Domestic pharma industry deploying AI for drug discovery: MoS Health Anupriya Patel
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Domestic drugmakers are increasingly deploying artificial intelligence to accelerate drug discovery, as India seeks to move beyond its identity as the pharmacy of the world and emerge as a laboratory of the world, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel said.
Speaking at the IIMA Healthcare Summit on artificial intelligence in healthcare, Patel said the technology could help address the country’s healthcare challenges while supporting the ambition of building a healthy and developed India.
“There is a lot of work which is being done by the pharmaceutical industry in utilising AI for accelerating drug discoveries so that we transition from being a pharmacy of the world to the laboratory of the world,” Patel said.
Her remarks point to the expanding role of AI in the domestic pharmaceutical sector, where companies are looking at the technology to shorten early stages of drug development and improve the identification of potential compounds. The focus, Patel indicated, is not restricted to research laboratories, with AI also being integrated into healthcare delivery systems.
The minister also launched the India Pharma Archives at the summit in Ahmedabad. It is the first publicly accessible digital platformcapturing 125 years of Indian pharma history.
AI use extends to healthcare delivery
Patel cited government backed AI initiatives including Madhya Pradesh based eye screening tool MadhuNetrAI, along with the national telemedicine network eSanjeevani, as examples of technology being used in the health system.
“AI tools are being used in the healthcare sector as well,” she said, adding that these initiatives were “doing very well.”
The government has also identified and designated three tertiary healthcare institutions as centres of excellence (AIIMS Delhi, PGIMER Chandigarh, and AIIMS Rishikesh), she said.
The opportunity, however, will depend on collaboration between industry, healthcare providers, academic institutions and the government, Patel said. She called for a national AI ecosystem that could bring together these stakeholders and support applications ranging from drug discovery to access to care.
“Overall, it is all the key stakeholders who need to collaborate, to create a national AI ecosystem,” Patel said.
India faces multiple healthcare challenges, including the need to improve access across a large and diverse population. AI tools can support this effort by enabling remote consultations, assisting diagnosis and potentially making the drug development process more efficient, according to Patel.
The summit, hosted by IIMA’s alumni special interest group, its Centre for Healthcare Services and the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, focused on the role of artificial intelligence in healthcare. Patel said the discussion was timely as the country weighs how technology can strengthen both its pharmaceutical capabilities and healthcare delivery network.