India one of the top AI-ready healthcare market in Asia-Pacific, says Bain & Co report

India stands out as one of the most AI-ready healthcare markets in Asia-Pacific with 78% of consumers using GenAI to better understand diagnoses and treatment options, says Bain & Company’s 2026 Asia-Pacific Front Line of Healthcare Report.

While 73% use GenAI to prepare for appointments, 72% leverage it to navigate the healthcare system in India, it said.

The report, based on surveys of 6,300 consumers across nine Asia-Pacific markets and 600 doctors in the region, says consumers across Asia-Pacific are increasingly taking a proactive role in managing their health while expecting more convenience, responsiveness and coordination from the healthcare system. The expectations are even more pronounced in India, it says.

According to the report, nearly nine in ten (i.e. 88%) consumers expect more convenient healthcare experiences, 79% expect phone and messaging accessibility from doctors, and 93% want a single point of coordination across their healthcare journey.

The report notes that healthcare affordability and access remain key challenges in India, with high costs (43%), long wait times at care sites (42%) and delays in securing appointments (30%) emerging as the leading consumer pain points. It says that fragmentation compounds the burden, with more than 45% of consumers reporting difficulties navigating the healthcare system, and 62% citing they often need to consult multiple providers before receiving the right diagnosis or treatment plan, contributing to the strong demand for a more coordinated healthcare experience.

The report points out that demands are rising in parallel with 88% Indian consumers expecting greater convenience, 86% seeking the highest-quality provider, and nearly 80% expect doctors to be responsive via phone or messaging. While nearly 93% prefer a single touchpoint to manage care, a truly coordinated healthcare experience remains elusive, it notes.

“Indians are increasingly taking charge of their wellbeing. With 89% being interested in prioritising prevention and lifestyle changes, and nearly half reporting higher spending on nutrition supplements and fitness, we are seeing a clear shift towards proactive health management. There is an increasing use of GenAI to understand diagnoses and treatment pathways, and rising expectations around convenience and coordination” says Dhruv Sukhrani, Head of Bain & Company’s India Healthcare & Life Sciences practice said.

“The opportunity for healthcare providers is not simply to digitize interactions, but to redesign care around the consumer. Organizations that successfully combine trusted clinical relationships with AI-enabled experiences and seamless care coordination will be best positioned to earn long-term consumer trust and drive better health outcomes" he added.

The report suggests that the next phase of healthcare transformation will depend less on technology adoption alone and more on the ability of providers to deliver coordinated, consumer-centric care experiences at scale.

The 2026 Asia-Pacific Front Line of Healthcare Report surveyed consumers in Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam, as well as doctors in Australia and the Philippines.