India Needs to Train 1.25 Million Healthcare Professionals Annually in AI and Digital Health

NEW DELHI, Oct 30: India will need to equip approximately 1.25 million healthcare professionals every year with digital health and artificial intelligence (AI) skills through 2035 to prepare its medical workforce for the rapidly changing healthcare environment, according to a report released by FICCI and KPMG.

The report, titled “Skilling India’s Healthcare Workforce for Digital Health and AI”, highlights the growing importance of technology-driven medical services and calls for a coordinated national approach to training doctors, nurses, allied healthcare workers and administrative professionals.

Released during the 20th edition of FICCI HEAL 2026 in New Delhi, the report examines the changing requirements of India’s healthcare workforce as hospitals, diagnostic centres and other medical institutions increasingly adopt digital platforms and artificial intelligence-based systems.

It emphasises that expanding the number of healthcare professionals will not be sufficient to meet future demands unless workers are also equipped with the necessary technological knowledge and practical skills.

India currently has approximately 9.01 million registered healthcare professionals, but the sector continues to face challenges involving workforce availability, uneven distribution, specialised expertise and digital readiness.

The report argues that the country’s healthcare workforce strategy must move beyond the traditional focus on increasing personnel numbers and adopt a broader approach centred on capacity, capabilities and productivity.

It estimates that around 1.25 million professionals will need to receive digital health and AI training annually to build a workforce capable of supporting the country’s healthcare transformation through 2035.

The findings come as India seeks to strengthen its healthcare infrastructure, expand access to medical services and improve the quality of treatment through technology-enabled solutions.

Technology changing the healthcare landscape

Artificial intelligence and digital technologies are increasingly influencing how healthcare services are delivered, managed and monitored.

Hospitals are exploring AI-powered systems for medical imaging, diagnostic assistance, patient monitoring, hospital administration and clinical decision support.

Digital platforms are also helping healthcare providers maintain electronic medical records, coordinate appointments, manage patient information and improve communication between medical professionals and patients.

Telemedicine and remote consultation services have expanded opportunities for people living in rural and underserved areas to access medical advice without travelling long distances.

The growing use of these technologies, however, requires healthcare professionals to understand how digital systems function and how their outputs should be interpreted in clinical settings.

The FICCI-KPMG report identifies changing regulatory requirements, new healthcare delivery models, evolving patient expectations, increasing digitisation and the expansion of technology-enabled infrastructure as five major factors driving workforce transformation.

According to the report, healthcare institutions will need employees who can combine medical knowledge with digital capabilities to improve operational efficiency and patient outcomes.

The report also stresses that technology should support medical professionals rather than replace their judgement and responsibilities.

AI-based systems may help doctors analyse information, identify patterns and manage routine tasks, but final clinical decisions must continue to involve qualified healthcare professionals.

Three-tier workforce framework proposed

To address the growing skills gap, the report proposes an indicative National Digital Health and AI Competency Framework (NDH-AICF).

The proposed framework is designed to establish a common structure for developing digital and AI capabilities across different categories of healthcare workers.

It identifies three broad workforce groups.

The first category, the Digitally Enabled Care Workforce, would include healthcare professionals who need basic digital skills to use electronic health records, digital consultation platforms, medical information systems and other technology-based tools in their daily work.

This category would cover a wide range of professionals, including doctors, nurses, allied health workers and frontline healthcare personnel.

The second category, the AI-Augmented Clinical and Operational Workforce, would involve professionals who use advanced digital applications and AI-supported systems to improve clinical services, patient management and hospital operations.

Workers in this category would require a deeper understanding of data interpretation, digital workflows and the responsible use of AI-based tools.

The third category, Specialist Digital Health and AI Cadres, would include professionals with specialised technical expertise in areas such as healthcare data science, artificial intelligence, clinical informatics, cybersecurity and digital infrastructure.

These specialists would help healthcare institutions develop, implement, maintain and evaluate technology-based systems.

The proposed framework also identifies eight competency areas, including digital health foundations, digital care delivery, health data and analytics, AI-enabled medical practice, interoperability, privacy and cybersecurity, digital operations, and digital leadership and governance.

The report suggests that training should be aligned with professional responsibilities rather than following a single standard curriculum for every healthcare worker.

More than 20 new job roles expected by 2035

Another important finding is the expected emergence of more than 20 specialised digital health and AI-related roles by 2035.

