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The year 2025 marked a turning point for pharma and healthcare as the focus widened include medical insurance and emerging digital healthcare, transforming the way care was accessed and delivered.
Bhavin Mehta, whole-time director, Kilitch Drugs & vice chairman, Pharmexcil, said, “As we close 2025, India’s pharmaceutical exports demonstrated strong resilience and momentum, crossing key milestones and opportunities emerging as several blockbuster drugs lose patent protection, a development expected to unlock significant growth prospects in global generics and specialty segments over the next few years. In 2026, we anticipate export expansion into new regulated and semi-regulated markets, supported by expanded product portfolios, deeper regulatory engagement and strategic diversification to reinforce India as a trusted global supplier.
Saransh Chaudhary, president, global critical care, Venus Remedies and CEO, Venus Medicine Research Centre said: “Year 2025 felt like a quiet reset for Indian pharma. Exports and policy support remained important. At the same time, artificial intelligence (AI) from being a buzzword and started to become the plumbing for how we read data, design studies and run operations. In 2026, combining serious evidence with responsible use of technology will set the pace.”
Sagar Sen, senior vice president, global life sciences and strategic alliances, Qure.AI, said that Year 2005 was a shift from small pilots to meaningful, system-level adoption. Health systems that once viewed AI as an experiment have deployed it for screening, early diagnosis and population-level health programmes. This change reflects that AI is no longer a supporting feature, but is moving into core healthcare infrastructure, helping countries address workforce shortages and strengthen clinical efficiency.
However, this momentum brings challenges. Health systems demand stronger clinical evidence and tighter regulatory clarity. Persistent shortage of radiologists, data-sharing complexities, and variable digital maturity slows deployment. There is need for responsible AI practices like transparency, real-world monitoring and strong governance. As we look towards 2026, AI will play a more connected role across the care continuum, added Sen.
For Arun Ramamurthy, co-founder, Staywell.Health, Indian health insurance market in 2025 was sustained by awareness, availability of digital infrastructure and affordability with changes in the regulatory environment. Health insurance penetrated beyond the larger metropolitan areas. Companies invested in resources to provide better claim management, simplifying the products to increase customer trust.
Furthermore, the sector is expected to continue to grow in 2026 due to the maturity of health-tech partnerships, data-driven underwriting and preventive care business models. Balancing scale with service quality is critical to ensure that consumers meet their expectations with better service at a more rapid and transparent pace than in the past, said Ramamurthy.
Ayush Jain, CEO & founder, Mindbowser said, “In 2025, digital health platforms were seen to be fused into regular the healthcare delivery, instead of being limited to pilot projects. The focus shifted to performance in real clinical and operational environments. Looking ahead, digital health will play a direct role in care delivery, using intelligent automation, personalised treatment pathways and clearer compliance frameworks. Reliability, data protection and ease of use will become a core part of healthcare systems.”
According to Satish Kannan, CEO and co-founder, MediBuddy, digital healthcare in 2025 advanced meaningfully in India and globally. Virtual consultations became a trusted first step for everyday health needs, adoption of digital health records grew, and chronic care management and at-home diagnostics became more mainstream. Rising lifestyle-related risks within the workforce further pushed employers to adopt preventive, digital-first health models, making care more accessible, timely and consistent. Overall, the year marked a decisive shift towards integrated, technology-enabled healthcare experiences.
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