MeitY-KTech-Nasscom-CoE Launches 13th Edition of LHIF in Bengaluru

This event, organized by MeitY-KTech in collaboration with Nasscom's Centre of Excellence (CoE), brought together over 300 delegates from various sectors including industry, government, academia, and startups. 

The 13th edition of the Lifesciences and Healthcare Forum (LHIF) was held at St John’s Hospital and Research Institute, Bengaluru, on 13th August 2024. 

This event, organized by MeitY-KTech in collaboration with Nasscom's Centre of Excellence (CoE), brought together over 300 delegates from various sectors including industry, government, academia, and startups. 

The forum centered around the theme “AI for Care: Shaping the Future of Healthcare and Lifesciences,” highlighting the evolving role of artificial intelligence in healthcare.

Key Highlights

The event featured a series of thought leadership sessions, where senior leaders from healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies, and MedTech enterprises discussed the integration of AI into various aspects of healthcare. 

These sessions focused on the impact of AI in drug discovery, precision therapeutics, and the use of generative AI to enhance healthcare operations.

Srini Mahalingam, Vice President of Customer Success – Healthcare at GAVS Technologies, emphasized the role of AI in transforming healthcare processes. 

"AI is not just an added tool but a necessity in modern healthcare. From improving patient outcomes to streamlining operations, AI is becoming indispensable," he stated. 

According to Mayank Anand, VP Global Clinical Operations Leader at GSK, AI is enabling us to conduct more efficient and targeted clinical trials, which ultimately speeds up the process of bringing new therapies to patients.

Ramakrishna Rao, senior engineering director at GE Healthcare, discussed the importance of AI in diagnostics, saying, "AI-driven tools are accelerating the diagnostic process, making it faster and more accurate, which is critical in life-saving situations."

A significant highlight of the forum was the launch of the 6th edition of the Healthcare Innovation Challenge. This program is designed to assist healthcare providers in adopting AI-driven solutions developed by startups. 

Use cases from leading healthcare institutions such as Max Healthcare, HCG, Sankara Nethralaya, and Dr Mehta’s Multispeciality Hospitals were showcased. 

These included AI-led predictions of malignancy risk in thyroid nodules, AI-led predictions of chemotherapy drug toxicity, a generative AI-based patient counseling solution, and AI-led detection of diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration (ArMD).

Alongside the challenge, an AI Transformation Playbook report titled “Advancing Healthcare in India” was published in collaboration with Nasscom Insights. 

The report presented insights into AI adoption within the healthcare sector, revealing that only 44% of companies have identified AI use cases, 43% have conducted pilots, and 38% have implemented AI use cases in production within the last 12 months.

Recognition for Promising Startups in AI

The forum also recognised several startups for their contributions to AI in healthcare. 

Tricog was awarded for its advancements in AI for cardiology, Remidio for AI in ophthalmology, Neos Health for AI in radiology, Brainsight for AI-led surgical planning, 4baseCare for precision therapeutics, Alveofit for pulmonary screening, and Peptris for AI-led drug discovery.

As Balasubramanian Sankaranarayanan, President & CEO of Thryve Digital, pointed out, "The integration of AI into healthcare is no longer optional. It is becoming a critical part of our efforts to provide better and more personalized care."

The 13th edition of LHIF provided a platform for discussing the future of AI in healthcare and showcased the potential of AI-driven solutions to address complex healthcare challenges. 

The event underscored the ongoing transformation within the healthcare sector, driven by innovative technologies and the collaborative efforts of industry leaders, startups, and institutions.