CII Annual Business Summit: Red tape shouldn’t become barrier to progress in healthcare: Nadda

Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Thursday said transformation in the healthcare sector would not happen overnight and it required a strategy to build systems that would serve future generations.

Speaking at the CII Annual Business Summit-2025, Nadda called for a more humane, responsive and time-bound regulatory environment, especially in the functioning of key bodies.

“While we must uphold the highest standards of quality and safety, we must also avoid unnecessary delays. Red tape must not become a barrier to timely progress,” he remarked.

The minister further emphasised the pivotal role of the private sector in driving India’s healthcare. He also urged the private sector to innovate in AI and tech-based innovations for enabling mass screenings and telemedicine in India throughout the healthcare ecosystem.

“Public-private partnerships can be instrumental in ensuring that early detection and preventive healthcare reach every corner of the country,” he added.

Stating that India’s health policy had transformed from a curative approach to preventive and palliative approach, Nadda said: “We never had a holistic health approach. We had a health policy in 1997, and no subsequent policy for many years. In 2017, we started working for 2050. Today, we have a preventive, palliative, curative and geriatric healthcare system.”

The minister added that India had taken a major step in preventive healthcare through Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, which serve as the first point of contact between citizens and the health system.

India’s rise as a hub for pharmaceuticals and medical devices was spotlighted, with the minister citing India’s ability to meet global demand — especially during the COVID-19 pandemic — as evidence of its growing stature. “We moved from being dependent to becoming dependable,” he stated.

Nadda also invited private players to develop technologies for the government’s screening programme and telemedicine.

CII president Sanjiv Puri said India was laying the groundwork for a personalised healthcare ecosystem through the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, which enables longitudinal health records and interoperability.

Coupled with advancements in AI, economics, and wearable tech, the country is well-positioned to go beyond conventional models towards data-driven, individualised care, he added.