Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called on Indian AI startups to aggressively focus on healthcare innovations, emphasizing AI’s potential for affordable, inclusive, and preventive care. During a high-level roundtable on January 8, 2026, he described AI entrepreneurs as “co-architects of India’s future” and highlighted the sector’s role in diagnostics, medical research, and clinical support—ahead of the India AI Impact Summit 2026.
Glimpse:
In a roundtable with 12 selected AI startups (including those in healthcare diagnostics), PM Modi stressed ethical, unbiased, and transparent models promoting local languages and content. He urged global leadership through “Made in India” AI, with healthcare as a key area for large-scale impact. Startups showcased solutions in multilingual LLMs, engineering simulations, and healthcare observing India’s rising stature as a global AI hub.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has issued a strong call to Indian AI startups to prioritize healthcare innovations, positioning artificial intelligence as a transformative force for accessible and preventive medicine. Speaking at a roundtable meeting on January 8, 2026, at his residence, PM Modi interacted with founders from 12 India-based AI startups shortlisted under the Foundation Model Pillar of the upcoming India AI Impact Summit 2026.
The startups Avataar, BharatGen, Fractal, Gan, Genloop, Gnani, Intellihealth, Sarvam, Shodh AI, Soket AI, Tech Mahindra, and Zenteiq presented diverse innovations spanning healthcare diagnostics, multilingual large language models (LLMs), engineering simulations, material research, generative AI for content creation, and advanced analytics.
PM Modi described the entrepreneurs as “co-architects of India’s future”, noting the country’s unique strength in combining cutting-edge innovation with massive real-world implementation. He urged them to develop ethical, unbiased, transparent AI models rooted in data privacy, promoting local/indigenous content and regional languages.
A key emphasis was on healthcare: PM Modi encouraged aggressive focus here, viewing AI as an enabler for affordable, inclusive, and preventive care addressing diagnostics, medical research, clinical decision support, and extending quality services to tier-2/3 cities and rural areas.
Startups commended India’s supportive ecosystem, highlighting rapid growth and a shifting global center of gravity toward Indian AI innovation and deployment. They expressed optimism about sustaining momentum amid stabilizing worldwide healthcare demand.
This roundtable precedes the India AI Impact Summit 2026 (February), where these firms will showcase under the “AI for ALL: Global Impact Challenge.” It underscores the government’s push for indigenous AI leadership “Made in India, Made for the World” with healthcare as a priority for societal transformation.
The interaction signals heightened policy-industry alignment, building on initiatives like the IndiaAI Mission and Centres of Excellence to harness AI for public good.
“AI can drive large-scale transformation Indian AI models should be distinct, promoting local content and languages while ensuring ethical, unbiased, and transparent development.”
By
HB Team
