Since last year, the pandemic-driven rise in digital revolution in India's healthcare industry has been making news. The government has come up with number of initiatives to develop solutions that will aid in the fight against the pandemic.

In June 2021, PharmEasy, a healthcare unicorn acquired 66.1% share in Thyrocare for Rs. 4,546 crore (US$ 617.40 million). In the same month, TATA Sons paid an undisclosed amount for majority stake in 1MG technologies, an online pharmacy and healthcare firm. Healthcare sector saw some major acquisition this year. With the adoption of the digitalization in the healthcare sector in India, there has been an increase in fundings.

Dr. Taslimarif Saiyed, CEO and Director of C-CAMP (Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platform) stated, “There was already a movement in healthcare to use digital solutions for diagnostics, screening, as well as other services. Digital or tech-based healthcare was on the rise, although not in full force due to a variety of factors, including behavioural traits and budget constraints. However, the change has been expedited due to the COVID-19-led circumstances.”

Following are few upcoming trends which India will witness in healthtech sector as the sector continues to expand and flourish:

• The adoption of digital technology and hybrid model:  The COVID-19 pandemic has made the doctor realise the importance of virtual treatment/consultations and other medical services. People have immediately shift to online platforms for checks and follow ups due to the risk of catching virus. Not just consultations, but also diagnosis, has gone online, with patients scheduling tests and having them completed from the comfort of their own homes. However, moving the full consultation and diagnosis procedure online could be difficult. Thus, for that purpose henceforth the healthtech may follow a hybrid approach, in which both online and offline services collaborate to improve access to high-quality healthcare. While internet consulting and telemedicine facilities can help spread the word across the country, offline partners can help with the implementation.
   
• Home care and Remote monitoring:  As per sources, India's doctor-to-patient ratio is 1:1456, which is lower than the WHO's recommended ratio of 1:1000. In the midst of the pandemic, India has realised that, other than developing the infrastructure, it is also important to increase more healthcare staff which will be required to address the demands of the overall population. Remote care monitoring service can be one of the solutions to this problem. Home care is projected to play an important role in healthtech as desire for remote care monitoring is increasing. Experts believe that in the future, post-operative care may be provided from the comfort of one's own home through remote monitoring services. Start-ups like MedRabbits, MyHealthcare, and BeatO, among others, are focusing on developing unique solutions in this area.
   
• Rapid use of Machine learning, Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things (IoT): People are adopting a smart health device not only for healthier lifestyle but also to check their health on frequent basis regarding to vitals, diabetes and blood pressure level. Technologies such as AI, ML and IoT are trending a lot in health sector particularly in diagnosis. Deep technologies were used by start-ups like NIRAMAI, 5C Network, and Predible, among others, which helps in pre-screening and diagnosis of medical problems during the pandemic. As per the reports by Data Bridge, the global smart devices market will be growing at a CARG at 20.1% from US$ 30,084.95 million in 2020 to US$ 126,409.49 million in 2028. Nowadays using IoT gadgets and mobile apps doctors can get real time update regarding the patient’s health without visiting them.
   
• Digital Medical Records: People who are suffering from current Covid situation need hospitalization at any moment so in that case to make treatment related to choices, doctors need access to patient’s entire medical record. This has sparked the importance of having electronic medical records that can be accessed quickly and even remotely at any moment. Apart from assisting with faster treatment decisions, the recorded data will aid in the analysis and investigation of health and illness trends across the country, allowing consumers, health agencies, and the government to take appropriate measures.

Electronic health services such as teleconsultation, online pharmacies, and electronic health records had already been accessible in India since long, but the acceptance among both doctors and patients has been poor. Due to the current pandemic situation lot of people have adopted these services. The Indian healthtech market is expected to develop at a 39% CAGR to US$ 5 billion by 2023, according to an IAMAI-Praxis analysis titled “HealthTech Predictions 2021.”, It is also highlighted that government measures like the release of Telemedicine Practice Guidelines, the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM), and eAccess are important for the healthcare industry.