The Covid-19 pandemic has introduced a rapid digital transformation in India's healthcare ecosystem. Adoption of advanced technologies and innovations was low prior to the outbreak.
However, today, we are seeing fast-growing digital channel usage across the board—from doctor consultations, patient care, and monitoring to diagnostics, healthcare awareness, skills development, and medication delivery.
The pandemic has introduced critical requirements that demand innovative, effective, and technology-driven solutions, such as remote and home healthcare services.
The efficiency and scalability demonstrated by technology-driven out-of-hospital healthcare services have been well recognized and supported by experts and healthcare stakeholders, including institutional providers. Private healthcare startups responded to the pandemic by allocating resources to build infrastructure and support isolation, quarantine, and remote treatment of patients.
As hospitals and physical diagnostic labs experienced reduced footfall due to pandemic concerns, care providers focused on doorstep diagnostics and non-COVID care for chronic conditions. With outpatient services affected, e-consultations have become the new normal.
One of the biggest developments in digital healthcare has been the rise in e-pharmacy investments. The online pharmacy sector has seen massive growth, expanding from 3.5 million households before the pandemic to more than 9 million households by the end of the first wave. This growth has been faster in non-metro cities and rural areas, indicating robust demand and acceptance across India.
Considering India’s significant chronic disease burden, most households buying medications online are repeat customers, ensuring steady revenue if high service quality is maintained. Venture capital funding in e-pharmacy brands is expanding the segment further. A consulting firm predicts that India's e-pharmacy market will grow at over 65% CAGR, with a 7x increase in size from 2019 to 2023.
Most major traditional healthcare providers from the private sector, which dominate healthcare services in India, are now acknowledging the importance of digital healthcare services. Leading players are offering digital care solutions like home delivery of care, medications, and testing services. Notably, services such as home dialysis and chemotherapy are now available, highlighting ongoing innovation. The digital healthcare ecosystem is growing at a CAGR of over 27% and is expected to surpass $500 billion by 2024.
The government is also driving dynamism and support for digital healthcare services. The Prime Minister recently announced a nationwide rollout of the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM). This initiative aims to create digital connectivity between all healthcare ecosystem stakeholders and provide for the maintenance of Electronic Health Records (EHR) via digital health IDs.
Another government initiative is the e-Sanjeevani platform, a first-of-its-kind online OPD service for citizens, launched under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana. This technology-driven platform is also available as a mobile app and offers free pan-India doctor consultations. It has been a great benefit during the pandemic, further encouraging the growth of digital healthcare services in the country.
With the masses across India becoming accustomed to online services for their daily needs, it is time for digital healthcare services to expand accordingly. Online access to consultations and information can be crucial in addressing the lack of access to basic healthcare in rural and remote areas. In response to the healthcare crisis, India is developing a robust, universal, and affordable digital healthcare environment for all.
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