India’s Health-Tech Revolution: Scientists Pioneer Affordable, AI-Driven And Non-Invasive Medical Innovations

By Surabhi Gupta

New Delhi: India's health technology research is clearly shifting away from luxury innovation to data-led democratization of health care. India’s health research agenda over the next decade is focused on low-cost, AI-directed, non-invasive, and medical technologies that can be widely accessible by the poor. Indian researchers are developing new medical technologies for the lower 70% using robotics for ultrasound systems, saliva-based diagnostic biomarkers and portable anaemia detectors. There have been six innovations, ranging from robots to natural molecules.

AIIMS–IIT Delhi Robotic Ultrasound System: Precision Without Proximity

In India, the doctor-to-population ratio is 1 to 1541, far below the WHO ratio of 1 to 1000. This is exacerbated by the shortage of doctors in rural areas where diagnostic imaging is limited. To address this, researchers at AIIMS and IIT Delhi have created a robotic ultrasound system, India's first such AI-guided device, capable of providing high-quality, remotely monitored scans while safely replicating clinical accuracy of over 90% in vascular access with a decreased complication rate of up to 15% compared to existing imaging.

The system learns from the deep learning-based tele-operated automation with AI and replicates repeatable, systematic movements of scanning by an expert radiologist in real-time. The device utilizes deep learning techniques to enhance image quality, including autonomous correction of position errors and adjustments in scanning angles. In the future, these developments can bring about a 70% decrease in diagnostic imaging time in remote rural settings.

In AIIMS, Delhi, the trial studies of human-based ultrasound images demonstrated a 93% accuracy compared to several existing imaging rotary devices globally. Its translational potential is vast: scaled deployment could support over 4.5 crore ultrasound screenings annually across India’s primary and community health centres.

“Our aim is not to replace doctors but to extend their reach to places they can’t physically go,” said the project team, emphasizing the design’s adaptability for telemedicine and emergency triage in disaster-hit regions.

From Forests to Pharma: Cancer-Fighting Molecules From Indian Trees

At the other end of the innovation spectrum, researchers at Dr D. Y. Patil Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, Pune, have uncovered a promising lead in natural oncology drug discovery.

Their study isolated four new cytotoxic triterpenoids from the bark of Dysoxylum malabaricum, an Indian tree long used in traditional medicine. Using LC-MS-based dereplication and bioassay-guided fractionation, the team identified compounds that showed strong cytotoxicity against breast cancer cells, particularly at the G0/G1 phase, where they inhibit the CDC20 and CDC25 enzymes responsible for cell cycle progression.

Among the four, Compound 3 exhibited the highest potency, 30–40% stronger than reference drugs in vitro.

The researchers say this discovery could lay the foundation for a new generation of phytochemical-based chemotherapy agents. If commercialized under India’s proposed “Pharma-from-Nature” program, these molecules could boost the nation’s phytochemical drug exports by nearly $250 million annually.

“We’re showing that India’s biodiversity isn’t just ecological wealth, it’s pharmaceutical capital,” lead scientist Nivedita Bhardwaj told ETV Bharat.

The compounds also serve as scaffolds for further chemical optimization, with the potential to expand India’s footprint in the global natural therapeutics market.

Smart Support For Mobility: Rehabilitation Redefined

Mobility aids, when offered to patients, can mean the difference between dignity and dependence for patients struggling with neuro-musculoskeletal impairments (such as the aftermath of stroke recovery or spinal cord injuries). Researchers from IIT Bombay and NITK Surathkal have created an innovative assistive technology that provides a support system with a responding to natural (bio-inspired) movement, which has 3-DOF (degree of freedom).

Instead of being a passive system like a traditional static exoskeleton, the present mechanism offered 1-DOF for the trunk movement support system and 3-DOF for limb coordination movement dynamics to achieve a steady posture with a synchronous muscle activity pattern/distribution when achieving the gait training goal.

In simulation trials, gait performance improved by over 50% as measured through gait symmetry and relationships to the muscle fatigue the individual endured while advancing their gait to goal achievement, compared to what was done while receiving steady assistive support from care, with reduced caregiver efforts.

