AI, Telemedicine to Transform Indian Healthcare by 2025, says Prakash Hospital’s Ayush Chauhan
By Arunima Rajan
In an interview with Arunima Rajan, Ayush Chauhan, executive director of Prakash Hospital says that AI and telemedicine will redefine Indian healthcare in 2025.
The Indian hospital market is projected to reach $193.59 billion by 2032. That’s a staggering figure. How do you view this anticipated growth, and what challenges do you think hospitals will face as they attempt to scale up and meet the soaring demand?
The Indian hospital market is set to expand to $193.59 billion by 2032, reflecting the growing demand for advanced healthcare services, which is driven by population growth, increased awareness, and shifts in lifestyle. This growth represents an opportunity to enhance infrastructure, adopt new technologies, and prioritise patient-centred care. However, challenges such as a shortage of skilled professionals, the need to keep healthcare affordable, and addressing rural healthcare gaps are significant concerns. Sustainable scaling will depend on innovative strategies, partnerships between public and private sectors, investments in education and training for healthcare professionals, and the development of strong healthcare ecosystems that can adapt to the evolving needs of all segments of society.
Occupancy rates are expected to remain steady at about 61–63% by FY2025. In a context where demand is growing, what strategies should hospitals consider to ensure their capacity is both well-utilized and adaptable?
Ayush Chauhan, Executive Director, Prakash Hospital
Outpatient services, telemedicine, and patient influx management would allow the hospitals to grow their capacity. Flexible infrastructure, such as modular ICUs, can handle demand surges, while partnerships with local healthcare providers enhance community outreach. Continuous staff training and use of technology for enhancing productivity, allowing them to respond to growing healthcare demands while remaining with reasonable levels of occupancy.
With over 4,000 new beds likely to come online in FY2025, it seems the sector is entering a phase of rapid expansion. How do you see this surge in capacity influencing competition, and what implications might it have for pricing models across the industry?
This increase in capacity will sharpen competition among hospitals to concentrate on quality care and specialised services that they may use as differentiators. While supply may exert pressure to decrease pricing, it also offers opportunities for innovative pricing strategies, which will, in turn, make healthcare accessible. We at Prakash Hospital see this as an opportunity to further strengthen our commitment to patient-centric care that is affordable.
ARPOB—Average Revenue Per Occupied Bed—is predicted to rise by about 4–6% in FY2025. In your view, what are the underlying factors driving this increase, and is this growth trajectory sustainable in the long run?
The rise of ARPOB by 4-6% in FY2025 includes technological innovations in the medical field, enhanced patient understanding, and interest in quality services. We at Prakash Hospital aim at cost control and focus on innovations which makes the growth of the company not only possible but also cost-efficient, as improvements in the efficiency of operations render higher patient outcomes while making the services accessible at the same time. The trajectory is sustainable, with a focus on healthcare excellence as well as patient-centric approaches
The telemedicine market is expected to reach $5.4 billion by 2025, suggesting a fundamental shift in how care is delivered. How do you think this digital healthcare boom will reshape the role of traditional hospitals, and what might it mean for patient engagement and outcomes?
Telemedicine has been added to a hospital’s service options as it allows consulting and follow-ups to be done more easily and with less hassle. There is a growing evidence base that describes Prakash Hospital as a method of increasing patient engagement, especially in under-serviced regions but still at a high standard. This boom in digital healthcare encourages healthy behaviour, decreases the amount of unnecessary emergency room visits for smaller issues, and facilitates better results due to long-term observation and differential treatment.
AI in healthcare is projected to expand at an annual rate of 45% by 2024—an incredible pace. How do you envision artificial intelligence changing the way hospitals operate, and where do you see its greatest potential impact on patient care?
With the help of artificial intelligence, healthcare sectors are improving further to enable even more accurate diagnosis, improved treatment specifics, and management of hospitals. We at Prakash Hospital feel that its greatest potential is in early disease detection, streamlining workflows, and improving patient outcomes. AI empowers us to deliver faster, more precise care while ensuring a patient-centric approach, redefining the future of healthcare.
The government’s healthcare infrastructure push could alter the balance of public and private investment. How do you believe these initiatives will affect private hospitals, and what might it mean for the broader ecosystem of healthcare delivery in India
The government's push for health care provides private hospitals an opportunity to collaborate and supplement public efforts. At Prakash Hospital, we are aligned with these initiatives and use them to expand our reach, enhance our infrastructure, and contribute to a more equitable healthcare ecosystem.
Medical tourism is slated to hit $14.31 billion by 2029. In what ways could this create both opportunities and complexities for Indian hospitals, and how should they strategise to remain competitive and ethically sound in this burgeoning market?
With the growth of medical tourism, there is an opportunity for Indian hospitals to generate additional income and gain a global appeal. But it also poses certain issues like upholding quality control, handling the demands of the patients, and dealing with ethical issues. To maintain competitiveness and integrity, hospitals must also upgrade high-level standards of medical technology, tailor their services to the needs of patients, and maintain transparent policies regarding fees and services.
Despite the sector’s remarkable growth, health insurance penetration remains low, placing a heavy out-of-pocket burden on patients. How can hospitals play a more proactive role in fostering insurance adoption, and what would this mean for overall affordability and accessibility?
Hospitals can encourage insurance through collaboration with insurance firms, improving the flow of activities and educating patients to understand the importance of health insurance. At Prakash Hospital, patients are counselled on the best and most affordable insurance plans that meet their requirements. This increases awareness and accessibility, thereby reducing the financial burden on families and making quality healthcare more affordable and accessible. Proactive steps in fostering insurance adoption build trust and encourage preventive care, thus creating a healthier, more financially secure community.
If we look ahead to 2025 and beyond, what would you identify as the single most significant trend or development on the horizon for the Indian hospital sector, and how should forward-looking institutions prepare themselves for these changes?
The major trend that can be identified for the Indian hospital sector for the year 2025 and beyond is the use of technology especially AI and telemedicine to improve the quality of patient care and performance. The future-oriented organizations should enhance the use of healthcare technologies, develop digital health systems, and provide patient-centred care to be relevant in the market and provide quality healthcare services in the future which is rapidly embracing technology.