Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and the Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE) at IIT BHU have organised a technology conclave in Varanasi to explore artificial intelligence applications in healthcare and assistive technologies.
The conclave brought together government officials, academics, healthcare professionals and startups to discuss how AI can improve healthcare accessibility, affordability and quality while promoting inclusion and citizen well-being.
AI can improve healthcare delivery
Delivering the keynote address, MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan highlighted AI’s potential to strengthen clinical decision-making and expand access to healthcare, particularly for underserved communities.
He identified disease screening, medical diagnostics, remote intensive care unit monitoring and AI-assisted surgical planning as areas where AI could improve healthcare delivery. He also stressed the importance of integrating AI education across disciplines and fostering collaboration between technology institutions, medical sciences, industry and startups.
Krishnan highlighted support available through the IndiaAI Mission and other MeitY initiatives, emphasising STPI’s role in connecting startups with investors and venture capital networks.
STPI highlights startup opportunities beyond major hubs
STPI Director General Arvind Kumar highlighted the organisation’s role in developing India’s information technology and IT-enabled services industry since 1991.
He said the country had an opportunity to replicate this success in AI through indigenous innovation and entrepreneurship. STPI’s network of 27 Centres of Entrepreneurship, industry linkages and startup support mechanisms could help translate research into market-ready products.
Kumar also stressed the need to strengthen startup ecosystems beyond established technology hubs through collaboration among government, industry and academic institutions.
IIT BHU Director Amit Patra highlighted the institute’s Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship as a platform to nurture entrepreneurial thinking among students, faculty and innovators. He emphasised connecting aspiring entrepreneurs with funding sources and building a sustainable pipeline of startups.
Discussions focus on translating research into solutions
The conclave featured two panel discussions on empowering citizens through AI in health, inclusion and well-being, and translating AI research into scalable healthcare and assistive solutions.
The first panel brought together IIT BHU researchers, pharmaceutical and biomedical engineering experts, entrepreneurs and STPI representatives to examine AI’s potential to make healthcare more accessible and inclusive.
The second panel focused on moving innovations from research to real-world applications, with participation from MeitY, Banaras Hindu University, BioNest BHU, healthcare technology startups and STPI’s MedTech Centre of Entrepreneurship at SGPGIMS, Lucknow.
The conclave reinforced the importance of collaboration between government, academia, healthcare institutions and startups in developing practical, responsible and scalable AI solutions for healthcare and assistive technology.