Ranjan Pai on the disruptive forces of tech, innovation, and AI to democratise healthcare

 The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of telemedicine across the country. Teleconsultation platforms report significant growth, with consultations increasing by over 500 percent during the pandemic. The Ministry of Health’s eSanjeevani platform has crossed over 130 million consultations as of 2024, showing that teleconsultation is here to stay.

With the rollout of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), India is aiming to create a unified digital health ecosystem. Blockchain ensures tamper-proof storage and exchange of health records, enhancing patient autonomy and reducing duplication of diagnostics.

Robotics and automation, especially in urban hospitals, are reducing human error and enabling minimally invasive procedures. In 2023 alone, over 12,000 robotic-assisted surgeries were conducted in India. Leading health care providers are investing significantly in these technologies to improve surgical outcomes and reduce recovery times.

Bringing Quality Care to Patients’ Doorsteps

Out-of-hospital care is seeing exponential growth due to rising chronic diseases, an ageing population, and patient preference for home-based recovery.

Home health care services now range from post-surgical care to physiotherapy and at-home intensive care set-ups. According to RedSeer, India’s home health care market is expected to reach $11 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 20 percent. Health care providers across India are expanding their home care services to meet this growing demand.

Connected devices now allow real-time health monitoring. Tools like glucometers, ECG patches, and portable oxygen monitors are connecting patients to physicians 24/7. These innovations are particularly valuable for managing chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease, enabling early intervention before complications arise.

In India Hospital-at-home (HaH) set-ups include full-time virtual nursing support, mobile diagnostics, and in-person emergency intervention teams. Initial results show 30-40 percent cost savings compared to traditional inpatient care, with equivalent or better clinical outcomes.

The focus is also shifting from treatment to prevention, with technology enabling early detection and predictive analytics. The wearable market in India is projected to grow to $2.3 billion by 2025. These smart devices are not only tracking fitness but also detecting arrhythmias, oxygen levels, and stress. Health care institutions are exploring how these tools can be integrated with health insurance to offer dynamic premium benefits.

Disease management platforms use AI to analyse dietary patterns and vitals to offer personalised health coaching and alerts for potential lifestyle-related conditions like Type 2 diabetes or hypertension. These preventive approaches help reduce the burden on tertiary care facilities while improving patient outcomes.

Also read: Is India's healthcare industry ready for the 'longevity' disruption? Deepak Saini weighs in

Senior Citizen Living, and Ageing Well

India’s elderly population is expected to reach 194 million by 2031, creating an urgent need for age-appropriate living solutions. This demographic shift presents both challenges and opportunities for our health care ecosystem.

Gated senior communities with medical support, safety infrastructure, and social activities are growing in metro and tier-2 cities. These communities offer independent yet medically equipped living spaces, addressing the needs of an increasingly aging population with changing family structures.

These communities integrate periodic health checks, mental wellness programmes, and emergency response systems. The demand for such models is expected to rise by 30 percent annually as more seniors seek environments that balance independence with safety and care.

Beyond physical infrastructure, successful senior living models prioritise mental wellness through structured activities, learning opportunities, and social connection. Research consistently shows such engagement significantly reduces cognitive decline and enhances quality of life among older adults.

Assisted Living and Palliative Care

Assisted living goes a step further than senior housing, offering day-to-day support for seniors with functional limitations or chronic illnesses while preserving their autonomy and dignity.

Urban nuclear families and increasing life expectancy are driving demand for assisted living facilities that offer a mix of independence and support. This trend reflects broader societal changes and the need for specialised care solutions that traditional hospitals cannot provide.

Facilities now combine technology and human support—like real-time nurse alert systems, fall detection sensors, and online access to medical history. The Indian assisted living market is still under-penetrated but is expected to grow at a CAGR of 25 percent over the next five years.

Policy frameworks for elder care under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act (MWPSC) are being updated to include quality standards for assisted living services. There’s also increasing collaboration with state governments on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models to make these services more accessible.

Palliative care, though still a taboo subject in many parts of India, is gradually gaining recognition as an essential component of the health care continuum. India has over 7 million people in need of palliative care annually, yet less than 2 percent have access to formal services, according to the World Health Organization. With rising cancer and chronic disease burden, this gap needs urgent addressing.

Innovative health care providers are developing scalable models for community-based palliative care that integrate volunteers and telehealth. Some organisations offer home-based palliative care to terminal patients, integrating social work and mental health counselling as essential components of comprehensive care.

As we move forward, let us envision an Indian health care ecosystem characterised by four transformative shifts: From illness to wellness, from standardised treatment to personalised care, from episodic interventions to continuous engagement, and from fragmented systems to integrated delivery. However, the measure of progress will not be defined by technology alone, but by our ability to ensure these advancements are inclusive, affordable, and equitable—reaching citizens across economic and geographic divides. Innovation must serve as a bridge, not a boundary.

India’s health care future will be shaped by a triad: Demographic evolution, digital disruption, and regulatory foresight. The challenge now lies in ensuring that these innovations are accessible, affordable, and equitable, so that the health of a billion-plus people is not just treated but transformed.