India has taken a significant step toward regulated and responsible use of artificial intelligence in healthcare. Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda launched two national initiatives — SAHI and BODH — at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

The initiatives aim to create a structured governance and evaluation framework to guide how AI systems are developed, tested, and deployed across the healthcare ecosystem.

SAHI: A Governance Framework for Health AI

SAHI (Secure AI for Health Initiative) has been introduced as a national roadmap to regulate the lifecycle of AI tools in hospitals, public health programmes, pharmaceutical research, and digital health platforms.

The framework focuses on:

• Governance standards

• Data stewardship principles

• Validation benchmarks

• Ongoing monitoring mechanisms

The minister emphasized that SAHI is not merely a technology policy but a governance architecture designed to ensure AI remains ethical, transparent, accountable, and patient-centric.

He clarified that AI must assist healthcare professionals rather than replace them, reinforcing the importance of human oversight in clinical settings.

BODH: A National Testing and Validation Platform

Alongside SAHI, the government introduced BODH (Benchmarking Open Data Platform for Health AI), developed by Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur in collaboration with the National Health Authority.

BODH serves as a structured evaluation platform designed to test AI models using anonymised, real-world health datasets before large-scale deployment. The system assesses:

• Model performance

• Robustness and reliability

• Bias and fairness

• Generalisability across diverse populations

Importantly, the platform evaluates models without transferring or exposing underlying patient data, reinforcing privacy protections.

Global Recognition and National Vision

Dr Catharina Boehme from the World Health Organization’s South-East Asia Regional Office acknowledged India’s leadership in adopting a national AI strategy for health, noting that innovation must strengthen systems, expand access, and build public trust.

The minister connected the initiative to India’s broader digital transformation journey. He highlighted that the Digital India programme laid foundational digital infrastructure, while the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission created an interoperable digital public architecture for healthcare.

According to the ministry, AI systems depend heavily on strong digital infrastructure and high-quality datasets. Consent-based data frameworks are being developed to empower citizens while ensuring privacy and security.

AI’s Role in Pharmaceuticals and Research

The Health Minister also underscored AI’s potential in pharmaceutical innovation and clinical research. AI-driven systems can accelerate drug discovery, reduce research timelines, enhance trial precision, and lower development costs — ultimately contributing to affordable healthcare delivery.

Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava described SAHI as a long-term policy commitment that aligns the Centre, states, and private sector partners under a unified framework. She emphasized that trust, safety, and accountability must remain central to India’s health AI journey.

A Structured Path for Responsible Scaling

With the launch of SAHI and BODH, India has established a national mechanism for governance, evaluation, and responsible scaling of AI in healthcare.

As digital public infrastructure continues to expand, these initiatives aim to ensure that AI adoption in health services is scientifically validated, ethically governed, and aligned with public interest.

The move signals India’s intent to combine technological advancement with strong regulatory oversight, positioning healthcare AI within a framework of transparency, accountability, and national readiness.