Laboratory of the World is the new goal set by Union Minister Anupriya Patel for India’s healthcare and pharmaceutical sector.
Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilisers Anupriya Patel addressed the third edition of the IIMA Healthcare Summit 2026. The event took place at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. The theme of the summit was “Advancing AI in Healthcare”. She stated that India must move beyond its current identity. India is widely known as the Pharmacy of the World. Now the country needs to emerge as the Laboratory of the World. This change will be driven by research, innovation and emerging technologies.
India has built a strong position in the global supply of medicines. The Minister said this strength is important. However, the next step is to lead in research and development. Becoming the Laboratory of the World means creating new medicines, new medical technologies and new solutions through original work. She explained that research and innovation will help India grow further in the pharma and med-tech sectors. Emerging technologies will play a key role in this journey. The focus is on building capability inside the country rather than only manufacturing existing products.
The Minister highlighted the strong potential of artificial intelligence in healthcare. She said AI can speed up the process of finding new drugs. It can also support personalised treatment plans for patients. AI can improve healthcare delivery in several ways. It can help in better screening of diseases. It can assist doctors in clinical decision-making. It can also strengthen disease surveillance systems across the country. These uses of AI can make healthcare faster and more accurate.
Anupriya Patel stressed that the use of AI must remain safe. It must be responsible. It must stay focused on people. Strong safeguards are needed to protect patient privacy. She clearly stated that AI must support human clinical judgement. It should not replace the judgement of doctors and medical staff. The technology should work as a helpful tool alongside trained professionals.
The Minister called for closer work between different groups. Government, universities, hospitals, startups and industry need to join hands. The aim is to move beyond small pilot projects. The goal is to take successful ideas to large-scale use for the whole population. This kind of teamwork will help turn research results into real benefits for patients across India.
Centres of Excellence for AI in healthcare have already been set up. These centres are located at AIIMS New Delhi, PGIMER Chandigarh and AIIMS Rishikesh. These centres will support research, testing and practical use of artificial intelligence tools in medical settings. They form an important part of the plan to build India’s strength in health technology.
The Minister also spoke about the government’s Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma-MedTech Sector scheme. The scheme is known as PRIP. It has a budget of 5000 crore rupees. The scheme aims to strengthen research work. It supports closer links between industry and academic institutions. It is designed to help India shift towards growth that is led by innovation.
People in India can expect more focus on research-based medicines and medical tools in the coming years. The push for AI in healthcare may lead to faster detection of illnesses and more tailored treatment options. Patients should continue to follow advice from qualified doctors. New technologies will work together with human care, not in place of it. The Centres of Excellence and the PRIP scheme show the government’s effort to build long-term capacity in health research and innovation. Laboratory of the World remains the clear direction set by Anupriya Patel. Through research, safe use of AI, stronger collaboration and dedicated funding, India aims to take this next step in healthcare and pharmaceuticals. The announcements made at the IIMA Healthcare Summit 2026 outline the path forward for the sector.
