India is emerging as a global frontrunner in the transformation of healthcare — with hospitals increasingly driven by artificial intelligence, cloud-based systems and data analytics. At the recent industry gathering organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Tamil Nadu, medical and tech leaders met to explore what a genuinely “digital hospital” looks like.
Putting people first
“The hallmark of a true digital hospital is that people are at the heart of it — whether they are patients or staff. You connect them digitally and base every decision on data,” explained Dr Ilankumaran Kaliamoorthy, CII Tamil Nadu MedClave Chair and CEO of Apollo Hospitals (Chennai region).
Hospitals across India are embracing tools such as end-to-end digital patient flows and AI-enhanced diagnostics to boost access and operational efficiency.
As CA Ashokan (CIO at Apollo Hospitals) put it: “We emphasise augmented intelligence — improving access, enhancing clinician productivity and linking data to care. We’re also invested in evidence-based operations and a secure, scalable architecture.”
Entrepreneur Dr Sameer Mehta (CEO of Mehta Hospitals) pointed out that the digital healthcare industry in India now employs over 1.2 million people. “India could build global scale healthcare models at about one-tenth the cost of what the rest of the world uses — we might not just follow, but lead,” he stated.
Trust and human connection remain essential
Despite the tech surge, the longstanding foundation of health care — patient trust — remains critical. Dr T Palaniappan (Chairman, Medway Group of Hospitals) stressed that digital systems cannot replace the bond created by human relationships. “Even in the era of digital marketing, word-of-mouth and patient belief in your brand matter most,” he remarked.
As hospitals shift to digital records, automate workflows and manage large volumes of patient data, safeguarding privacy and security becomes more urgent than ever.
Cloud, data lakes and infrastructure
Cloud adoption is rapidly reshaping how healthcare is delivered across India — both in major and smaller hospitals. According to Seema Ambastha (CEO of L&T Cloudfiniti), “We must integrate EMR, billing, imaging and other data under proper patient consent and regulation. Creating data lakes is crucial so that hospitals can run AI effectively and safely.”
The conversation among experts emphasised that digital healthcare transformation is not just about installing EMRs or AI tools — it’s about orchestrating people, policies, data and infrastructure into a unified ecosystem.
Policy backing and uneven readiness
Policy initiatives are helping accelerate the transformation. For example, the telemedicine guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, with input from the Telemedicine Society of India, have made teleconsultations more accessible and legally clearer.
However, experts caution that simply enabling digital tools isn’t enough — the availability of standardised, high-quality data remains a key challenge. As Dr Parthiban Srinivasan of Vinayaka Mission’s Research Foundation observed: “India’s strength is in rapid clinical adoption and a growing national AI foundation, but maturity is still uneven across regions and institutions.”
Start-ups and innovation need to align with clinical needs
Start-ups are playing an increasingly important role in India’s digital health landscape — but there’s concern that many are innovating in isolation. According to Sharmila Devadoss (MD of MedIoTek Health Systems): “Technology must be built with input from doctors, nurses and hospital administrators. Real innovation requires understanding genuine clinical needs.”