IIMA Healthcare Summit 2026: Anupriya Patel Calls for Collaboration to Advance AI in Pharma and Healthcare

Bilkul online | 24 Aug 2026

Ahmedabad

Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals & Fertilisers Anupriya Patel has called for greater collaboration among government, industry, academia, technology companies and startups to accelerate the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in India’s pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors.

Addressing the third edition of the IIMA Healthcare Summit 2026 at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), Patel said India’s pharmaceutical industry must move beyond its position as the “Pharmacy of the World” and aspire to become the “Laboratory of the World”.

The summit, organised by IIMA’s Centre for Management of Health Services (CMHS) and Alumni & External Relations Office in collaboration with the IIMA Healthcare Alumni Special Interest Group (ASIG) and the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA), focused on the theme ‘Advancing AI in Healthcare’ and brought together more than 500 industry leaders, healthcare professionals, researchers and innovators.

Patel said AI could act as a force multiplier in healthcare management and delivery, particularly given India’s large population and geographical diversity. She highlighted its potential to help doctors, scientists and researchers process large volumes of information and support timely treatment, including in remote areas.

At the same time, she stressed the need for safe and responsible AI adoption in healthcare.

Referring to government initiatives including the Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma-MedTech Sector (PRIP) scheme, with a financial outlay of ₹5,000 crore, and the National Biopharma Mission, Patel said such programmes were aimed at strengthening collaboration between institutions and industry and encouraging India’s transition from cost-based generic manufacturing towards innovation-led growth.

She said AI capabilities could be built on digital platforms such as the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission to improve screening, clinical decision support, disease surveillance, risk prediction, remote monitoring and personalised follow-up.

Calling for a national AI ecosystem, Patel said all stakeholders must collaborate across the AI lifecycle — from identifying problems and developing solutions to implementation, monitoring outcomes and scaling successful applications — to help achieve universal health coverage.

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 the IIM Ahmedabad Archives under the leadership of Chinmay Tumbe and supported by the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, the archive brings together oral histories, photographs, publications, archival records, milestone events and multimedia resources.

She also released ‘From Labs to Jabs’, a book documenting India’s COVID-19 vaccine development. The book has been co-authored by Rajesh Chandwani, Ranjan Kumar Ghosh and Vinita Sindhwani Satija.

IIMA Director Bharat Bhasker said AI and data analytics would play a crucial role in transforming healthcare, with applications ranging from improved diagnostics and personalised treatment to enhanced patient care. He also highlighted the work of IIMA’s Centre for Management of Health Services in healthcare research and public-policy thought leadership.

Pankaj Patel, Chairperson of the IIMA Board of Governors and Chairperson of Zydus Lifesciences, said the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors were at an important intersection of innovation and responsibility. He stressed the importance of building research capabilities, harnessing India’s digital ecosystem, ensuring ethical practices and promoting equitable access to healthcare technologies.

The summit also featured addresses by Punya Srivastava, Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare; Manoj Joshi, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals; Amit Karna, Dean, Alumni & External Relations, IIMA; and Manish Gupta, Founder and Chairman, Indegene.

Two panel discussions examined the policy imperatives for AI in Indian healthcare and how AI is reshaping diagnostics, pharmaceuticals and healthcare delivery. Discussions covered healthcare-system architecture, governance and ethics, adoption economics, talent and leadership, equitable access and India’s role in the global healthcare landscape.

A fireside chat featuring Sharvil Patel, President, IPA and Managing Director, Zydus Lifesciences, and Ameera Shah, Executive Chairperson, Metropolis Healthcare, explored the theme ‘Leading AI-ready Healthcare Organisations’.

The summit concluded with remarks and a vote of thanks by Sudarshan Jain, Secretary General, Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance.

The event also featured a Startups Showcase, highlighting healthcare startups working at the AI frontier to address some of India’s pressing healthcare challenges.