These positions are likely to develop across clinical informatics, health data management, artificial intelligence, data privacy, cybersecurity, virtual healthcare and digital operations.

The growing demand for such professionals could create new career opportunities for medical graduates, technology specialists and people working in healthcare administration.

Clinical informatics professionals, for example, are expected to play an important role in connecting medical knowledge with information technology.

Healthcare data specialists will be required to organise and analyse large volumes of patient information, helping institutions identify trends and improve service delivery.

AI validation professionals may also become increasingly important as hospitals introduce automated systems that need to be assessed for accuracy, reliability and safety.

Similarly, specialists in privacy and cybersecurity will be required to protect sensitive patient information as healthcare institutions become more dependent on interconnected digital platforms.

The report indicates that the transformation will not be limited to the creation of new occupations. Existing healthcare jobs will also undergo significant changes as technology becomes more deeply integrated into everyday medical practice.

Doctors, nurses, laboratory professionals, administrators and other healthcare workers will need continuous opportunities to update their knowledge and adapt to emerging systems.

Training must extend beyond major hospitals

One of the major challenges in implementing digital healthcare training will be ensuring that opportunities reach professionals across different regions and categories of medical institutions.

Large private hospitals and urban medical centres may have greater access to advanced technologies and specialised training programmes. However, smaller hospitals, district facilities and rural healthcare centres may face difficulties because of limited infrastructure and financial resources.

The report calls for coordinated participation from central and state governments, healthcare regulators, professional councils, hospitals, universities, training institutions and technology companies.

Such collaboration could help establish common training standards, improve certification systems and connect professional development with actual workplace requirements.

Healthcare institutions may also need to introduce practical learning programmes that allow professionals to work with digital platforms and AI tools under appropriate supervision.

Training should include not only technical knowledge but also ethical considerations, patient confidentiality, accountability and awareness of the limitations of automated systems.

The report stresses that digital and AI skills must be developed responsibly, ensuring that technology improves medical services without compromising patient safety or professional standards.

Technology alone cannot solve healthcare challenges

While digital healthcare has considerable potential, experts have repeatedly emphasised that successful adoption depends on more than purchasing advanced equipment or introducing software.

Hospitals need reliable digital infrastructure, properly maintained databases, trained employees and clear systems for monitoring the performance of technology-based applications.

Poor-quality data can affect the accuracy of AI systems, while inadequate training may lead to incorrect interpretation of digital recommendations.

Similarly, the absence of clear accountability arrangements can create challenges when automated systems are used in clinical or administrative decision-making.

The FICCI-KPMG report therefore calls for a structured approach that connects training with assessment, certification and career progression.

It also underlines the importance of developing a common competency framework that can be adapted to different healthcare roles and institutional requirements.

Lalit Mistry, Partner and Co-Head of Healthcare at KPMG in India, said the country’s workforce requirements by 2035 would extend beyond expanding the number of professionals to ensuring that they are equipped to work in an AI-enabled and digitally connected healthcare system.

He said the sector would need to skill approximately 1.25 million professionals annually in digital health and AI to build workforce readiness on a large scale.

The report maintains that sustained cooperation between government, industry, academic institutions and healthcare providers will be necessary to achieve this objective.

Preparing India’s healthcare sector for the future

The findings were presented during the 20th edition of FICCI HEAL, held on October 27 and 28 at Federation House in New Delhi.

The conference brought together policymakers, healthcare providers, medical professionals, researchers, technology companies and industry representatives to discuss the future of India’s healthcare ecosystem.

Discussions focused on improving healthcare quality, strengthening institutional collaboration, expanding technology adoption and ensuring that innovation produces measurable benefits for patients.

The broader message was that the success of healthcare transformation should be assessed through improvements in treatment quality, accessibility, affordability and patient outcomes.

India’s growing population, expanding healthcare requirements and increasing adoption of digital services make workforce development a critical priority.

The proposed training target of 1.25 million professionals annually represents a substantial undertaking, requiring sustained investment and coordination across the country’s medical and educational institutions.

If implemented effectively, the initiative could help strengthen India’s healthcare workforce, create specialised employment opportunities and improve the delivery of technology-enabled medical services.

However, the success of the proposed framework will ultimately depend on whether healthcare professionals receive practical training and whether hospitals can translate technological advancements into safer, more efficient and accessible patient care.

As the sector moves towards 2035, developing a digitally skilled medical workforce is expected to become an essential part of India’s broader healthcare development strategy.