AI-Powered Precision: GE HealthCare’s Vision for MedTech Innovation in India

India's MedTech sector is rapidly growing, fuelled by initiatives like the National Health Policy, Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, and the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, which enhance healthcare access and delivery.

AI and ML are driving advancements, transforming diagnostics and treatment through preventive, predictive, and personalised care. AI adoption in Indian healthcare, valued at $1.6 billion by 2025, is robust, with 57% of providers using AI—outpacing global rates.

In a conversation with CiOL, Girish Raghavan, CTO – Women’s Health & X-Ray and VP – Engineering at GE HealthCare Technology Centre India, shares how GE HealthCare is driving India's MedTech evolution with advanced technologies and a commitment to ‘Make in India, for the world.’

Their focus on AI-driven diagnostics, especially in oncology and imaging, aims to deliver precision health nationwide. Innovations like the AI-powered Cath Lab and Revolution Aspire CT enhance diagnosis and imaging intelligence. India stands as a critical market for their strategic mission towards creating a world where healthcare has no limits and enabling clinicians to diagnose patients accurately across diverse clinical environments. Excerpts.

How does India fit into GE HealthCare’s global strategy, given its rapid MedTech growth?

Today, India is the fourth-largest economy in the world—a $4 trillion economy. India is not only among the world’s fastest-growing economies but also among the top 20 MedTech markets globally. Reports suggest that India’s global market share in medical devices is expected to grow from 1.65% to 10–12% over the next 25 years. These statistics make India a market of opportunities. The country is also ambitiously investing in healthcare and incentivising localisation. India’s public expenditure on healthcare touched 2.1% of GDP in FY23 and 2.2% in FY22, up from 1.6% in FY21 (as per the Economic Survey 2022-23).

Beyond the opportunities in India, our vision here is deeply aligned with the promise of Atmanirbhar Bharat. India has been a high-growth, high-priority market for GE HealthCare for decades. We are among the first MedTech companies to ‘Make in India—for India and the world’. We have the largest installed base of medical equipment in the region, the largest R&D centre for GE HealthCare globally, four manufacturing plants, and over 30 products sold in over 70 countries.

‘Make in India—for India and the world’ is not just a vision, but a long-standing strategy that positions India as a key pillar in GE HealthCare’s global roadmap. Over the past three decades, we have built deep innovation and manufacturing capabilities in India, including our largest R&D centre worldwide. Technologies conceptualised and developed here are powering precision care not just locally but across international markets—demonstrating how India contributes to global healthcare transformation. This approach reinforces our strategic focus on delivering precision, preventive, and predictive healthcare that is locally rooted and globally relevant.

What key innovations from the GE HealthCare India Technology Centre are making a global impact?

The GE HealthCare India Technology Centre (HTC–India) is not just our largest R&D hub globally—it was also among the first healthcare technology centres to be set up in India, with a legacy spanning over three decades. Since then, it has grown into a core engine of innovation, contributing to both local priorities and global product development.

With more than 1,250 patents and 130+ innovations, the centre is behind several critical advancements in areas like AI-powered diagnostics, digital health solutions, imaging platforms, and maternal-infant care. These technologies are embedded into products used by clinicians around the world, helping improve outcomes at scale.

Our commitment to patient-centric innovation aligns closely with the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision. We are focused on developing medical technologies that are not only cutting-edge but also accessible to every corner of the country. A strong example of this is Revolution™ Aspire—a CT imaging system conceptualised and designed at HTC–India and manufactured at our PLI-backed facility in Bengaluru. Aspire has played a key role in expanding access to advanced diagnostics, with over 100 installations in its first year—nearly 50% in non-metro and Tier-2 cities, and 30% placed with first-time CT users. It reflects our ongoing effort to bring precision healthcare closer to communities that need it most.

HTC–India remains central to GE HealthCare’s global innovation story, building solutions that are clinically meaningful, technologically advanced, and locally relevant.

Can you tell us more about AI-led solutions from GE HealthCare that are transforming diagnostics and treatment, especially in oncology and imaging?

