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At the India AI Summit held at Bharat Mandapam, the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare launched two key national initiatives - the Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare for India (SAHI) and the Benchmarking Open Data Platform for Health AI (BODH). Together, these initiatives seek to establish a structured, ethical, and technology-driven framework for integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into India’s healthcare ecosystem, aligning innovation with public health priorities.

Rationale: The Need for Governance in Health AI

Artificial Intelligence holds transformative potential in areas such as diagnostics, disease surveillance, medical imaging, predictive analytics, and health system management. However, its deployment raises critical concerns related to:

• Data privacy and security
• Algorithmic bias and accountability
• Clinical validation and safety
• Ethical use and regulatory oversight

In a country with diverse health challenges and socio-economic disparities, the integration of AI must be inclusive, evidence-based, and aligned with public welfare objectives. SAHI and BODH aim to address these systemic gaps.

SAHI: Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare for India

SAHI serves as a national guidance framework for the responsible adoption of AI in healthcare.

Core Objectives:

1. Safe and Ethical Deployment – Establishes principles for transparency, accountability, and fairness in AI systems.
2. Evidence-Based Validation – Emphasises scientific testing and performance benchmarking before large-scale adoption.
3. Data Stewardship and Governance – Provides direction on responsible data use, storage, and sharing.
4. Monitoring and Evaluation – Ensures continuous oversight of AI solutions in real-world settings.
5. Support to States and Institutions – Aligns AI adoption with local health priorities and public health objectives.

By offering strategic direction on governance, validation, and deployment, SAHI aims to mainstream AI within India’s health infrastructure while preventing misuse or premature adoption.

BODH: Benchmarking Open Data Platform for Health AI

Complementing SAHI, BODH is a privacy-preserving benchmarking platform developed by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur in collaboration with the National Health Authority.

Key Features:

• Enables rigorous evaluation of AI models using diverse, real-world health data.
• Operates without sharing underlying datasets, thereby preserving patient privacy.
• Functions as a digital public good under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
• Strengthens transparency and quality assurance in AI-based health solutions.

By creating a standardised benchmarking environment, BODH promotes trust and reliability in AI systems used for clinical or administrative purposes.

Significance

1. Institutionalising AI Governance – Moves beyond pilot projects to structured regulation.
2. Enhancing Trust – Ensures accountability and public confidence in AI tools.
3. Promoting Interoperability – Aligns with ABDM’s digital health ecosystem.
4. Global Competitiveness – Positions India as a responsible innovator in health AI.
5. Equity in Healthcare Delivery – Supports inclusive and evidence-based adoption across regions.