SAHI and BODH Aim to Strengthen Ethical, Secure and Transparent Adoption of Health AI
New Delhi: Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda is set to launch two major national initiatives — the Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare for India (SAHI) and the Benchmarking Open Data Platform for Health AI (BODH) — at the India AI Summit to be held at Bharat Mandapam on February 17, 2026.
The launch marks a significant milestone in India’s efforts to integrate Artificial Intelligence into its public healthcare system through structured governance and evidence-based implementation. Both initiatives are expected to strengthen the country’s digital health ecosystem.
SAHI to Guide Ethical AI Adoption in Healthcare
SAHI has been designed as a comprehensive national guidance framework to enable safe, ethical, evidence-based and inclusive adoption of AI across India’s healthcare landscape. The framework provides strategic direction on governance, data stewardship, validation, deployment and continuous monitoring of AI-driven health solutions.
It will also support States and healthcare institutions in adopting AI technologies responsibly, ensuring that innovation remains aligned with public health priorities and equitable access principles.
BODH to Enable Secure Benchmarking of Health AI Models
BODH has been developed by Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur in collaboration with the National Health Authority. The platform enables rigorous benchmarking and evaluation of AI models using diverse real-world health datasets without compromising patient privacy.
Designed as a digital public good under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, BODH adopts a privacy-preserving approach that ensures underlying datasets are not directly shared. This model is expected to enhance trust, transparency and quality assurance in the deployment of Health AI solutions.
Strengthening India’s Digital Health Vision
Together, SAHI and BODH represent a major step toward building a robust, responsible and globally competitive Health AI ecosystem in India. The initiatives aim to foster innovation while maintaining strong safeguards around data protection and ethical use.
Earlier, Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda had also launched the Annual Nationwide Mass Drug Administration campaign for the elimination of Lymphatic Filariiasis, reinforcing the government’s commitment to leveraging technology and coordinated public health action to achieve national healthcare goals.
