ICMR-NIRDHDS Invites Institutions to Host Consultations for National AI Strategy for Health

ICMR-NIRDHDS announced that the application window to host individual consultations at the institutions is open until December 8, 2025, while the sessions are scheduled from December 10, 2025, to January 10, 2026.

ICMR-NIRDHDS has opened applications for institutions across the country to host consultations to shape India's first National AI Strategy for Health and create a collaborative platform to inform a responsible and people-centred AI roadmap for the health sector.

The Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute for Research in Digital Health and Data Science (ICMR-NIRDHDS) invites institutions across the country to engage in a series of partner consultations that will help develop India's forthcoming National AI Strategy for Health.

The discussions are being positioned as a key step in co-creating a responsible, ethical and people-centered AI roadmap for the health sector, with technical support from the World Health Organization South-East Asia Region and institutional backing from the Koita Centre for Digital Health at Ashoka University.

India is currently developing its first comprehensive National AI Strategy for Health- a policy blueprint that will guide the adoption and governance of artificial intelligence across healthcare.

ICMR-NIRDHDS announced that the application window to host individual consultations at the institutions is open until December 8, 2025, while the sessions are scheduled from December 10, 2025, to January 10, 2026.

Partner consultations will bring together public health specialists, technologists, academic researchers, civil society groups, health-care providers, industry representatives, and multilateral organisations.

The aim is to provide a forum where complex issues across AI innovation, equity, data governance, and system readiness can be identified and discussed in a collaborative and solution-oriented approach.

Eligible hosts include academic institutions, government bodies, public health organisations, industry groups, think tanks, professional associations, and any institution working in health, AI, digital innovation, or health systems strengthening.

ICMR-NIRDHDS is one of the 26 permanent institutes of the Indian Council of Medical Research, which was renamed in 2024 to reflect a broadened mandate on digital health and data science.

Originally set up in 1977 as the Institute for Research in Medical Statistics (IRMS), it grew into the National Institute for Research in Medical Statistics (NIMS) in 2005 before becoming NIRDHDS.

The transition corresponded with its growing role in medical digital health, biomedical and behavioral research, disease surveillance, epidemiology, nutrition studies, and reproductive and child health research.

The institute today provides analytical and digital health support across disease surveillance systems, clinical trials, vaccine research, and national health programs.

Providing a platform for nationwide consultations on the National AI Strategy for Health, ICMR-NIRDHDS will anchor India’s AI future in evidence, collaboration, and equity, ensuring that artificial intelligence strengthens health systems.

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