Explore the Indian telemedicine industry- current positioning, potential growth, challenges being faced and relevant business models

Abstract

According to WHO, Telemedicine refers to “the delivery of health care services, where distance is a critical factor, by all health care professionals using information and communication technologies for the exchange of valid information for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease and injuries, research and evaluation, and for the continuing education of health care providers, all in the interests of advancing the health of individuals and their communities”. (WHO, 2009) Telemedicine in India started in the form of pilot projects taken up by the Government of India in association with ISRO and other institutes in 1999. The last decade (2010-2019) saw a rapid growth in telemedicine services, making the market valued at Rs 380.22 crores in 2019. (BIS Research, 2020) India is a country with around 70% of the population residing in the rural areas, whereas most of the healthcare services are present in the urban areas. A gap is thus created between the need and the demands of the rural population in India. The development of digital technologies in the past decade has been crucial in bridging this gap. Numerous Telemedicine companies and services have entered the market recently owing to the many emerging growth opportunities.