DPDP + ABDM: Health-Tech’s Real Disruption Isn’t AI, It’s Compliance
HEALTH-TECH
You walk into a hospital and the receptionist asks for your health records from the last few years. You usually carry a thick folder of paper reports, but today you’ve forgotten some important ones—perhaps the latest scan or a recent blood test. Panic sets in. You worry you might have to repeat tests, endure longer waits or worse, the doctor might treat you without seeing your full history.
Now imagine a different scenario: instead of scrambling for papers, you provide a 14-digit health ID at reception. Instantly, all your past consultations, prescriptions, test results, even childhood immunizations pop up on the doctor’s screen.
This seamless experience isn’t science fiction—it’s the vision behind India’s Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) combined with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act). Together, ABDM and the DPDP Act aim to make that reassuring scenario possible for every Indian patient.
What is ABDM? India’s Big Bet on Digital Health Records
Launched in 2021 under the aegis of the National Health Authority (NHA), the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) is building India’s national digital health backbone.
At its heart is the creation of a unique health identity for each citizen, known as an Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA). This is a 14-digit health ID through which you can store your entire health history digitally—doctor visits, lab tests, prescriptions, hospitalizations and more.
As of July 2025, nearly 79.71 crore ABHA accounts have been created across India and about 65.09 crore electronic health records have been linked to these IDs.
ABDM isn’t just about personal health IDs; it is about connecting the entire healthcare ecosystem. The mission has developed registries for health facilities and professionals—the Health Facility Registry (HFR) and the Healthcare Professionals Registry (HPR). Over 4.17 lakh healthcare facilities and about 6.76 lakh professionals are already registered.
This means any ABDM-registered doctor or hospital, with your consent, can access your health history, no matter where you received care. ABDM is building an integrated digital ecosystem where your health record is portable and lifelong—not lost in a folder or tied to one hospital’s software.
Crucially, ABDM also supports offline and assisted access. People in areas with poor internet or those unfamiliar with technology, can create ABHA IDs at hospitals or service centres, with help. Interfaces are multilingual and designed for inclusivity.
What is the DPDP Act, 2023—and Why Does It Matter?
Digital health records bring immense value—but also new risks. That’s where the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act) comes in.
The DPDP Act governs how organizations collect, store and process personal data in digital form. It lays down rules to ensure that health data is handled lawfully, fairly and transparently.
Hospitals, labs and apps must collect only what’s necessary and process it only for valid purposes. As a citizen, you now have the right to:
Access your data
Correct errors in it
Request its deletion
Withdraw your consent
These rights are legally binding and violations can attract penalties of up to ₹250 crore.
The DPDP Act ensures your digital health records stay private, secure and under your control. It complements ABDM’s technical design by providing legal safeguards.
Why the Old Way Was Broken
Paper records are easy to lose or damage. If you visit multiple providers or move cities, your health data is scattered and inaccessible. Doctors work in silos. You repeat tests. You carry files.
Privacy? Practically nonexistent. A misplaced file, a loose email attachment and your most sensitive data could be exposed.
Digital transformation promises to fix this—but only if it’s backed by accountability, interoperability and trust.
What ABDM + DPDP Promise Together
1. Privacy, Security and Control
Your health data can only be accessed with informed consent. Hospitals and apps must follow clear rules for collecting, storing and sharing data. Encryption, access controls and audits are built-in, not optional.
You can ask: What data do you have on me? Why do you need it? Can I see it, fix it or delete it? And legally, you must get an answer.
2. Your Health History—Anytime, Anywhere
Your records travel with you. Whether you move cities or see a new doctor, your ABHA ID unlocks your history (with your permission). This reduces misdiagnoses, repeat testing and fragmented care.
3. A Platform for Innovation
ABDM provides open APIs and a sandbox for startups. With DPDP defining privacy standards, innovators know how to build responsibly from day one.
Already, hundreds of telemedicine platforms, diagnostic apps and digital clinics are integrating with ABDM, creating a new era of secure, scalable and ethical health-tech.
Gaps We Can’t Ignore
Health data isn’t yet a special category under the DPDP Act. That makes strict implementation and anonymization even more important.
Real informed consent is harder than a checkbox. Forms must be clear, simple and multilingual.
Implementation matters. Laws don’t enforce themselves—clinics and apps must invest in encryption, storage, audit trails and training.
Digital divide is real. Not everyone has a smartphone. Offline and assisted options must scale for the system to be truly inclusive.
What You Can Do
Get your ABHA ID and start linking your records.
Ask questions when sharing your data. Why is it needed? Who can see it?
Store records securely. Avoid sharing them on unencrypted apps or email.
Choose compliant apps that integrate with ABDM and follow DPDP.
Know your rights. You can access, correct or delete your data.
Why Compliance—Not AI—is the Real Health-Tech Revolution
AI in healthcare is exciting. But without strong, consent-based data, AI can misdiagnose, confuse or harm. Compliance isn't just about protection—it's about creating the trust and quality that technology needs to actually help people.
ABDM + DPDP don’t promise hype. They promise a system where your medical history is yours, safe, portable and usable. Where your rights are respected. Where innovation stands on solid ground.
That’s not flashy. That’s transformation you can count on.
