AI can widen healthcare access for underserved communities, says MeitY Secretary S Krishnan
Speaking at an STPI and IIT BHU conclave in Varanasi, the IT ministry's top official pointed to screening, diagnostics and remote ICU monitoring as uses India should build on.
Key points
- MeitY Secretary S Krishnan said AI can make healthcare more accessible and affordable.
- He cited disease screening, diagnostics and remote ICU monitoring as key uses.
- STPI chief Arvind Kumar called for startup hubs beyond the big tech cities.
Artificial intelligence could help India close some of the gaps in its healthcare system, particularly for people far from hospitals and specialists, the IT ministry’s top official said at a technology conclave in Varanasi.
S Krishnan, Secretary in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), gave the keynote at the Tech Conclave on “AI for Health and Assistive Technologies”, organised by the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) with the Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship at IIT BHU. Policymakers, academics, doctors and startup founders attended.
“Artificial intelligence can play an important role in making healthcare more accessible,” Krishnan said, “particularly for communities with limited access to healthcare services.”
He said AI could improve access, affordability and quality of care, and listed disease screening, medical diagnostics, remote monitoring of intensive care patients and AI-assisted planning of surgery as areas where it could help. He urged AI education across disciplines and called for closer work between IIT BHU, STPI, industry and startups. He also pointed to support available to young companies under the IndiaAI Mission.
Arvind Kumar, Director General of STPI, said India’s startup ecosystem had helped young innovators become job creators. He stressed translational research, protecting intellectual property and getting products to market, and said STPI’s network of 27 Centres of Entrepreneurship should help build startup clusters beyond the major tech hubs.
The remarks come as MeitY prepares its first consultation paper on regulating AI. Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on 8 October that it would be released within a month, with a focus on safety and on harms from deepfakes.