NEW DELHI: AI-driven tools can accelerate drug discovery, shorten research timelines, and make research processes more cost-effective, thereby strengthening affordable healthcare delivery, said Union Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda on Tuesday.
“AI does not operate in isolation, but thrives on strong digital infrastructure and high-quality data,” said Nadda as he launched two pioneering digital health initiatives - SAHI (Secure AI for Health Initiative) and BODH (Benchmarking Open Data Platform for Health AI) during the ongoing India AI Impact Summit 2026.
The launch marks a significant milestone in advancing safe, ethical, and evidence-based deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in India’s healthcare ecosystem, he said.
He underlined the transformative potential of AI in pharmaceuticals and life sciences. Nadda said that India recognised it early and began laying its digital foundations nearly a decade ago.
In 2015, the government launched the Digital India programme to transform India into a digitally empowered society, he said.
“Interoperable systems have been enabled across platforms, and large-scale, consent-based health data frameworks are being developed to empower citizens while ensuring data privacy and security,” he said.