India Must Leverage Digital Data Infrastructure to Build AI Solutions, Says NHA CEO

Barnwal also emphasised the importance of creating Indian datasets to enable AI solutions that can predict diseases in the Indian context.

National Health Authority (NHA) CEO Dr Sunil Kumar Barnwal has highlighted how artificial intelligence can be used to strengthen India’s healthcare infrastructure, stating that the country must focus on leveraging its digital data infrastructure to build AI solutions.

Speaking on a recent event, Banwal said, “We all know the way AI will change healthcare delivery. It will change the way the patient gets treatment, the way doctors perform the clinical case, and improve the capacity of the health profession and the workdays,” Barnwal said, adding that much of the non-clinical work can be handled by AI.

“Similarly, we are looking at AI as a big opportunity for building the capacity of frontline health workers, and ASHA workers can actually segregate a chronic patient from a normal patient. They can ensure and make sure of some kind of early detection of a severe disease which may be likely to have,” he added.

Barnwal also emphasised the importance of creating Indian datasets to enable AI solutions that can predict diseases in the Indian context.

Dr Rajesh Ranjan, Head of the Department of Epidemiology at the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, said, “India stands at the cusp of an AI-driven healthcare transformation. AI is no longer a choice but a necessity, empowering clinicians, expanding access, and enabling predictive care. With strong digital public infrastructure and ethical use, India can lead the world in human-centric, equitable healthcare.”

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