India’s experience with digital health, anchored in innovation, scale, and public-private collaboration, offers actionable insights for Indo-Pacific countries aiming to build resilient, inclusive, and interoperable healthcare systems.
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This article is part of the series—Jakarta Edit 2025
The Indo-Pacific region, spanning from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, is a dynamic epicentre of economic and geopolitical activity. The region accounts for 60 percent of global GDP and is home to more than half of the world’s population. In this context, India has emerged as a global pathfinder in digital health through its robust digital ecosystem and innovative approaches, offering key insights to foster regional collaboration in the Indo-Pacific.
India’s healthcare landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, with digital technologies addressing long-standing systemic challenges such as unequal access, rising costs, and a growing burden of chronic diseases. The country’s digital public infrastructure (DPI), exemplified by initiatives like the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Aadhaar, has laid a scalable foundation for healthcare innovation. The National Digital Health Mission (NDHM), launched in 2020, and its flagship initiative, the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), have been a cornerstone of this transformation, aiming to create a unified digital health ecosystem. These efforts have helped integrate electronic health records (EHRs), telemedicine platforms, and AI-powered diagnostics to deliver seamless, equitable care.
India’s emphasis on interoperability unifies fragmented healthcare systems, enabling efficient data sharing and coordinated care. This is critical for countries like Indonesia and Cambodia, where siloed digital health systems hamper efficiency.
One of India’s standout achievements is its telemedicine ecosystem. Platforms like Apollo Telehealth and Practo have revolutionised healthcare delivery by connecting patients in remote and underserved areas with specialists. For instance, Apollo Hospitals, in partnership with the Government of Meghalaya and the World Economic Forum, has launched artificial intelligence (AI)-powered diagnostics and telemedicine-enabled digital dispensaries in Northeast India, significantly improving cancer care access. The private sector plays a pivotal role in scaling such innovations. Practo has evolved from teleconsultations to include medicine delivery, EHR management, and medical insurance services, creating a comprehensive digital health ecosystem. The use of AI for diagnostics, such as detecting diabetic retinopathy or predicting cardiovascular risks, is another area where India excels, leveraging its vast data pools and technological expertise. These initiatives demonstrate how public-private partnerships (PPPs) can address healthcare disparities, particularly in rural areas, and offer replicable models for countries in the Indo-Pacific that are grappling with similar challenges.
The Indian digital health model provides valuable insights for Indo-Pacific countries. First, India’s emphasis on interoperability unifies fragmented healthcare systems, enabling efficient data sharing and coordinated care. This is critical for countries like Indonesia and Cambodia, where siloed digital health systems hamper efficiency. For example, while Indonesia’s Aplikasi Sehat Indonesiaku (ASIK) application, supported by UNICEF, collects real-time immunisation data, it operates in isolation from other relevant systems. Second, India’s success with PPPs highlights the importance of collaboration between governments, private entities, and technology providers. In Indonesia, the Halodoc-Gojek partnership for medicine delivery mirrors India’s TATA 1mg model by leveraging existing transportation networks to overcome logistical barriers. Third, India’s focus on scalable, low-cost solutions addresses the economic constraints prevalent in the Indo-Pacific. With noncommunicable diseases accounting for nearly 74 percent of global deaths, affordable digital tools — such as remote care management programmes — can help mitigate healthcare burdens. India’s eSanjeevani telemedicine service, offering cost-effective consultations, can serve as a model for similar initiatives in countries like Indonesia, the Philippines, and Cambodia, where high mobile penetration supports digital health adoption.
The region’s diversity, with varying levels of digital maturity, presents both challenges and opportunities for collaboration. Singapore, South Korea, and Australia are regional leaders in digital health, with progressive regulatory frameworks and advanced infrastructure. Regional cooperation models such as the Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership (DCCP), launched by the United States in 2018, aim to build a secure and interoperable digital economy. India’s expertise in building cost-effective digital infrastructure could complement such initiatives, particularly in resource-constrained settings. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), comprising the United States, India, Japan, and Australia, offers another platform for advancing digital health. The QUAD’s working group on emerging technologies, established in 2021, focuses on setting standards for AI and 5G, which are critical for digital health applications.
India’s eSanjeevani telemedicine service, offering cost-effective consultations, can serve as a model for similar initiatives in countries like Indonesia, the Philippines, and Cambodia, where high mobile penetration supports digital health adoption.
Pacific Island countries, often overlooked in strategic frameworks, stand to benefit from India’s scalable models. For example, India’s Regional Information Technology and Cybersecurity Hub in Papua New Guinea and the Super Speciality Cardiology Hospital in Fiji demonstrate its commitment to strengthening digital infrastructure and tackling non-communicable diseases in the Pacific. These efforts align with the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), which emphasises digital infrastructure and supply chain resilience, fostering cross-country collaboration.
Despite the potential for synergies, challenges remain. Digital literacy varies widely across the Indo-Pacific, with countries like Cambodia and Indonesia lagging in basic digital skills. Additionally, regulatory convergence is critical to ensure that digital health solutions meet global standards. APACMed’s advocacy for harmonised regulatory frameworks in the Asia-Pacific could be extended more broadly. Data security and privacy are also pressing concerns that have intensified since the COVID-19 pandemic, which, while accelerating digital health adoption, also exposed systemic vulnerabilities. India’s robust cybersecurity measures, integrated into the ABDM, could inform regional strategies to safeguard health data. Collaborative efforts, such as the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework, could be another useful roadmap for the region to leverage opportunities in the digital economy.
Pacific Island countries, often overlooked in strategic frameworks, stand to benefit from India’s scalable models. For example, India’s Regional Information Technology and Cybersecurity Hub in Papua New Guinea and the Super Speciality Cardiology Hospital in Fiji demonstrate its commitment to strengthening digital infrastructure and tackling non-communicable diseases in the Pacific.
India’s digital health revolution offers a blueprint for the Indo-Pacific, demonstrating how technology, collaboration, and scalability can transform healthcare delivery. By leveraging interoperable systems, fostering PPPs, and prioritising affordability, India is addressing systemic challenges that resonate across the region. Platforms like the QUAD, IPEF, and DCCP can amplify these efforts, enabling knowledge sharing and infrastructure development. As the Indo-Pacific navigates rapid technological advancement and persistent healthcare challenges, collaborative frameworks can pave the way for a connected, equitable, resilient, and future-ready digital health ecosystem for millions.
Shoba Suri is a Senior Fellow with the Health Initiative at the Observer Research Foundation.
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Dr. Shoba Suri is a Senior Fellow with ORFs Health Initiative. Shoba is a nutritionist with experience in community and clinical research. She has worked on nutrition, ...
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