India AI Impact Summit Unveils Groundbreaking Healthcare Initiatives

The India AI Impact Summit 2026, hosted at Bharat Mandapam, marked a significant advancement in the nation's healthcare sector as Union Health Minister JP Nadda unveiled two transformative initiatives: SAHI and BODH. These projects aim to revolutionize AI-driven healthcare innovation across the nation.

During the summit, Catharina Boehme from the WHO praised India's leadership in digital health, noting its pioneering role as the first South-East Asian country to adopt a national AI healthcare strategy. She emphasized AI’s existing impact on screening, diagnosis, and research, and stressed the importance of transitioning from promises to tangible outcomes.

Punya Salila Srivastava, Health Secretary, highlighted India's decade-long digital health evolution, emphasizing the foundational work of the national digital health blueprint and the Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Mission. Her remarks underscored the integration of AI in public health, improving areas like tuberculosis prediction and diabetic retinopathy screening.