J P Nadda releases Knowledge Paper on ‘AI in MedTech: Revolutionizing  Healthcare Through Artificial Intelligence’ 

Union Minister of Chemicals & Fertilizers and Health & Family  Welfare J P Nadda, released a knowledge paper on “AI in MedTech: Revolutionizing  Healthcare Through Artificial Intelligence” at the 9th Edition of India Medical Device  2026, organised by the Department of Pharmaceuticals in association with FICCI, at Vigyan  Bhawan, New Delhi. The report highlights the growing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the  healthcare sector, from creating new opportunities to addressing emerging challenges.

Jointly developed by Praxis Global Alliance, in association with FICCI, the knowledge paper  examines India’s evolving AI-enabled MedTech landscape and outlines the strategic actions  needed to accelerate responsible AI adoption across healthcare. It explores AI’s role in  diagnostics, clinical decision support, operational efficiency and medical device innovation,  while identifying the regulatory, policy and ecosystem interventions required to enable large scale adoption. The report while noting that India has already built important foundations  through the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), the IndiaAI Mission, SAHI, BODH and the  National Medical Devices Policy, 2023, observes that moving AI solutions from successful pilots  to large-scale clinical adoption is a major challenge.

The report notes that this transition requires addressing fragmented health data and limited  evidence, developing predictable lifecycle-based regulation for adaptive AI, and creating  supportive reimbursement and procurement mechanisms. It says, India also has a unique  opportunity to leverage its software capabilities, digital public infrastructure, clinical diversity  and growing MedTech manufacturing base to become a global leader in the responsible  development, manufacturing and deployment of AI-enabled medical technologies.

Manoj Joshi, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals; Dr M Srinivas, Member, NITI  Aayog; Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research & Director General, ICMR;  Punya Salila Srivastava, Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare; Amardeep  Singh Bhatia, Secretary, Department of Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT); Sunil Kumar Barnwal, CEO, National Health Authority; Anant Swarup, Secretary General,  FICCI; and senior government officials, industry leaders and stakeholders from the MedTech  sector were present on the occasion.

Key insights from the knowledge paper 

The report highlights five priorities for accelerating AI-enabled MedTech adoption in India:

•MedTech represents India’s most immediate and scalable AI opportunity, enabling specialist  expertise to be embedded directly into medical devices and expanding access to quality  healthcare

•India has the foundations for AI leadership, but not yet the ecosystem for scale. While digital  infrastructure, innovation and clinician acceptance have advanced rapidly, AI adoption remains  constrained by fragmented data, evolving regulation and limited reimbursement pathways

•India must move beyond successful pilots to routine clinical adoption by addressing three  ecosystem gaps: AI-ready data and evidence, lifecycle-based regulation, and procurement and  reimbursement mechanisms that recognise AI-enabled value

•AI-enabled diagnostics are expected to be the first large-scale application, helping extend  specialist expertise to primary and secondary care, improve productivity and reduce inequities  in healthcare access

•Coordinated action across government, regulators, healthcare providers, payers, industry and  academia will be essential to position India as a global leader in responsible AI-enabled  MedTech