India’s diagnostics sector is undergoing a fundamental transformation, with innovation, technology and personalised care emerging as key growth drivers, industry leaders said during a panel discussion at the 4th Edition of the National Diagnostics Forum & Awards 2026.
The panel, titled “The Future of Diagnostics — Innovation, Trust & India’s Global Promise,” brought together senior leaders from leading diagnostics and healthcare organisations to discuss how diagnostics is evolving from a backend service to a central pillar of preventive, precision and outcome-driven healthcare. The session was moderated by Vijay Kumar, Chief Commercial Officer and Country Head, Transasia Bio-Medicals Ltd.
Dr. Somnath Chatterjee, Chairman and Joint MD, Suraksha Diagnostics, highlighted the rapid progress in early cancer detection and personalised medicine. He said advances in sequencing, artificial intelligence and data analytics are enabling cancer detection at extremely early stages, opening opportunities for preventive intervention before symptoms appear. He added that future diagnostic models will combine genetic data, lifestyle patterns and clinical history to deliver personalised treatment recommendations, shifting healthcare from reactive treatment to proactive prevention.
Sharing insights on changing consumer expectations, Dheeraj Jain, Chairman & Founder, Redcliff Labs, noted that diagnostics has evolved from basic lab testing to real-time, convenient and patient-centric services. With younger generations increasingly focused on fitness, nutrition, sleep and overall wellness, he said diagnostics is now playing a critical role in supporting healthier lifestyles rather than just identifying illness.
Sriram Iyer, CEO, Apollo Health & Lifestyle, drew attention to the growing prevalence of non-communicable diseases in India, including diabetes, cardiovascular conditions and obesity. He emphasised that personalised interventions—integrating diagnostic results with lifestyle data and DNA markers—will be key to preventing and managing chronic diseases and delivering tailored health solutions.
Addressing the issue of generic testing, Dr. Arjun Dang, CEO & Partner, Dr. Dang’s Lab, said many individuals undergo unnecessary or redundant tests due to standardised health packages. He spoke about ‘Discover by Dr. Dang’, a lab-agnostic platform that personalises diagnostic recommendations based on individual health goals, lifestyle and family history, enabling more informed and targeted testing decisions.
Dr. Ramesh Kinha, COO, Thyrocare Technologies Limited, underlined the role of technology in scaling diagnostics and improving patient outcomes. He said digital tools help integrate data across labs, research and patient care, enabling real-time monitoring, outcome prediction and faster response—while enhancing, rather than replacing, the human element in healthcare.
From the fertility care perspective, Devendrasingh Rajput, CBO – Pharma & Pathlabs, Indira IVF Group, highlighted the importance of genetic and genomic testing in improving IVF success rates. He noted that advanced diagnostics, combined with AI-driven insights, allow clinicians to optimise treatment protocols, prevent hereditary disorders and improve patient outcomes, while expanding access to quality fertility care.
The panel concluded with a consensus that diagnostics will play a defining role in India’s healthcare future, driven by innovation, data-led decision-making and patient-centric models.
The National Diagnostics Forum & Awards 2026, held in Mumbai, brought together leaders from diagnostics, healthcare, technology and policy to recognise excellence in the sector and facilitate discussions on emerging trends, challenges and opportunities shaping the future of diagnostics in India.
Also Read