As the world becomes increasingly connected, and as technology and the internet permeates all the aspects of our life including healthcare, a fundamental shift is occurring. The ability to influence is shifting slowly to the individual. Never before in our history had so much information, decision making ability, technology and the ability to make an individual voice and opinion heard, been so pronounced. As we move towards an era of intelligent machines, embedded technology and artificial intelligence, healthcare will fundamentally shift in the way it is being delivered, received and managed. India remains a market of many nuances with the largest population in need of healthcare, it is also potentially the largest market for smartphones and data in the coming years. India is a market where any good or service can be offered at a wide continuum of price and quality. Thus within this giant marketplace called ‘India’, there are many smaller markets. Healthcare sits right at the center of a huge inflection driven by need, regulation, technology and innovation.
This report attempts to set out the current reality of digital health adoption in India and the steps being taken across the healthcare delivery chain. We still have a long way to go in creating a string of disruptive innovation before we take it global, but nevertheless we have made great strides in trying to address issues of access, cost and quality in healthcare while keeping in view the enormous market that India itself is that needs to be serviced in the most efficient fashion.
This report was released at the CII WR Healthcare Conclave 2017 held on 23 August 2017 at Mumbai.