BEST WISHES FROM
-B Swaminathan
India’s healthcare sector is undergoing a steady but uneven shift towards digital-first operations, with artificial intelligence increasingly embedded not just in clinical workflows but in the everyday business of running a hospital or healthcare enterprise, from billing and claims to patient records and cybersecurity. As data volumes grow and compliance requirements tighten under frameworks such as the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, healthcare CIOs are being asked to balance faster, more connected care with the discipline of governance and trust.
Jayasunder, Head of IT at Omega Healthcare, brings a practitioner’s view to this shift. In this conversation, he speaks on where Indian healthcare organisations are actually placing their AI investments, why legacy systems and change management, not budget, remain the biggest roadblock to enterprise-wide IT transformation, and how tools such as Everest IMS’s Infraon have helped move his organisation from reactive support to proactive, data-driven IT operations.
Q1. AI is increasingly used not just for clinical decisions, but for everyday administrative and operational work like billing, claims, and patient records. From a CIO’s seat, where do you see Indian healthcare organisations focusing their AI investments right now, clinical care or back-office operations?
Currently, Indian healthcare organisations are primarily prioritising AI investments in back-office functions such as billing, claims processing and patient records management. The main reasons for this focus include cost reduction, improved accuracy, easier regulatory compliance, and the ability to handle increasing patient volumes without additional staffing. Many healthcare providers also already have digital systems in place for administrative tasks, making AI integration smoother.
While there is growing interest in clinical AI for diagnostics and treatment, most organisations are concentrating their efforts on streamlining administrative operations at this stage. Over time, AI investments are expected to expand into clinical care as the technology and trust in it continue to develop.
Q2. Automation is being sold as a way to reduce errors and improve efficiency, not just speed things up. In your experience, what separates automation projects that genuinely work from ones that just digitise old problems?
In my experience, healthcare organisations are focusing AI investments on improving day-to-day operations. Key areas include automating billing and claims processing, enhancing patient support through AI chatbots, improving medical documentation, optimising hospital operations and workforce management, and strengthening cybersecurity and fraud detection. These initiatives help reduce costs, improve efficiency and enhance the overall patient experience.
Q3. As hospitals and healthcare companies adopt more connected devices, remote monitoring, and digital health tools, protecting patient data becomes harder. How are Indian healthcare CIOs balancing the push for more digital, connected care with data security and compliance requirements like DPDP?
Indian healthcare CIOs are focusing on a security-first approach while expanding digital healthcare services. As more connected devices, remote monitoring solutions and digital health platforms are adopted, organisations are strengthening cybersecurity controls, implementing data encryption, enforcing multi-factor authentication (MFA), and continuously monitoring their environments for potential threats.
At the same time, compliance with regulations such as the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act remains a key priority. Healthcare organisations are investing in data governance, access controls, audit trails and employee awareness programmes to ensure patient data is protected. The goal is to enable secure and connected care while maintaining patient privacy, regulatory compliance and trust.
Q4. Many healthcare organisations are moving away from isolated tech tools toward a more unified, enterprise-wide IT approach. What’s typically the biggest roadblock for Indian companies making this shift, budget, legacy systems, or people not being ready for change?
While budget constraints are always a factor, the biggest roadblock for most Indian healthcare organisations is often legacy systems and change management. Many hospitals still operate with multiple disconnected platforms that are difficult to integrate with modern digital solutions.
In addition, successful transformation requires employees and clinical teams to adapt to new processes and technologies. Resistance to change, skill gaps and concerns about workflow disruptions can slow adoption.
Therefore, the challenge is not just technology or budget. It is a combination of modernising legacy infrastructure, integrating systems, and ensuring that people are trained and ready to embrace new ways of working. Organisations that effectively manage these areas are generally more successful in moving toward a unified, enterprise-wide IT environment.
Q5. With a shortage of skilled healthcare and IT staff, AI is being positioned as a way to fill operational gaps rather than replace people. How practical is this idea in the Indian market, and how should CIOs plan their tech investments around it?
In the Indian healthcare market, AI is best viewed as a tool to augment and support employees rather than replace them. With increasing demand for healthcare services and a shortage of skilled clinical and IT professionals, AI can help automate repetitive tasks, reduce administrative workload and improve productivity.
For example, AI can assist with medical documentation, patient scheduling, billing, claims processing, helpdesk support and data analysis, allowing healthcare professionals to focus more on patient care and critical decision-making. However, human expertise remains essential, especially for clinical judgment, patient interaction and governance.
Healthcare CIOs should focus their investments on AI solutions that enhance workforce efficiency, integrate seamlessly with existing systems, and deliver measurable business outcomes. A phased approach, supported by employee training and strong governance, will help organisations maximise the benefits of AI while addressing workforce challenges effectively.
Q6. You had been using Everest IMS’s Infraon. How has their solution changed the way you work, and what are the key merits your organisation has attained since then?
Some of the key benefits we have realised include:
- Improved end-to-end infrastructure visibility through a single monitoring platform
- Faster incident detection and resolution, resulting in reduced downtime
- Enhanced alerting and correlation capabilities, helping teams prioritise critical issues
- Better capacity and performance monitoring, enabling proactive planning and optimisation
- Streamlined reporting and dashboards for management and operational teams
- Increased operational efficiency by reducing manual monitoring efforts and accelerating troubleshooting
Overall, Infraon has helped us move from a reactive support model to a more proactive and data-driven IT operations approach, improving service availability, user experience and operational effectiveness across the organisation.