MeitY-NASSCOM CoE teams up with startups to boost healthcare with AI, IoT

The initiative focuses on improving diagnostics, reducing costs, and bridging the rural-urban healthcare divide, aligning with NDHM goals

The MeitY-NASSCOM Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) is joining forces with a wide range of partners, such as startups, corporate organizations, and healthcare providers, to develop solutions that address key healthcare challenges across India. These efforts focus on improving diagnostics, reducing costs, and addressing the rural-urban divide in healthcare access. This initiative aligns with the Indian government's National Digital Health Mission (NDHM), which aims to create a digitally integrated healthcare ecosystem across the country.

The MeitY-NASSCOM CoE is a nationwide program designed to accelerate technological innovation. By fostering the development of AI, IoT, data science, machine learning, and robotics, the CoE supports the creation of practical applications in diverse fields like smart manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, and urban infrastructure. Through these technologies, the CoE is advancing solutions that make medical care more affordable and accessible. One such initiative is the development of AI-powered diagnostic tools that can help detect diseases at an early stage. Periwinkle, a startup supported by the CoE, has created an AI-based tool for cervical cancer screening, particularly aimed at rural populations where healthcare resources are limited. Additionally, the CoE is developing portable, low-cost diagnostic devices for glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness in India.

Sanjeev Malhotra, CEO of the MeitY-NASSCOM CoE, highlighted the potential of AI and IoT to transform India's healthcare landscape. “The real impact comes from applying these technologies to solve real-world healthcare delivery challenges,” Malhotra said. He emphasized the importance of making healthcare services more effective and equitable across the country, focusing on accessibility in underserved regions.

The CoE is also partnering with global healthcare giants such as Siemens Healthineers and AstraZeneca. These collaborations aim to integrate AI into imaging technologies and create AI-driven solutions for managing chronic diseases like diabetes and heart conditions. Malhotra noted that these partnerships allow Indian startups to benefit from international expertise, thus enhancing their ability to develop scalable, impactful solutions.

To support the growing demand for skilled professionals in AI and IoT, the CoE has trained over 50,000 individuals through its Future Skills initiative. Addressing the skills gap in emerging technologies is essential for keeping India at the forefront of innovation.

A major priority for the CoE is bridging the rural-urban healthcare gap. It is focused on developing AI-driven diagnostic tools for rural areas, reducing the need for patients to travel long distances for specialized care. These efforts complement the NDHM’s vision of creating a digital health infrastructure nationwide.

The CoE also provides mentorship, funding, and industry connections to help startups move from prototype to market-ready products. Looking ahead, the Centre plans to expand its efforts, focusing on innovations like remote patient monitoring and predictive analytics to further revolutionize healthcare delivery across India.