Cancer remains a major healthcare challenge in India, with 1.45 million new cases diagnosed annually—a number expected to reach 2 million by 2040 (ICMR, 2023). Alarmingly, over 75% of patients are diagnosed at advanced stages, making early detection and timely intervention critical. Gaps in screening access, imaging infrastructure, and clinical workflow efficiency further intensify the burden.

Cancer care demands a personalised, multidisciplinary approach across the entire care continuum—from early detection and diagnosis to treatment planning, intervention, and ongoing monitoring. Often, this involves collaboration across medical, surgical, and radiation oncology, as well as specialists aligned to specific organs impacted by the disease. At GE HealthCare, we are transforming this complex landscape through AI-powered innovations that unify screening, diagnosis, and precision image-guided therapy. Our ecosystem of intelligent devices and digital solutions enhances coordination across care teams, advancing the patient journey from early detection through treatment and follow-up.

We integrate AI into imaging modalities such as MRI, CT, and ultrasound to improve diagnostic accuracy and accelerate clinical decision-making. Solutions like OncoCare and CareIntellect leverage AI and data integration to support evidence-based treatment planning. We are also harnessing Theranostics—a combination of diagnostics and therapeutics—to personalise cancer care at a molecular level.

With every innovation, we are redefining oncology care—bridging gaps, enhancing precision, and ensuring patients receive the right care at the right time.

How are Public-Private Partnerships and policy engagement helping expand healthcare access across India?

At GE HealthCare, we believe that expanding healthcare access at scale requires strong collaboration between the public and private sectors. Aligned with national priorities such as Viksit Bharat, Make in India, and Atmanirbhar Bharat, we work closely with policymakers to co-create inclusive healthcare solutions that address India’s diverse needs.

We are a long-standing partner in Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and National Health Mission-funded projects, with the largest PPP install base in the region—over 340 installations across 22 states. As the leading technology partner for radiology PPPs, our innovations power over 200 hospitals across modalities such as MRI, CT, X-ray, and ultrasound—strengthening diagnostic infrastructure and enabling timely care delivery across the country.

Under the Government of India’s Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, our Bengaluru-based manufacturing facility supports the vision of self-reliant healthcare by enabling localised development of advanced medical technologies. This aligns with our broader commitment to improving access to high-quality care through innovation, collaboration, and policy-driven impact.

How is GE HealthCare collaborating with the industry and policymakers to expand healthcare access?

GE HealthCare is advancing its mission of accessible, high-quality care by collaborating closely with leading hospitals, academic institutions, and policymakers to co-create innovative healthcare solutions tailored for India.

We have partnered with premier institutions such as AIIMS, IISc, and the Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) to address some of the country’s most critical healthcare challenges. With AIIMS, we are working to enhance early diagnostics and clinical training through cutting-edge technologies. Our MoU with IISc focuses on advancing MedTech innovation using AI, medical imaging, and precision diagnostics. With TMC, we are establishing a Cancer Research & Innovation Centre to co-develop oncology solutions that can scale across India and beyond.

Additionally, we have partnerships with IITs and collaborate with key industry players like Elekta to expand access to precision radiation therapy.

What are the biggest challenges in AI adoption in Indian healthcare, and how is GE HealthCare addressing them?

One of the biggest challenges in AI adoption in Indian healthcare is the complexity and fragmentation of data—much of it unstructured, like clinical notes, images, wearables, and behavioural data. Traditional AI models struggle here, as they often require retraining for specific diseases, slowing adoption and scalability.

We see AI as a key enabler to simplify complex data, improve care delivery, and reduce burnout. Our foundation models—like the full-body X-ray model and SonoSAMTrack ultrasound—are designed to minimise constant retraining. These models are versatile, scalable, and optimised for deployment, especially in resource-restricted environments.

We focus on making AI valuable at the point of care with platforms like CareIntellect, which consolidates multimodal data to aid decision-making; its oncology module already helps simplify complex patient information. On access, tools like Vscan Air, a portable AI-enabled handheld ultrasound device, enable frontline workers to provide diagnostics in underserved rural areas, addressing healthcare access for billions.

Trust in AI is essential for adoption. AI solutions must be integrated responsibly into clinical workflows with transparency, safety, and accountability to earn clinicians’ and patients’ confidence—especially critical in India’s diverse healthcare environment.