In a session titled “Building an Integrated Healthcare Ecosystem: Public-Private Synergies for Universal Access – Designing a Future-Ready Healthcare Architecture for 1.4 Billion”, healthcare leaders highlighted the urgent need for a robust and future-ready healthcare system in India, emphasizing the critical role of public-private collaboration.
Moderated by Dr. Vishal Arora, Chief Business Officer at Artemis Hospitals, the discussion brought together key voices from across the healthcare industry to explore strategies for creating an integrated healthcare architecture capable of serving India’s 1.4 billion population.
Dr. Ritu Mittal Garg Chief Growth & Innovation Officer, Fortis Healthcare stated, “From a public–private partnership perspective, digital enablement must be implemented in a way that truly delivers outcomes, not just pilot projects that never see scale. Innovation should move beyond experimentation and translate into real, system-wide impact.
In my view, sincere and comprehensive implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Mission can address many of the challenges we face today. One of the biggest hurdles in our healthcare system is the lack of structured and standardized data. Currently, data exists in silos, making it impossible to create an integrated healthcare ecosystem unless all stakeholders are speaking the same digital language.
Ensuring universal adoption of electronic health records that are interoperable, accessible to patients, and connected across the system is critical. This will allow us to move from episodic care to longitudinal health records, enabling continuity of care over a patient’s lifetime.
Today, the absence of shared data leads to significant resource wastage. Patients often undergo the same diagnostic tests multiple times across different providers simply because prior records are not accessible. A standardized, free-flowing data ecosystem—supported by centralized data lakes—can connect multiple healthcare stakeholders, reduce duplication, improve efficiency, and ultimately enhance patient outcomes.”
Amit Singh, Group Chief Executive Officer, Yatharth Super Speciality Hospitals, said “that building a robust healthcare ecosystem in India hinges on three critical reforms. He stressed the need for strong digital and data interoperability, noting that healthcare can only scale through seamless data exchange rather than merely adding hospital infrastructure. Effective digital integration, he said, would strengthen primary care, streamline referral pathways, and significantly reduce the burden on tertiary care.
He further highlighted the importance of quality and transparent clinical outcomes, arguing that India must move beyond an infrastructure-led approach to one driven by measurable results and accreditation standards. Such transparency, he added, would also position India for greater global healthcare integration. From a private sector perspective, Singh underscored the need for predictable, time-bound payment mechanisms, stating that financial stability is essential to expand healthcare services sustainably, especially in tier 2 and 3 cities.”
Henna Dhawan Head, Country Public Affairs, Novartis India said, “I believe that while value-based healthcare is widely discussed in India, we have still not clearly defined what “value” truly means from a public healthcare perspective. For me, value should be reflected in better outcomes—such as fewer hospitalizations, improved management of chronic conditions, effective prevention for high-risk populations, and a strong continuum of care rather than isolated treatment events.
I also feel that value-based healthcare cannot be developed by the government alone. It must be co-created with industry, healthcare providers, and patient groups to break silos between primary, secondary, and tertiary care. Using cardiovascular disease as an example, I see a strong need for outcome-driven metrics that focus on preventing repeat events, strengthening preventive care through risk-based patient cohorts, and ensuring faster and more affordable access to innovation through better reimbursement and insurance coverage.”
The session underscored that India’s healthcare transformation hinges on integrated data systems, transparent outcomes, financial sustainability, and collaborative partnerships between the public and private sectors—a critical step toward a future-ready healthcare ecosystem.
The discussion took place at the VOH National Healthcare Summit & Awards 2025 at Hyatt Regency, New Delhi, on 17 December 2025.