The AI Imperative: Preparing Indian Medicine for Transformation - Dr Raju Vaishya

The future of medicine is arriving faster than the classrooms, hospitals and institutions that must prepare for it. Artificial intelligence (AI) is moving from technological possibility into the everyday realities of healthcare; shaping diagnosis, clinical decision-making, research and medical education. The defining question is no longer whether AI will transform medicine, but whether India will be ready to guide that transformation responsibly, equitably and at scale.

That urgency framed the National Consultation on AI Readiness for Healthcare, Education & Research, held on 16 August 2026 at Eros Hotel, New Delhi. Organised under the National Medical AI Mission (NMAIM) and Medical Dialogues, the consultation brought together the medical ecosystem to address the knowledge, infrastructure and ethical frameworks required for an AI-enabled future. It came at a moment when India’s digital health foundations are stronger than ever, yet the gap between technological capability and institutional readiness remains wide.

India has already laid critical groundwork. The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) has created one of the world’s largest digital health infrastructures, with hundreds of millions of Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts and interoperable systems that enable consent-based data exchange. E-Sanjeevani has delivered hundreds of millions of teleconsultations, many supported by clinical decision support tools. The India AI Mission, with an outlay of over ₹10,000 crore, is building compute capacity, foundation models and datasets. In February 2026, the union Health minister launched the Strategy for AI in Healthcare for India (SAHI) and the Benchmarking Open Data Platform for Health AI (BODH), establishing a national framework for safe, ethical and evidence-based adoption. More recently, a knowledge paper on AI in MedTech, released in August 2026, identified diagnostics as the first large-scale application with the potential to extend specialist expertise to primary and secondary care and reduce inequities in access.

Yet technology alone does not create readiness. The real constraint lies in human capital and institutional capacity. India’s medical colleges, hospitals and research institutions must equip doctors, educators and administrators with the literacy to evaluate, deploy and govern AI tools. Without this, the country risks a two-tier system in which advanced algorithms remain confined to well-resourced urban centres while the majority of the population continues to face shortages of specialists and diagnostic delays.

At the centre of the national consultation was Dr Prem Aggarwal, Chairman of Medical Dialogues and President of NMAIM, whose leadership has placed AI literacy for healthcare professionals firmly on the national agenda. Joined by Ms Meghna Singhania for the opening welcome address, the platform convened healthcare leaders, medical educators, researchers, policymakers, hospital administrators and practising professionals in a focused conversation on readiness. The strength of the consultation lay in the breadth of its faculty and contributors. Vice-chancellors, deans, professors, medical administrators, digital-learning experts and technology leaders from institutions across India shared the stage. Among them were Prof Dr V N Mahalakshmi, Dr B Srinivas, Prof Dr Rajeev Sood, Prof Dr Ajai Singh, Dr Chinmay Shah, Dr MK Daga and others, alongside trainers Dr JJ Rayapudi and Dr Avneesh Khare.

Discussions ranged widely yet purposefully: AI readiness in medical education, institutional digital infrastructure, digital learning environments, governance and responsible AI adoption. Dedicated sessions examined the digital competencies of undergraduate and postgraduate students, while parallel conversations focused on faculty digital competency, teaching innovation and academic leadership. This emphasis on faculty is critical. AI-ready medical education cannot be delivered by technology alone. Teachers themselves must understand the strengths and limitations of emerging tools, recognise algorithmic bias, and integrate AI into teaching, assessment and clinical supervision. The consultation’s AI Literacy Bootcamp therefore addressed the entire educational continuum; from students and faculty to institutional leadership.

India’s medical education system is already responding. The National Board of Examinations (NBE) in Medical Sciences has launched free online programmes on AI in medical education that have attracted tens of thousands of postgraduate trainees and faculty. The National Medical Commission (NMC) is exploring the integration of AI literacy into the Competency-Based Medical Education curriculum and foundation courses. Centres of Excellence at AIIMS Delhi, PGIMER Chandigarh and AIIMS Rishikesh are advancing AI applications in imaging, decision support and research. These efforts reflect a growing recognition that every Indian doctor, whether in a tertiary hospital or a district health centre, will soon work alongside AI systems.

The presentations moved beyond discussion to collective commitment through the proposed Delhi Declaration on AI Readiness in Healthcare, Medical Education & Research, and recognised excellence through the Peacock Medical Education Excellence Awards. These steps signal that the medical profession is prepared to own the transition rather than merely respond to it.

India’s opportunity is immense. With its clinical diversity, large and growing digital health infrastructure, software talent and policy momentum, the country is well positioned to become a global leader in responsible, scalable AI for health. Success, however, will not be measured by the sophistication of algorithms or the volume of pilots. It will be measured by whether AI helps doctors make better decisions under pressure, institutions educate professionals who can use technology wisely, and patients; especially those in underserved regions—receive more accurate, timely and equitable care.

The message from this national consultation is clear and timely. India’s medical profession cannot merely watch the AI revolution unfold. It must acquire the skills, establish the safeguards, strengthen the educational foundations and actively shape the future of medicine. The work of readiness begins now.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are of the author and not of Medical Dialogues. The Editorial/Content team of Medical Dialogues has not contributed to the writing/editing/packaging of this article.