**Executive Summary**
The IGSTC Strategic Conclave 2026 on Mobile Health & Telemedicine, held on February 23, 2026, in New Delhi, aimed to promote Indo-German collaboration in advancing digital health solutions. It brought together policymakers, scientists, industry leaders, and healthcare experts to discuss the evolution and future of telemedicine, particularly in the context of the armed forces and India's broader healthcare landscape. The conclave sought to foster innovation-led partnerships and co-creation of solutions for unsolved technical challenges.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Telehealth in Armed Forces:**
* Telehealth is a critical vertical in the armed forces' healthcare ecosystem, serving approximately 1.6 crore personnel, veterans, and families.
* Telemedicine has evolved from early real-time consultations to satellite-enabled platforms for maritime deployments and remote areas.
* Secure communication systems, wearable health tracking, AI-enabled diagnostics, and regulatory clarity are crucial for ethical and resilient telehealth systems.
* **Innovation and Digital Health Delivery:**
* Biotechnology-led innovation is critical for strengthening digital health delivery.
* Structured funding, mentorship, and regulatory facilitation are essential for supporting startups and preventing talent migration.
* International collaboration, including Indo-German partnerships, can help create healthcare solutions tailored to India.
* **Telemedicine in India's Healthcare Landscape:**
* Telemedicine is being integrated into India's digital health landscape under the National Digital Health Mission.
* Telemedicine services are available up to the Ayushman Mandir level, improving access to healthcare in rural and underprivileged areas.
* Strong regulatory mechanisms, data privacy safeguards, and sustained funding are needed for the responsible adoption of emerging technologies.
* **Strategic Partnerships and Future Directions:**
* Innovation ecosystems that integrate science, technology, and public health priorities are essential.
* Telemedicine and mobile health technologies must evolve into scalable, sustainable platforms.
* Collaborative research, translational pathways, and strategic partnerships between academia, startups, and industry are needed to accelerate deployment of deep-tech healthcare solutions.
* Focus on emerging technologies like AI-enabled diagnostics, remote patient monitoring, wearable devices, and chip-based laboratory services.
* Need for bilateral research collaborations, industry-academia partnerships, and structured R&D roadmaps.
**Impact Analysis**
**Government (DST, DGHS)**
* **Impact:** DST needs to promote innovation ecosystems integrating science, technology, and public health. DGHS needs to integrate telemedicine into the National Digital Health Mission.
* **Action Required:** DST needs to focus on collaborative research and strategic partnerships. DGHS need to implement regulatory mechanisms and data privacy safeguards for telehealth adoption.
**Armed Forces Medical Services**
* **Impact:** Telehealth is a critical component of healthcare for the armed forces.
* **Action Required:** Implement secure communication systems, wearable health tracking, and AI-enabled diagnostics.
**Industry (BIRAC, Medical Technology Association of India)**
* **Impact:** Industry innovation is critical for digital health delivery.
* **Action Required:** Provide structured funding, mentorship, and regulatory facilitation to startups and innovators.
**Healthcare Providers**
* **Impact:** Telemedicine will change how healthcare is provided, especially in rural and underserved areas.
* **Action Required:** Adapt to new technologies, adopt secure communication systems, and ensure data privacy.
**Patients**
* **Impact:** Telemedicine will improve access to healthcare in rural and underserved areas.
* **Action Required:** Utilize telemedicine services and provide feedback to healthcare providers.
Key Entities Referenced
IGSTC Strategic Conclave 2026: A conclave focused on mobile health & telemedicine, aiming to advance digital health solutions through Indo-German collaboration.
Department of Science and Technology (DST): A department involved in building innovation ecosystems and fostering collaborative research for healthcare solutions.
Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC): An organization highlighting the critical role of biotechnology-led innovation in strengthening digital health delivery.
