~Anupriya Patel at IIMA Healthcare Summit 2026 called for collaboration to build a responsible AI ecosystem for pharma and healthcare and launched the Indian Pharma Archives.
Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Aug 22 (VNI): Union Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare and Chemicals & Fertilisers Anupriya Patel on Saturday called for stronger collaboration among the government, healthcare institutions, academia, technology companies and startups to build a responsible and inclusive artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled healthcare ecosystem in India.
Speaking at the 3rd edition of the IIMA Healthcare Summit 2026 at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), Patel said AI could act as a “force multiplier” in achieving universal healthcare coverage, particularly in a country with a vast population and geographical diversity. She stressed the need for safe and responsible adoption of AI to improve screening, clinical decision support, disease surveillance, risk prediction, remote monitoring and personalised patient care.
Patel highlighted government initiatives including the Rs. 5,000-crore Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma-MedTech Sector (PRIP) scheme and the National Biopharma Mission. She said these initiatives aim to strengthen collaboration between institutions and industry and help India move from cost-based generic manufacturing towards innovation-led growth. She called for India to progress from being the “Pharmacy of the World” to becoming the “Laboratory of the World” by building AI capabilities on digital platforms such as the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.
Calling for a national AI ecosystem, Patel said stakeholders must collaborate throughout the AI lifecycle, from identifying healthcare challenges and developing solutions to implementation, monitoring and scaling. She emphasised that India’s AI-enabled healthcare system should be innovative as well as responsible, advanced as well as inclusive, and technology-driven while remaining firmly aligned with healthcare priorities.
During the summit, Patel also launched the Indian Pharma Archives portal, a digital public archive documenting more than 125 years of India’s pharmaceutical journey. Developed by IIMA Archives under the leadership of Prof. Chinmay Tumbe with support from the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA), the archive brings together oral histories, photographs, publications, archival records, milestone events and multimedia resources.
She also released the book “From Labs to Jabs”, documenting India’s COVID-19 vaccine development and the country’s scientific, pharmaceutical and institutional response to the global health crisis. The book has been co-authored by IIMA professors Rajesh Chandwani and Ranjan Kumar Ghosh along with Vinita Sindhwani Satija.
IIMA Director Professor Bharat Bhasker said AI and data analytics would play a crucial role in meeting the growing demand for healthcare, with advanced technologies offering opportunities for improved diagnostics, personalised treatment and enhanced patient care. IIMA Board of Governors Chairperson and Zydus Lifesciences Chairperson Pankaj Patel also stressed the importance of ethical AI adoption, research capabilities, digital infrastructure and collaboration across the healthcare ecosystem.
The day-long summit featured discussions on AI policy imperatives for India@2047, the transformation of diagnostics, pharmaceuticals and care delivery, healthcare talent and leadership, governance, ethics and equitable access. A fireside chat involving IPA President and Zydus Lifesciences Managing Director Sharvil Patel and Metropolis Healthcare Executive Chairperson Ameera Shah focused on building AI-ready healthcare organisations.
The summit, organised by IIMA’s Centre for Management of Health Services and Alumni & External Relations Office in collaboration with the IIMA Healthcare Alumni Special Interest Group and IPA, brought together more than 500 industry leaders, researchers, innovators and healthcare professionals. The event also featured a startups showcase highlighting emerging healthcare ventures working on AI-based solutions for India’s healthcare challenges. VNI NEWS, Anupriya Patel, IIMA Healthcare Summit 2026, AI in healthcare, AI in pharma, Indian healthcare, Indian Pharma Archives, healthcare AI India
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