News

16 Feb 2026

A landmark announcement at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 underscored just how seriously India's scientific establishment is taking the challenge of responsible AI in high-stakes medicine. Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), announced a major collaboration between IndiaAI, the National Cancer Grid India, the Koita Centre for Digital Oncology (KCDO), IIT Bombay, Koita Centre for Digital Health, Ashoka University, and the ICMR-National Institute for Research in Digital Health and Data Science. The partnership is designed to enable rigorous evaluation and development of AI models in oncology, and to create pathways through which validated AI products can be made available for use in clinical practice.

This collaboration will function as a national resource for the design and conduct of evaluation studies, providing technical oversight and demonstrating clear validation pathways for AI solutions in cancer care. Working alongside the Ministry of Health, ICMR, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, and the Department of Health and Family Welfare, the partners bring together clinical domain expertise, AI research capability, regulatory know-how, and implementation experience, precisely the multidisciplinary combination that responsible AI deployment in oncology demands.