New Delhi’s health tech scene just witnessed a groundbreaking event aimed at revolutionizing AI in healthcare. The Federated Intelligence Hackathon, hosted at IIT Kanpur, brought together innovators under the banner of the National Health Authority (NHA). This national-level competition, held from January 19 to 24, 2026, as a prelude to the India AI Impact Summit 2026, focused on building secure, privacy-preserving, and scalable health AI systems.
What set this hackathon apart was its emphasis on federated AI models. Participants developed solutions without centralizing sensitive data, prioritizing trust and confidentiality. NHA CEO Dr. Sunil Kumar Barnwal delivered a powerful message during the event. He stressed that AI models for healthcare must undergo extensive testing on diverse, large-scale population data before deployment. This ensures reliability, accuracy, and inclusivity, preventing any group from being left behind.
Dr. Barnwal highlighted India’s shift from experimentation to creating trustworthy, standardized AI for health. Federated and consent-based AI systems, he noted, enable widespread adoption without compromising patient data privacy. This approach strengthens public confidence while scaling innovations.
Referencing key initiatives like Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY and Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), he called for AI solutions tailored to India’s diverse demographics, regions, and needs. The hackathon drew massive interest with 374 registrations, including 208 individuals and 166 teams.
Winners walked away with certificates and a cash prize pool of Rs 12 lakh. The inauguration featured insights from IIT Kanpur Director Prof. Maninder Agarwal, UP Health Secretary Ritu Maheshwari, and Prof. Sandeep Verma. Distinguished guest and former NHA CEO Dr. R.S. Sharma emphasized the role of digital public infrastructure in fostering secure health data systems that balance innovation with accountability.
SarmaAI Co-founder Vivek Raghavan underscored India’s digital health architecture’s potential to democratize AI-driven care. He advocated for robust data governance, privacy safeguards, and indigenous open-source AI models to reduce foreign dependency. As collaborations between tech, research, and government deepen, India’s digital health ecosystem stands poised for transformative growth.