In a major step toward ethical AI integration in healthcare, the National Health Authority (NHA) organized the Federated Intelligence Hackathon at IIT Kanpur. Partnering with ICMR-NIRDHDS and IIT Kanpur, this event from January 19-24, 2026, served as a lead-up to the India AI Impact Summit 2026. The goal? Develop federated AI systems that protect privacy while scaling effectively for national health needs.
NHA CEO Dr. Sunil Kumar Barnwal was unequivocal: AI tools must be rigorously vetted on broad, varied datasets prior to rollout in health services. ‘This builds trust, ensures precise outcomes, and promotes equity,’ he stated. India is now prioritizing reliable, standardized AI models over mere pilots.
The federated approach shines here—innovators trained models across distributed data sources without ever pooling sensitive health information. This preserves privacy and accelerates tech adoption. Dr. Barnwal linked this to flagship programs like Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY and ABDM, urging AI that adapts to India’s multicultural fabric.
Participation soared with 374 entries: 208 solo participants and 166 teams. Top performers received Rs 12 lakh in prizes and certificates. Opening remarks from IIT Kanpur’s Prof. Sandeep Verma, Director Maninder Agarwal, and UP’s Ritu Maheshwari highlighted tripartite synergy among technology, academia, and policy.
Former NHA CEO Dr. R.S. Sharma praised interoperable digital platforms for enabling accountable innovation. SarmaAI’s Vivek Raghavan pointed to quality data, stringent privacy laws, and homegrown open-source models as pillars of success. These efforts signal India’s resolve to lead in privacy-first health AI, safeguarding citizens while unlocking efficiencies.
