India Launches National AI Doctors Mission to Train Doctors in AI

India has launched the National AI Doctors Mission to train medical professionals in the responsible use of artificial intelligence, as healthcare systems move faster to adopt AI in clinical practice.

The initiative was launched at HealthAIcon 2026 in New Delhi, organized by Medical Dialogues in association with the National Medical Forum. The conference brought together policymakers, clinicians, researchers, innovators and industry executives to discuss AI use in healthcare.

The mission aims to build AI literacy, structured training pathways and ethical clinical use of AI among doctors.

Medical Dialogues said the initiative is being implemented with support from institutions including the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), the Indian Council of Medical Research, Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone and Health Parliament.

India’s national doctor-population ratio has improved to an estimated 1:811, above the WHO benchmark of 1:1,000, according to the Union Health Ministry. But rural and underserved regions continue to face uneven access to doctors, staff and health infrastructure, making the case for digital tools stronger and more complicated.

Dr. Abhijat Sheth, Chairperson of the National Medical Commission and President of NBEMS, said AI is already becoming part of everyday healthcare and medical education must adjust to that reality.

“We are not just adopting AI, we are adopting it at scale across a diverse healthcare system,” Sheth said at the conference, according to PTI.

Sheth said the real challenge is preparing doctors and health systems to use AI responsibly and effectively. He warned that if medical education remains confined to traditional frameworks, it risks creating a gap between what doctors are taught and what they encounter in practice.

“This is not about turning a doctor into a technologist,” Sheth said. “It is about ensuring that every doctor understands what AI can and can’t do.”

The National AI Doctors Mission is intended to address that gap through awareness programs, training and certification, clinical integration and national scale-up. Its stated objectives include AI literacy, capacity building, ethical use and ecosystem development.

Dr. Prem Aggarwal, President of the NAIDM organizing committee, said the mission is meant to move AI adoption from fragmented experimentation toward structured implementation.

“The National AI Doctors Mission (NAIDM) aims to build awareness, create structured learning pathways, and ensure the responsible and ethical clinical use of AI in healthcare,” Aggarwal said.

The mission comes as AI tools are being tested or deployed in areas including diagnostics, clinical decision support, patient triage, medical imaging and hospital administration. Its organizers said the aim is to help doctors evaluate AI outputs critically while preserving independent clinical judgment.

Sheth said AI adoption in healthcare must remain ethical, safe and aligned with clinical realities. He also stressed that regulatory questions around AI must be addressed as doctors begin using these systems in routine care.