Bengal on cusp of health-tech collaboration, says MLA

Kolkata: ASSOCHAM hosted the 6th edition of The Health Meet and Excellence Awards 2026 on Friday. The event’s theme was ‘The Future of Health: Human Centered AI’. The forum brought together policy-makers and industry experts to focus on the next phase of healthcare transformation driven by responsible technology and patient-first innovation.

MLA Indranil Khan, who was chief guest, highlighted the state’s growing potential as a hub for health-tech entrepreneurship, pharmaceutical innovation, biomedical engineering, and AI-led healthcare research. He reaffirmed continued policy support focused on ethical AI governance, digital literacy, workforce training, and responsible innovation. Emphasising stronger healthcare delivery, Khan said Bengal is on the cusp of a health-sector revolution and assured that beneficiaries will soon be covered under Ayushman Bharat and issued ABHA cards. He stressed that patient care must remain the priority across public and private hospitals.

Key speakers included Sombrata Roy, Debarshi Duttagupta, Abanis Nayak, Ajay Swaroop, and Rupali Basu.