“PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE” is a known fact and the Nasscom-Kantar report cites how AI is revolutionising Indian healthcare and enabling it. There is an urgent need in India to reduce cost of healthcare as studies estimate around 55–63million Indians are pushed into poverty each year due to medical expenses. In India, over 65% of total health spending is paid out-of-pocket by patients, resulting in millions of families facing financial hardship. Early detection of diseases saves costs and lives of humans and many studies have demonstrated that globally:
▪ 2025 study published in the National Library Of Medicine reveals that early diagnosis of functional motor disorders (FMDs) reduced direct costs by 67%, from an average of €4,467 to €1,461, and hospitalization costs fell from €2,618 to €492.
▪ “Project Baby Bear significantly shortened the time needed to accurately diagnose and optimally treat these critically ill children,” Stephen Kingsmore, MD, DSc, President and CEO of RCIGM, said in a statement. As a result, California saved $2.5 million in healthcare spending. The economic cost, including direct andindirect costs, of delayed diagnosis in 7 rare diseases is between $86,000 and $517,000 per person. Across all diseases, a timelier diagnosis reduces the economic burden.
▪ As per the recent NHS, UK report publishedin Jan 2025, rapid cancer registration data shows that 120,958 of the 206,038 common cancers (58.7%) diagnosed between September 2023 and August 2024 were identified at an early stage. DameCally Palmer, National Cancer Director for NHS England, said: “Lives are saved when cancers are caught early”.
Technology is rapidly transforming the Indian healthcare ecosystem to meet this need of
enabling earlier disease detection, expanding early access to medical services, and improving efficiency. In this article I plan to cover key areas of innovation enabling this transformation. I have categorised them into two groups based on existing and emerging capabilities:
- Digital Health Platforms (Telemedicine, E-pharmacies, Maintaining Electronic Records)
- AI/ML diagnostics, Wearable devices, Mobile Screening Units, Data Analytics and many more.
Digital Health Platforms
▪ Digital Health platforms are comprehensive online systems that use digital technologies to improve healthcare delivery. They integrate various health services, data management and patient engagement tools to deliver services.
▪ Digital health platforms such as teleconsultation apps, e-pharmacies, and electronic health records connects patients with providers, suppliers and health records, eliminating time consuming processes and providing early access to treatment, data and medicines.
Telemedicine, Robots & Kiosks
Telemedicine in particular has emerged as a game-changer, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. India’s flagship telemedicine service eSanjeevani (a government free teleconsultation platform) has provided over 276 million online consultations to date, with nearly 300,000 consultations occurring daily through video / voice calls, remote monitoring of vitals & sharing medical data.
Robots or Smart kiosks are being setup in remote villages, where patients can get vitals checked (blood pressure, blood sugar via connected devices) and consult a doctor through video. These micro-centers extend specialist access at low cost and catch health issues early
This massive uptake illustrates how digital platforms are bridging geographical gaps in care. A
government review of telemedicine notes that one of the major advantages is cost savings for rural patients, who no longer need to travel long distances for routine consultations, thereby reducing travel expenses and lost wages. Telemedicine also enables timely access to care, which can prevent disease from worsening.
E-Pharmacies
E-pharmacies have the potential to lower healthcare costs by offering medicines at lower prices compared to traditionalpharmacies, due to:
- Reduced infrastructure and operational costs like rent, electricity etc.,
- Enabling access to alternative brands or generic medicines
- Efficient supply chains andinventory management
- Reduced transaction cost bystreamlining the transactions
As per the TechSciResearch “India E-Pharmacy Market – By Region, Forecast & Opportunities, 2030F” India E Pharmacy Market was valued at $394.09 million in 2024 and is anticipated to grow to $801.34 million by 2030 with a CAGR of 12.62% during forecast period. The India E-Pharmacy market has witnessed significant growth in recent years, propelled by increasing internet penetration, smartphone usage, and a shift towards digital healthcare solutions.
Electronic Health Records
Electronic Health Records (EHRs) is gaining momentum because of the initiatives like National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) launched in 2020. NDHM aims to provide everyIndian citizen with a unique health ID and access to their health records. Electronic health records can be accessedby doctors from anywhere improving speed of diagnosis.
They help patients in at least two ways:
- To receive correct treatment as soon as possible as this will reduce the need for fresh diagnostics which might have been done in absence of the health records.
- To receive medical assistance virtually if the patient is in remote areas.
As per Grand View Research, India electronic health records market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.1% from 2024 to 2030. It generated a revenue of USD 616.9 million in 2023 and is expected to reach USD 1,066.1 million by 2030.
Conclusion
Digital health innovation in India has accelerated in the past five years, boosted by supportive policies and a thriving startup sector. India now hosts over 10,000 health-tech startups, which raised $9 billion+ in funding till 2024. The government’s Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) is also laying digital infrastructure (e.g. uniqueHealth IDs and telehealth networks) to integrate these innovations at scale.
In this article, we covered few of the technologies which arereducing the cost of medical treatment in India. More technologies which can be used to reducethe cost of medical treatment by early diagnosis will be covered in our next article. Stay tuned in …
References
- https://allhealthtech.com/nasscom-kantar-report-on-indian-healthcare-market/
- https://onehealthtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Healthcare-in-India-needs-urgent-injection-of-funds.pdf
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39532797/
- https://www.insideprecisionmedicine.com/news-and-features/rady-childrens-helps-californias-project-baby-bear-improve-outcomes-save-2-5m/
- https://everylifefoundation.org/delayed-diagnosis-study/
- https://www.england.nhs.uk/2025/01/early-cancer-diagnosis-in-england-reaches-highest-ever-level/
- https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lansea/article/PIIS2772-3682(24)00130-6/fulltext
- https://www.techsciresearch.com/news/21028-india-e-pharmacy-market.html
- https://www.grandviewresearch.com/horizon/outlook/electronic-health-records-market/india
- https://community.nasscom.in/communities/healthtech-and-life-sciences/healthcare-india-transforming-through-innovation
Amrutha Valli
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amrutha-valli/
