Union Minister Nadda Launches SAHI and BODH Initiatives

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Jagat Prakash Nadda, today launched two pioneering digital health initiatives — SAHI (Secure AI for Health Initiative) and BODH (Benchmarking Open Data Platform for Health AI) — during the India AI Impact Summit 2026. The launch marks a significant milestone in advancing safe, ethical, and evidence-based deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in India’s healthcare ecosystem.

Describing the Summit as both timely and necessary, Shri Nadda emphasized that AI does not operate in isolation, but thrives on strong digital infrastructure and high-quality data. Recognizing this early, India began laying its digital foundations nearly a decade ago. In 2015, under the leadership of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, the Government launched the Digital India programme to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy

Shri Nadda also emphasized that SAHI provides a structured framework for collaboration, ensuring that innovation flourishes while public interest remains paramount

Addressing the gathering, Union Health Secretary, Punya Salila Srivastava, stated that under the visionary leadership of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, India has made tremendous strides in leveraging technology to make governance more inclusive, transparent, and efficient.

Dr. Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge, World Health Organization South-East Asia Regional Office, also addressed the Summit and commended India’s leadership in digital health innovation. She noted that India is among the first countries to adopt a national AI strategy for health, setting an important global benchmark.(updated on 17th Feb 2026)