Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh has said that the careful and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence has the potential to greatly strengthen India’s healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors. Speaking at the CII Pharma & Life Sciences Summit 2025 on Friday, he underlined that India’s scientific progress is increasingly being shaped through strong collaboration between government and industry.
The Minister said that one of the major changes under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership has been a more proactive engagement between the government and industry, creating what he described as a whole-of-government and whole-of-industry approach.
Dr. Singh noted that AI has become essential in areas such as diagnostics, drug discovery and healthcare delivery. He stressed that technology must remain human-centric and said the key challenge is integrating AI into a hybrid model that preserves human empathy while improving efficiency.
He highlighted advances in healthcare where AI-based diagnostic tools are cutting down testing times from days to minutes. Telemedicine projects supported by AI are also helping deliver consultations in local languages, expanding access to medical care in remote areas.
The Minister pointed to India’s growing capabilities in biotechnology, gene therapy and vaccine development. He said several initiatives of the Department of Biotechnology are being implemented with private-sector collaboration to develop indigenous solutions, including synthetic antibiotics, DNA and HPV vaccines, and bio-manufacturing technologies.
Referring to the government’s broader research agenda, Dr. Singh invited industry leaders to make use of the ₹1 lakh crore R&D fund announced earlier this year. He said the fund marks a shift in India’s innovation landscape, as private companies are being financed directly for deep-tech research across health, agriculture and other sectors.
Dr. Singh also noted India’s move from being an importer of curative healthcare to becoming an exporter of preventive healthcare, supported by growing global demand for Indian vaccines, biosimilars and affordable medical devices.
He urged industry stakeholders to view themselves as partners in national development and to identify new areas for collaboration. He said science, medicine and technology now form an integrated ecosystem and called for a collective effort to shape the future of global healthcare.
