Addressing the third edition of the IIMA Healthcare Summit 2026 on the theme “Advancing AI in Healthcare,” Union Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare and Chemicals & Fertilizers, Smt. Anupriya Patel, stated that India must move beyond being the “Pharmacy of the World” to become the “Laboratory of the World,” powered by research, innovation, and emerging technologies.
Speaking at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), the Minister highlighted the country’s historic contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic, supplying vaccines and essential medical supplies to over 200 countries while administering over 2.2 billion domestic doses. Turning to emerging technologies, she emphasized that artificial intelligence (AI) has immense potential to accelerate drug discovery, personalize treatment, and optimize healthcare delivery. However, she stressed that AI adoption must remain human-centered, safe, and privacy-compliant—complementing rather than replacing human clinical judgment.
The Minister outlined key national initiatives supporting this vision, including the ₹5,000 crore PRIP (Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma-MedTech Sector) Scheme, the ₹10,000 crore Biopharma SHAKTI mission, and the establishment of AI Centres of Excellence at AIIMS New Delhi, PGIMER Chandigarh, and AIIMS Rishikesh.
Shri Manoj Joshi, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, discussed how Indian startups are utilizing AI to shorten drug discovery timelines and announced that the Government is working to provide financial support to eligible startups for software licensing and operational costs. Smt. Punya SalilaSrivastava, Secretary, Department of Health & Family Welfare, highlighted digital health integration through the AyushmanBharat Digital Mission (ABDM), noting that over 96 crore ABHA IDs and 1,000 crore health records have been linked to date.
During the summit, the India Pharma Archives—a digital living archive developed by the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) and IIMA Archives—and a book documenting India’s COVID-19 vaccine journey were officially unveiled .
Written by: Pragna Biswas
Graphics by: Pramit Hazra
