India Hosts First Dedicated Health AI Conclave Bringing Together Doctors and AI Experts

Summary:
HAI Conclave 2026, India’s first national event dedicated to healthcare and artificial intelligence, brought together doctors, researchers, policymakers, technology companies, and AI experts to explore the future of AI-enabled healthcare. Participants highlighted India’s growing potential as a global Health AI innovation hub and emphasised that AI should complement clinicians by improving diagnostics, treatment planning, and healthcare efficiency while maintaining ethical standards and patient-centred care. The conclave also marked the beginning of a broader initiative to promote responsible AI adoption through collaboration across the healthcare and technology sectors. 

India’s first dedicated national forum focused on healthcare and artificial intelligence, HAI Conclave 2026, opened in Bengaluru on Friday, bringing together doctors, AI specialists, healthcare professionals, researchers, policymakers, technology companies, and innovators to discuss the future of AI-enabled healthcare.

Hosted by Global Healthcare Academy under the theme “Building Future-Ready Health Ecosystems,” the two-day event examined how AI can make healthcare faster, safer, more affordable, and more accessible while keeping patients at the centre of medical decision-making.

The conclave attracted participation from organisations such as Google, Philips, Roche, Siemens Healthineers, IBM, and Tech Mahindra, along with leading clinicians, healthcare institutions, researchers, and startups.

Speakers highlighted India’s potential to become a global leader in Health AI, citing its large healthcare network, expanding digital health ecosystem, and strong medical talent base. They stressed the importance of building AI solutions that are affordable, scalable, and suited to the needs of millions of patients.

A recurring theme throughout the discussions was that AI should assist doctors rather than replace them. Participants noted that AI can contribute to early disease detection, advanced diagnostics, drug discovery, personalised treatment, and hospital efficiency, but human expertise, clinical judgement, and compassion remain essential in patient care.

The conclave also emphasised collaboration between medical professionals and technology developers to ensure that AI systems are clinically relevant, transparent, ethical, and focused on improving patient outcomes.

Scientific sessions covered five key areas: drug discovery, preventive medicine, health informatics, diagnostics, and treatment. Discussions explored applications such as precision medicine, early disease prediction, clinical decision-support tools, and remote healthcare services.

Among the speakers, Dr. B. S. Ajaikumar, Executive Chairman of Global Healthcare Academy, said AI has the potential to make healthcare more precise, accessible, and efficient, but its true value lies in strengthening clinical decision-making through a combination of medical expertise, technology, and ethical responsibility.

Other speakers included Dr. Bhagavan B C of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Dr. B. L. Sujatha Rathod from the Directorate of Medical Education, Government of Karnataka, and Dr. Manish Mattoo, CEO of HealthCare Global Enterprises Ltd.. They highlighted the need to prepare healthcare professionals for an AI-driven future and integrate technology responsibly into healthcare systems.

The event featured keynote addresses, scientific presentations, panel discussions, startup showcases, and networking sessions designed to encourage collaboration between clinicians and AI innovators. Industry representatives from companies including Philips, United Imaging, Intuitive, and Roche Diagnostics discussed the growing role of AI in medical imaging, diagnostics, surgical precision, healthcare operations, and early disease detection.

Experts also stressed that AI-powered healthcare systems must prioritise security, transparency, interoperability, and patient safety to gain long-term trust and adoption.

According to the organisers, HAI Conclave 2026 marks the beginning of a broader national effort to promote responsible AI adoption in healthcare. By bringing together doctors, researchers, startups, technology companies, investors, and policymakers, the platform aims to accelerate innovations that make healthcare smarter, more inclusive, and more accessible.

As artificial intelligence continues to reshape medicine, the conclave positioned India as an emerging centre for responsible healthcare innovation, where technology and human expertise work together to improve patient outcomes.