India’s Healthcare Revolution: How Telemedicine Is Making Healthcare More Accessible Across India

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly accelerated telehealth in India as in-person doctor visits fell to just 32% from previous levels while online consultations jumped 300% during lockdowns. This surge revealed telemedicine’s ability to bridge care gaps. Today, India has ~ 820 million internet users and some of the world’s lowest data costs, setting the stage for a digital health revolution. Globally, studies show telemedicine can be as effective as traditional care, and India has moved quickly to seize this promise. The government published the official Telemedicine Practice Guidelines in 2020 and launched the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) in 2021, laying down digital infrastructure. It also scaled up eSanjeevani, the free national telemedicine service, to connect patients with doctors remotely.

Today, telemedicine is rewriting the rules of healthcare access. As one analysis notes, “India’s telehealth revolution is a testament to what happens when vision meets technology and compassion meets scale.” It is especially remarkable in a nation where 65% of people live in rural areas but over 70% of doctors practice in cities. Telemedicine has “rewritten the rules of who can get care and when,” bringing specialist consultations into remote villages. Platforms like eSanjeevani have become true lifelines – “connecting a diabetic grandmother to an endocrinologist in Delhi or enabling an expectant mother to consult an obstetrician without leaving her village.” This is more than convenience; it is equity in action, showing that every screen tap can be “a step toward better health for all.”

What is telemedicine?

Telemedicine refers to the remote delivery of clinical health services – virtual doctor consultations, diagnoses, treatment, and follow-ups over digital audio-visual links. By contrast, telehealth is a broad term that includes all technology-driven health services (remote monitoring, health education apps and administrative systems). Both play a crucial role in expanding access to care, especially in underserved regions.

Telemedicine players, including private companies like Practo, mfine, and Tata Health now facilitate online doctor consultations. Apollo TeleHealth provides remote diagnostic and specialty services. The government has also frameworks in place: NITI Aayog’s Telemedicine Guidelines lay out the legal and ethical rules for e-consultations. On the ground, public programs like Tele-MANAS (the National Tele-Mental Health Programme) offer free counselling calls, and eSanjeevani delivers general tele-consultations nationwide. These services are integrated under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission’s digital health architecture, helping standardise and scale up telemedicine across the country.

India’s telemedicine journey

• Late 1990s–mid-2000s: Telemedicine began with pilot projects at major hospitals (AIIMS, PGIMER, SGPGIMS) and India’s first hospital IT system (1996). The mid-2000s saw the government create a Telemedicine Task Force and fund national networks (NKN, SWAN, NOFN) under the 11th Five-Year Plan, building infrastructure for tele-education and remote consultations.
• Mid-2000s–2010s: Core programs (Onco-NET for oncology, tele-ophthalmology) expanded remote specialty care. Six regional Telemedicine Resource Centres provided training and tech support, and indigenous software (Sanjeevani, Mercury®) linked primary clinics to hospitals, scaling rural tele-consultations.
• 2020 (Guidelines and pandemic): India issued the official Telemedicine Practice Guidelines (March 2020) to formalise virtual care. The COVID-19 lockdown then spurred telehealth: in-person visits dropped to ~32% while online consultations jumped ~300%, rapidly validating telemedicine’s value.
• 2021–2022: The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (launched in 2021) built national digital health infrastructure, and the eSanjeevani platform was rolled out across thousands of clinics. In October 2022, the government also launched Tele-MANAS (the National Tele-Mental Health Programme), setting up nationwide remote counselling centres.
• 2023–present: Telemedicine is now mainstream. As of mid-2025, eSanjeevani has facilitated ~372 million remote consultations with ~220,000 nationwide providers, illustrating how digital health initiatives are bridging India’s urban–rural care gaps.

Government and private platforms

The flagship public telemedicine platform in India is eSanjeevani, developed by C-DAC Mohali under the Ministry of Health. This free service offers video consultations via a smartphone or local health centre, connecting doctors with patients. It operates on a hub-and-spoke model: Over 1,50,000 village-level clinics and wellness centres are connected to city hospitals. eSanjeevani was customised for India’s needs from 2018. Today, it covers ~ 1,55,000 public health facilities.

Another government initiative is Tele-MANAS (the national tele-mental health program), which provides round-the-clock counselling via phone and video. Launched in 2022, Tele-MANAS set up nationwide helpline centres and by early 2025 had fielded over 17 lakh calls. The Defence Ministry also has SeHAT OPD, an e-health platform connecting armed forces personnel with military doctors, and an e-HIVCare network for HIV/AIDS patients – both built by the same C-DAC team. Through bilateral projects (Pan-African and SAARC e-Networks), India has even implemented telemedicine networks in Myanmar, Tanzania, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia.

The private sector offers its own telehealth services. Startups and online portals (Practo, mfine, Tata Health) now let patients consult doctors virtually. Hospital chains and specialty networks (Apollo TeleHealth) provide remote diagnostics and specialist care. New software-as-a-service solutions are also emerging – from e-pharmacies that manage online prescriptions and drug delivery, to remote patient-monitoring platforms that collect real-time health data. Together with the government systems, these public and private platforms are rapidly expanding who can receive care and how – knitting both providers and patients into India’s evolving digital health landscape.

Key growth milestones and statistics

Each of these figures reflects a major stride in India’s digital health journey, signalling that policy support and innovation is paying off with measurable results.

Investment and innovation landscape

India’s telemedicine boom has captured investor interest and spawned new innovations. Digital health offers opportunities across devices, software and services: analysts point to growth in manufacturing medical wearables, developing patient-facing apps, and building AI-driven diagnostics, robotic surgery tools, sensors and remote-monitoring systems.

Indeed, India’s telehealth industry is expected to be a fast-growing market. Valued at Rs. 13,020 crore (US$ 1.54 billion) in 2024, India’s telehealth sector is expected to grow at a 20.75% CAGR from 2016 to 2030, underscoring the scale of opportunity. Government policy further sweetens the deal.

Under ABDM, the Digital Health Incentive Scheme awards financial grants to hospitals and startups that adopt interoperable electronic health record systems. The tax regime also favours telehealth investment: healthcare education and training services are exempt from service tax, and approved telemedicine and radiology technologies qualify for a 250% tax deduction on operating expenses. Domestically manufactured medical devices receive income-tax exemptions for 15 years, incentivising local production of telehealth equipment. These policy measures – along with increasing health Information Technology (IT) budgets – are stimulating a vibrant ecosystem and encouraging startups to scale up solutions.

India’s telemedicine revolution shows how policy, technology and compassion can converge to transform healthcare. By weaving together high-speed networks, mobile clinics and homegrown software, India is extending quality care from the cities to remote villages – turning digital connectivity into real access. These efforts are improving equity at home and showcasing India on the world stage. Programs like the India-Africa e-Vidya Arogya Bharati initiative (now serving 22 African countries) and joint telehealth networks with neighbours highlight India’s growing global leadership in digital health.

With continued support and attention to literacy, data protection and infrastructure – India can sustain this momentum. Telemedicine is no longer a niche convenience but a foundation for universal health coverage. If investments and regulations keep pace, India’s model of inclusive, technology-powered healthcare will provide lessons for many countries. The journey ahead is clear: as one expert puts it, with the right tools even entrenched gaps can be bridged and every virtual visit can be “a step toward better health for all.” By staying focused on people’s needs and equitable access, India is poised to lead the way toward a sustainable, next-generation healthcare system.