The National Health Authority (NHA) organised a 2-Day Chintan Shivir of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PMJAY) and Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) from 19–20 January, 2026 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

Inaugurating the Chintan Shivir, Dr. Mukesh Mahaling, Minister of Health and Family Welfare and IT, Odisha, expressed his delight at Odisha hosting this important national dialogue. He said, “Guided by the visionary leadership of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, India continues to advance towards the aim of a ‘Swasth Bharat, Sashakt Bharat’. Ensuring quality healthcare for all remains a top priority for the government.”

The Minister highlighted Odisha’s strong progress in the implementation of AB PM-JAY and ABDM, noting the state’s leading performance in PM-JAY card distribution and the expansion of cashless healthcare coverage. He reiterated Odisha’s commitment to strengthening service delivery and advancing ABDM through collaborative efforts and dedicated adoption strategies. During the event, Dr. Mahaling visited the NHA stall and experienced the VR walkthrough, which offered an immersive view of the patient journey in an ABDM-enabled hospital and showcased other digital health innovations.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Sunil Kumar Barnwal, CEO, NHA, underscored the strength of India’s robust national health IT platform for AB PM-JAY, which enables multiple schemes to be onboarded using common standards while allowing states the flexibility to tailor service delivery to local needs. He remarked, “This two-day Chintan Shivir focuses on two flagship initiatives – AB PM-JAY and ABDM – and serves as a platform for knowledge exchange, sharing best practices, and addressing implementation challenges faced by states at the national level.”

Dr. Barnwal further stated that Odisha is committed to the large-scale implementation of ABDM, aimed at building a robust digital health infrastructure that integrates public and private hospitals, generates digital health records, and ensures seamless, patient-centric care. “This initiative will be taken up in mission mode to enhance transparency, improve efficiency, and position the state as a leader in digital healthcare,” he added.

During the Chintan Shivir, NHA exchanged three key Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Bhashini, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, and NABH-QCI. These partnerships aim to enhance multilingual access to digital health services, boost AI-driven innovations in the health sector, and strengthen quality and accreditation standards. On the occasion, NHA also launched the Health Benefit Package (HBP) Manual – Part 2 and the Best Practices Compendium of AB PM-JAY.

Day 1 of the Chintan Shivir witnessed active participation from representatives of nearly 30 States and Union Territories. The NHA stall attracted significant interest, facilitating PM-JAY card issuance for eligible beneficiaries, ABHA registrations for attendees, and offering an engaging VR walkthrough experience of an ABDM-enabled hospital. Senior officials deliberated on key topics including the Ayushman App, auto-adjudication, e-Sushrut@Clinic, Aarogya Setu App, revised DHIS guidelines, onboarding of pharmacists on the Health Professional Registry (HPR), ABDM implementation in AB PM-JAY empanelled hospitals, and the functioning of the National Anti-Fraud Unit (NAFU).

Day 2 featured in-depth discussions on AI-driven use cases, policy initiatives, and the roadmap for strengthening India’s digital healthcare ecosystem. Deliberations by dignitaries focused on IT upgradation under AB PM-JAY, HBP rationalisation, IEC strategies, capacity building through the NHA Digital Academy, and the transformative role of artificial intelligence in healthcare delivery.

The discussions highlighted the remarkable progress achieved under AB PM-JAY since its launch in 2018, with a strong emphasis on transparency, efficiency, and accessibility enabled through digital health initiatives, AI-enabled data management, and technology-driven healthcare delivery under ABDM.

The Chintan Shivirs serve as a vital platform to address challenges, support states in effective implementation, and foster collective action towards accessible and inclusive healthcare across the country. Guided by the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat, Atmanirbhar Bharat, Swasth Bharat, and Sashakt Bharat’, the National Health Authority is advancing a clear and structured roadmap to strengthen healthcare systems nationwide. As India positions itself as a global leader in health sector transformation, NHA’s sustained efforts aim not only to expand quality healthcare to every citizen but also to establish India as a model for building citizen-centric healthcare ecosystems.

Senior dignitaries including Smt. Anu Garg, Chief Secretary, Odisha; Shri Sampath Kumar, Principal Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Department, Meghalaya; Smt. Gayatri Rathore, Principal Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Department, Rajasthan; Smt. Aswathy S, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Department, Odisha; Shri Ghiyas Uddin Ahmed, Joint Secretary (Finance Division), NHA; Shri Kiran Gopal Vaska, Joint Secretary (ABDM), NHA; Smt. Jyoti Yadav, Joint Secretary (PMJAY), NHA along with senior officials from the Union Health Ministry, National Health Authority, and State Health Authorities, actively participated in the sessions and shared their perspectives on the roadmap and way forward.

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