India Emerges as One of Asia Pacific Region's Most AI-Ready Healthcare Markets: Report

• India is among the region’s most AI-receptive healthcare markets, with 78% of consumers using GenAI for diagnosis and treatment support.

• Nearly 9 in 10 Indian consumers want more convenient care, messaging access to doctors and a single point of coordination.

• The Bain report says AI could help ease workload pressures on doctors by cutting administrative burden and improving efficiency.

India has emerged as one of Asia Pacific region's most AI-ready healthcare markets, with 78% of consumers using GenAI to better understand diagnoses and treatment options, according to a report by Bain & Company.

Healthcare systems in Asia-Pacific are facing growing strain as rising patient expectations collide with a stretched clinical workforce, accelerating the shift toward new care models and AI-enabled support, said the report titled '2026 Asia-Pacific Front Line of Healthcare Report'.

Consumers across Asia-Pacific are increasingly taking a proactive role in managing their health while expecting more convenience, responsiveness and coordination from the healthcare system, it said.

As per the report, 84% of consumers expect greater convenience from the healthcare system, while 71% expect doctors to be more responsive through channels such as phone, WhatsApp or email. Three out of five consumers now also schedule regular checkups and screenings, compared to 47% in 2023.

"These expectations are even more pronounced in India. Nearly nine in ten (i.e. 88% consumers expect more convenient healthcare experiences, 79% expect phone and messaging accessibility from doctors, and 93% want a single point of coordination across their healthcare journey," it added.

When it comes to GenAI and digital health adoption, the report said, "India is emerging as one of the region's most AI-receptive healthcare markets: 78% of consumers use GenAI to better understand diagnoses and treatment options, while 73% use it to prepare for appointments, and 72% leverage it to navigate the healthcare system." Gen Z's are driving digital health adoption, with 66% of Gen Z respondents using online pharmacies and demonstrating higher engagement with AI-enabled healthcare tools and services, it added.

The report is based on surveys of 6,300 consumers across nine Asia-Pacific markets and 600 doctors in the region.

Commenting on the findings, Bain & Company Head Global Healthcare & Life Sciences Practice, Vikram Kapur said, "The region's healthcare systems are approaching an inflection point where rising demand, workforce scarcity and fragmented care delivery models are converging at the same time." He further said, "The challenge now is not simply expanding access, but fundamentally redesigning how care is coordinated, delivered and experienced." Indians are increasingly taking charge of their wellbeing, Dhruv Sukhrani, Head of Bain & Company's India Healthcare & Life Sciences practice said.

"With 89% being interested in prioritising prevention and lifestyle changes, and nearly half reporting higher spending on nutrition supplements and fitness, we are seeing a clear shift towards proactive health management," he noted.

There is an increasing use of GenAI to understand diagnoses and treatment pathways, and rising expectations around convenience and coordination, Sukhrani said.

Overall, AI-enabled care is gaining ground across Asia-Pacific and is showing potential for easing some pressures in healthcare, particularly for use cases that support clinicians and improve efficiency, as per the report.

Doctors, surveyed by Bain, identify reducing administrative burden and workload as the most significant potential benefits of AI adoption, it added.

Nearly three in four Asia-Pacific consumers report feeling comfortable with at least one AI-enabled healthcare application, the report said.