What happened: responsible AI in healthcare linked with pharma innovation
Union Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare and Chemicals & Fertilizers, Anupriya Patel, called for India to move from being the “Pharmacy of the World” to becoming a “Laboratory of the World”. She argued for faster progress through research, innovation, and emerging technologies, with responsible AI in healthcare as a key lever.
COVID-19 contribution cited as a capability base
At the third edition of the IIMA Healthcare Summit 2026 on “Advancing AI in Healthcare”, the Minister cited India’s COVID-19 performance to underline existing manufacturing and public health delivery capacity. She said the Indian pharmaceutical industry ensured uninterrupted supplies of vaccines and essential medical products to more than 200 countries. She also said India’s vaccination programme administered over 2.2 billion doses.
AI in healthcare: stated uses and the requirement of responsibility
Anupriya Patel described AI’s potential in multiple healthcare areas: Drug discovery (accelerating the search for new medicines).Personalised treatments (supporting care tailored to patient needs).Screening and clinical decision-making (supporting earlier detection and medical choices).Disease surveillance (improving detection and monitoring of diseases).