Affordable healthcare innovation will define Viksit Bharat 2047: Dr R A Mashelkar

Affordable, AI-driven and deep-tech healthcare innovations have the potential to transform India’s public health landscape and play a key role in achieving Viksit Bharat 2047, said Padma Vibhushan Dr Raghunath A Mashelkar, Fellow of the Royal Society and Former Director General, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), while delivering the FICCI Legends Series lecture on “Winning Through Innovation: Lessons for Industry and Society” in Mumbai.

Addressing industrialists, scientists, entrepreneurs, policymakers, healthcare innovators and members of academia, Dr Mashelkar said India’s future lies in developing healthcare technologies that combine artificial intelligence, deep science and digital innovation to make early diagnosis, preventive healthcare and treatment accessible to more people. He stated that India’s philosophy of “More from Less for More” provides a framework for creating healthcare solutions that are affordable, inclusive and scalable.

According to Dr Mashelkar, healthcare demonstrates the philosophy of “More from Less for More”, where innovation is measured by its ability to deliver healthcare outcomes at lower costs. He cited examples of Indian deep-tech innovations, including AI-powered tuberculosis detection through smartphone-based cough analysis, thermal imaging for breast cancer screening, AI-enabled maternal health monitoring, digital community health platforms and non-invasive anaemia detection, which support preventive healthcare and expand access to diagnostics in rural areas.

Dr Mashelkar said India has the opportunity to become a global leader in affordable healthcare innovation by combining scientific research with affordability and accessibility. He called for greater investment in deep-tech startups and said the next generation of entrepreneurs should focus on scientific research, artificial intelligence and technologies capable of addressing large-scale societal challenges.

He also highlighted the role of early diagnosis in reducing the healthcare burden. According to Dr Mashelkar, diseases such as tuberculosis, cancer, anaemia and high-risk pregnancies can be detected earlier through AI-enabled technologies, reducing treatment costs while improving survival rates and health outcomes. He added that India should leverage its digital public infrastructure and innovation ecosystem to build healthcare solutions capable of serving the country’s population.

Speaking on innovation-led nation building, Dr Mashelkar said India’s healthcare transformation should demonstrate that medical technologies can be made accessible through innovation.

Dr R.A. Mashelkar said, “The future of healthcare must combine affordability, accessibility, world-class quality and complete digital integration. Affordable excellence is not a contradiction, it is the future.” He added, “If cancer is detected early, treatment costs can be less than one-tenth of what they become in later stages while survival rates improve dramatically. Early diagnosis is therefore one of the greatest opportunities for innovation.” He further stated, “Innovation should not merely create better technologies; it should create a better, more equitable world by bringing affordable, high-quality healthcare to millions of people.”

R.V. Kanoria, Past President, FICCI and Chairman and Managing Director, Kanoria Chemicals & Industries Ltd., said, “The FICCI Legends Series was conceived during FICCI’s centenary as a platform to bring together visionary leaders whose ideas have transformed industries and society. There could hardly be a more appropriate personality than Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar to inspire India’s next generation of innovators.”

He added, “As FICCI enters its second century, our journey must move beyond building industrial capacity to creating intellectual and technological leadership. Dr. Mashelkar’s philosophy of ‘More from Less for More’ provides a powerful framework for innovation that is globally competitive, sustainable and inclusive.”

Ankit Mehta, Co-Chair, FICCI Drones Committee and Co-founder & CEO, ideaForge, said, “Dr. Mashelkar reminded us that the true power of technology lies not in technology itself but in its ability to serve millions of people. His philosophy of ‘More from Less for More’ inspires innovators to build population-scale technologies that are affordable, accessible and capable of transforming lives across India.”

The FICCI Legends Series brought together industry leaders, entrepreneurs, scientists, researchers, startups, policymakers and members of academia to discuss innovation-led growth. According to FICCI, the session highlighted the role of deep-tech, artificial intelligence and inclusive innovation in strengthening public healthcare and supporting India’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.