  advanced, comprehensive, and integrated cancer care for patients across Mumbai and beyond.

As part of the agreement, both healthcare providers will leverage their professional expertise, infrastructure, technology, and clinical capabilities to develop an integrated model of cancer care.

Commenting on the latest partnership, Dr. B.S. Ajaikumar, Non-Executive Chairman, HealthCare Global Enterprises Limited, said, “At HCG, we have always believed in ‘adding life to years’ as one of our key philosophies when approaching cancer treatment. Throughout the years, we have always strived to utilize sophisticated technology and provide access to the best treatments for patients. Through this partnership, we are aiming to simplify the cancer journey for patients by reducing fragmentation between different stages of treatment and ensuring greater coordination among specialists.”

The initiative is intended to cover clinical services as well as patient navigation, coordinated care pathways, and academic and knowledge-sharing activities.

The collaboration will focus on multidisciplinary cancer treatment, tumour board-based decision-making, advanced surgical, medical and radiation oncology, precision and personalised treatment approaches, advanced diagnostics and pathology support, and improved access to specialised cancer technologies.

According to the institutions, the collaboration seeks to create a continuum of care spanning early diagnosis, multidisciplinary evaluation, surgery, medical and radiation oncology, advanced diagnostics, supportive care, rehabilitation and survivorship.

Through the agreement, the two organisations plan to establish standardised clinical pathways and multidisciplinary collaboration to improve coordination across different stages of cancer treatment.

Sharing further insights on the collaboration, Dr. Ramakant Deshpande, Executive Chairman, Asian Cancer Institute, said, “Our objective is very clear- to provide world-class comprehensive cancer treatment with the patient at the centre of everything we do. This collaboration brings together complementary strengths to create a stronger, more integrated cancer-care platform in Mumbai. We want patients to have access to the right expertise, technology, and treatment pathways in a coordinated manner, with quality and compassion as the guiding principles.”

The collaboration is also expected to progressively explore opportunities to expand cancer services, strengthen specialist networks, and introduce additional treatment capabilities while addressing the changing needs of cancer patients in Mumbai and the wider region.

Speaking on this strategic collaboration, Dr. Manish Mattoo, Executive Director and CEO, HealthCare Global Enterprises Limited said, “ Through this partnership, patients will benefit from a model where clinical expertise, technology and hospital infrastructure come together around the individual patient’s needs, rather than requiring the patient to navigate a complex healthcare system independently.”