National Digital Health Mission: An initiative focused on expanding digital health landscape including integration of telemedicine
New Delhi: Location of the IGSTC Strategic Conclave 2026
Ministry of Science & Technology
DST and BIRAC Emphasise Innovation-Led
Partnerships at IGSTC Strategic Conclave 2026
on Mobile Health & Telemedicine
Telehealth has emerged as a critical vertical within the armed
forces’ healthcare ecosystem, which serves approximately
1.6 crore personnel, veterans and their families: Surg VAdm
Dr. Arti Sarin, DGAFMS
Posted On: 23 FEB 2026 5:08PM by PIB Delhi
The IGSTC Strategic Conclave 2026 on “Mobile Health & Telemedicine” was held today at Vigyan
Bhawan, New Delhi, bringing together policymakers, scientists, industry leaders and healthcare experts to
deliberate on advancing digital health solutions through Indo-German collaboration.
Dr. Kusumita Arora, Director IGSTC explained that this conclave is an attempt to bring key
stakeholders to a common discussion forum: leaders from government sectors, healthcare specialists and
academic researchers, as well industry experts. It is envisaged that conversations among these three pillars
of the S&T innovation landscape will serve to drive progress forward. And move beyond this stage of
research discourse of co- creation of solutions for unsolved technical challenges.
Surg VAdm Dr. Arti Sarin, DGAFMS, elaborated on the strategic importance of telemedicine in the
Armed Forces Medical Services. She stated that telehealth has emerged as a critical vertical within the
armed forces’ healthcare ecosystem, which serves approximately 1.6 crore personnel, veterans and their
families. She highlighted the evolution of telemedicine from early real-time consultations to satellite-
enabled platforms supporting maritime deployments and remote high-altitude areas. She emphasised the
need for secure, encrypted communication systems, wearable health tracking devices, AI-enabled
diagnostics and regulatory clarity to ensure ethical and resilient telehealth systems in sensitive operational
environments.
Dr. Jitendra Kumar, Managing Director, BIRAC, highlighted the critical role of biotechnology-led
innovation in strengthening digital health delivery. He stressed the importance of supporting startups and
innovators working at the intersection of diagnostics, digital platforms and medical devices. He noted that
structured funding support, mentorship and regulatory facilitation are essential to prevent talent migration
and ensure that Indian innovations are translated into accessible healthcare solutions. He emphasised that
international collaboration, including Indo-German partnerships, can help co-create solutions suited to
India’s diverse healthcare landscape while leveraging global standards and expertise.
Dr. Sunita Sharma, Director General Health Services (DGHS), highlighted the integration of
telemedicine within India’s expanding digital health landscape under the National Digital Health Mission.
She noted that telemedicine services are now available up to the Ayushman Mandir level, enabling
access to healthcare in rural and underprivileged areas. She emphasised the importance of artificialintelligence, machine learning and point-of-care technologies, particularly for national programs such as
tuberculosis eradication. She also underlined the need for strong regulatory mechanisms, data privacy
safeguards and sustained funding to ensure responsible adoption and prevent misuse of emerging
technologies.
Mr Pavan Chaudhary, Chairman Medical Technology Association of India while narrating the
industry expectations has emphasized for the need for the focussed translational research and incentivised
approach.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Arindam Bhattacharyya, Department of Science and Technology (DST),
underscored the importance of building innovation ecosystems that integrate science, technology and
public health priorities. He emphasised that telemedicine and mobile health technologies must move
beyond pilot stages and evolve into scalable, sustainable platforms capable of addressing systemic
healthcare challenges, particularly in underserved and remote regions. He highlighted the role of DST in
fostering collaborative research, supporting translational pathways and enabling strategic partnerships
between academia, startups and industry to accelerate deployment of deep-tech healthcare solutions.
The Conclave deliberated on emerging technologies including AI-enabled diagnostics, remote patient
monitoring, wearable devices and chip-based laboratory services. Discussions also focused on regulatory
frameworks, data protection, financing mechanisms and strategies to address the digital divide.
Participants emphasised the need for bilateral research collaborations, industry-academia partnerships and
structured R&D roadmaps to accelerate the development of deep technologies suited to India’s diverse
geographic and socio-economic conditions.
The event reaffirmed the commitment of DST, BIRAC and partner institutions to advancing mobile health
and telemedicine as inclusive, secure and innovation-driven pillars of India’s future-ready healthcare
system.****
NKR/FK
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