How AI is enhancing medical diagnosis and aiding doctors in India – Healthcare News

In clinics, hospitals, and health tech labs across India, artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer just a future promise, it’s already at work. From spotting tiny retinal changes to alerting clinicians to strokes in progress, AI is steadily becoming  a diagnostic partner to doctors in both high-tech hospitals and low-resource settings.

India’s AI-based medical diagnostics market is valued at $12.87 million in 2024 and is expected to leap to $44.87 million by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 23.1%, according to Research and Markets. But beyond the numbers, AI is reshaping the flow of care – reducing diagnostic delays, improving accuracy, and helping address a chronic shortage of specialists.

Beyond automation

India’s healthcare providers are increasingly integrating AI tools not as replacements, but as collaborators. “We are actively integrating AI tools across multiple domains, from medical documentation and disease prediction to image interpretation and treatment planning,” says Dr Sangita Reddy, joint managing director of Apollo Hospitals. “These systems enhance consultation workflows, assist in oncologic and cardiovascular profiling, and even support robotic surgery through real-time decision assistance.”

Through a partnership with Siemens Healthineers, Apollo is co-developing AI-powered tools for early detection and risk stratification in liver disease. The Enhanced Connected Care platform uses AI to continuously monitor in-patients and alert clinical teams to early signs of deterioration. This vision is echoed by Rishubh Gupta, managing director, Roche Diagnostics India and Neighbouring Markets.

“AI is the answer to how healthcare can provide quality care to all patients even when their numbers far exceed those of available healthcare professionals,” says Gupta. He added that today, automated digital pathology algorithms support pathologists in making fast and accurate patient diagnoses, such as for breast cancer. “However, AI remains expensive and requires an ultra-specialised talent pool, which is in short supply globally,” he adds.

Diagnostic window

Among the most impactful use cases of AI is in ophthalmology, where retinal imaging offers a powerful view into both ocular and systemic health.

Remidio Innovative Solutions, a Bengaluru-based startup, has developed MediosHI AI, the only CDSCO-approved AI system in India capable of detecting diabetic retinopathy (DR), glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) from retinal images, even in low-resource and remote environments.

High-resolution retinal images are captured, often without the need 

for pupil dilation, and analysed on-device. The AI then classifies cases as “referable” or “non-referable” and generates a heatmap-based report for clinician review. In trials, it showed 92-100% sensitivity and 87-92.6% specificity for DR detection, and similar accuracy for glaucoma.

“We see our AI as a screening ally, not a diagnostic authority,” says Dr Shonraj Ballae Ganesh Rao, head of clinical research at Remidio. “Our goal now is to use the retina to screen for chronic conditions like cardiovascular and kidney disease at scale.”

Speed, precision & scale

From radiology to gastroenterology, AI’s advantage lies in speed and precision. Apollo estimates that AI-assisted documentation alone saves 2-3 hours per clinician daily.

“Our clinical decision intelligence engine helps reduce time to diagnosis by surfacing relevant insights instantly,” Dr Reddy explains. “It’s already assisting in identifying next best actions for complex liver disease cases and early-stage fibrosis,” she adds.

Interestingly, patients may not always realise that AI is involved in their care. “We don’t overtly position AI in patient interactions,” Dr Reddy says. “But as outcomes improve and diagnoses become more precise, trust builds organically. All data remains securely within our system.”

Metropolis Healthcare is also leveraging AI for efficiency and accuracy. “From early disease detection to optimising treatment protocols, AI’s integration is enhancing precision, speed, and accessibility,” says Dr Kirti Chadha, chief scientific and innovation officer. “Our ‘AI Verified – Expert Opinion for Prostate Biopsy’ prioritises critical histopathology cases. Our AI-driven Karyotyping platform interprets complex chromosomal patterns with improved accuracy and reduced turnaround time. And we’re pioneering AI-assisted allergy diagnostics.”

Still, Dr Chadha stresses caution. “While AI offers immense potential, it’s not a silver bullet. Data privacy, robust validation, and the risk of misinterpretation must be addressed. AI should complement, not replace, expert judgement.”

And while AI’s adoption is expanding well beyond specialist domains and tools like ChatGPT can provide preliminary medical guidance, experts believe final diagnoses must always be made by qualified healthcare professionals.

Dr Manisha Arora, director, internal medicine at CK Birla Hospital, Delhi, says there is a need for robust regulatory frameworks to ensure that AI tools are safe, effective, transparent, and explainable to healthcare professionals. “Regular evaluation, monitoring, and protection against cyber threats are essential to ensure that AI systems continue to benefit rather than compromise healthcare delivery,” she adds.

Rural reach

While AI is turbocharging urban hospitals with robotic surgery and real-time analytics, it may prove even more transformative in rural India. Apollo’s 24/7 platform delivers AI-enabled triage, tele-mentoring, and virtual care in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Remidio’s portable retinal screening devices empower frontline health workers in primary health centres and mobile units.

Bengaluru startup Sigtuple offers AI-based digital pathology for remote blood analysis, while Apollo Radiology International deploys AI tools to detect tuberculosis and lung cancer in high-burden regions. Wadhwani AI collaborates with AIIMS and state governments on mobile screening tools for eye, skin, and respiratory diseases.

Experts agree that AI will increasingly act as a co-pilot in healthcare, not just detecting disease, but predicting and preventing it. “AI can create personalised treatment regimens, optimise medication dosages, and even assist in surgeries,” says Dr Arora, adding: “But we must ensure regulatory safeguards, data protection, and ongoing evaluation to maintain trust.”

For startups like Remidio, navigating regulatory environments, building clinician trust, and ensuring explainability of AI tools are top priorities. “Trust comes from transparency and performance in real-world conditions,” Dr Rao notes.

For a country balancing overburdened hospitals with under-resourced clinics, AI is quickly moving from optional innovation to essential infrastructure. With each scan and each early flag, India’s healthcare system is learning to trust its newest assistant, one that works tirelessly, thinks in milliseconds, and never needs a lunch break.

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