In a very short time to create, the presented assistive mobility technology was made with locally procured material/modular components that offer a cost-efficient alternative based on exoskeleton technology currently obtained internationally, while reducing the cost of acquisition by at least 60–70%.

“We wanted to build something that works in Indian physiotherapy setups, accessible, adaptable, and affordable,” said Subodh Kumar Suman, one of the project’s lead engineers.

With the charge of India’s ageing population anticipated to surpass 200 million by 2035, these advancements could transform rehabilitation and mobility care for geriatric patients.

A Saliva-Based Vitamin D Test: Simple, Scalable, And Sustainable

Vitamin D deficiency is a significant nutrition-related issue in India, with around 70% of the demographic exhibiting deficiency. However, Vitamin D deficiency remains difficult to diagnose, as the gold standard requires a blood sample followed by laboratory analysis, which presents a substantial barrier to mass screening.

At Saveetha Dental College in Chennai, Dr Sandra Sagar and her team of researchers have created a novel Vitamin D test that leverages saliva for screening, thus eliminating an invasive sampling process entirely. Through the use of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique (ELISA), they were able to show moderate agreement (R² = 0.87) between salivary and serum Vitamin D levels.

This indicates that saliva can be developed as a reliable biomarker for the monitoring and assessment of health and metabolism in relation to immune health.

"We wanted to pair the oral and systemic diagnostic; your saliva can tell you a lot more than just about your dental health," Dr Sagar offered as an explanation.

The convenience of saliva-based testing allows for swift implementation into community screening, such as at schools, dental practices, or rural camps.

Offering the test with portable kits could offer rapid screening at a cost one-tenth or less than existing blood-based diagnostic tests.

This is an additional way of fostering India's priorities for sustainable, noninvasive preventive health care, especially based on the government's priority on digital and decentralized health missions.

Anaemia Detection Without Blood Draws

Anaemia is present among more than 50 per cent of women and 66 per cent of children in India, but challenging to screen for due to its requirement for a blood draw for laboratory-based reporting on condition status. Researchers at Sree Siddhartha Medical College in Tumakuru and JSS Medical College in Mysuru discovered a novel solution: portable, needle-free anaemia screening mechanism.

The system utilizes optical sensors coupled with reflectance spectroscopy methodology to calculate an individual's amount of haemoglobin concentration through their skin with an accuracy of more than 85 per cent to laboratory-based values.

Each tiered, easy-to-use device costs approximately ₹1 lakh, but can screen 10,000 individuals each year and is perfect for Anganwadi centres, school health programs, and Primary Health Centres.

“We designed it for frontline workers; it’s handheld, hygienic, and requires no lab infrastructure,” said Dr Priya S. A., one of the study’s authors.

With proper integration under the Anaemia Mukt Bharat initiative, this innovation could become a national tool for early screening and maternal health monitoring.

Contact Lenses That Medicate While You See

In another corner of the ESTIC showcase, pharmacy researchers presented a futuristic, yet practical, vision for ophthalmic care.

At L. M. College of Pharmacy, scientists have devised a dual-strategy contact lens that uses Vitamin E and Tween 80to extend drug release time by up to 12 hours, nearly three times longer than conventional lenses.

This ensures continuous delivery of therapeutic agents for conditions like glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, where drug absorption is often inefficient through eye drops.

“Nearly 95% of medicine from standard eye drops is wasted. Our lens-based delivery system ensures sustained and targeted absorption,” Nisarg Solanki, lead researcher, told ETV Bharat.

By optimizing dosage and reducing wastage, the approach could save up to 40% in treatment costs while improving patient adherence.

With India’s ophthalmic drug market valued at ₹19,000 crore, scalable versions of such lenses could redefine topical drug delivery systems worldwide.

Four of the six rely on AI or sensor-based automation, and five emphasize low-cost, non-invasive deployment. Together, they represent India’s evolving health-tech philosophy, one that prizes data accuracy and social scalability over high-cost sophistication.

Instead of replicating Western medical models, Indian scientists are creating solutions tailored to the realities of high patient loads, limited specialists, and cost-sensitive environments.

“The future of health-tech isn’t in replacing doctors but in amplifying their reach through smart, scalable systems,” a senior official from the Department of Science and Technology (DST), which funds many such projects, told ETV Bharat.