Hyderabad: The National Health Authority (NHA) concluded the NHCX Innovation Meet at Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, bringing together regulators, state governments, industry leaders, technology innovators, and academic institutions to accelerate the adoption of interoperable and standards-aligned health claims solutions under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
The two-day NHCX Innovation Meet, held on March 6 and 7, 2026, also marked the grand finale of the NHCX Hackathon, conducted from February 22 to February 28, 2026.
During the NHCX Innovation Meet, the winning teams from the hackathon showcased their innovative solutions before a distinguished gathering of the policymakers, healthcare experts, and technology leaders.
Advancing Digital Health Claims Infrastructure
The NHCX Innovation Meet highlighted the growing importance of the National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX), one of the three gateways developed under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission to simplify and standardise health insurance claims processing in India.
NHCX is designed to create a unified digital infrastructure that enables seamless exchange of claims data between hospitals, insurance companies, and patients.
By improving interoperability and standardisation, the initiative aims to reduce inefficiencies and delays in the health insurance claims process.
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The NHCX Hackathon, which culminated during the NHCX Innovation Meet, was organised through a collaborative effort involving several ecosystem partners including:
- Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI)
- General Insurance Council (GIC)
- National Resource Centre for EHR Standards (NRCeS)
- Insurance Information Bureau of India (IIB)
- National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH)
- Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad
- India Insurtech Association (IIA)
- NATHealth
The collaboration reflects a multi-stakeholder approach toward simplifying the health insurance claims journey across India’s healthcare ecosystem.
Leadership Addresses at the NHCX Innovation Meet
The second day of the NHCX Innovation Meet began with an inaugural session attended by senior government officials and healthcare leaders. Key speakers included:
- Sunil Kumar Barnwal, CEO, National Health Authority
- Saurabh Gaur, Secretary, Health, Medical & Family Welfare, Government of Andhra Pradesh
- Girdhar Gyani, Director General, Association of Healthcare Providers of India (AHPI)
- G. Narahari Sastry, Dean, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad
Speaking during the NHCX Innovation Meet, Dr. Sunil Kumar Barnwal, CEO, National Health Authority, highlighted the challenges surrounding health insurance claims in India and emphasised the role of NHCX in addressing these issues through digital infrastructure and interoperability.
Barnwal said, “The National Health Claims Exchange is not limited to hospitals and insurance companies alone; it is a platform designed to serve the entire healthcare ecosystem, including patients, healthcare providers, insurers, and technology innovators. The long-term vision for NHCX is similar to digital public infrastructure like UPI, where people may not know the underlying institution running the system, but they trust the platform because it works seamlessly and reliably for them.”
Andhra Pradesh Highlights Digital Health Adoption
During the NHCX Innovation Meet, Saurabh Gaur, Secretary, Health, Medical & Family Welfare, Government of Andhra Pradesh, spoke about the role of digital public infrastructure in strengthening healthcare systems and highlighted efforts by the Government of Andhra Pradesh to accelerate digital health adoption.
Gaur said, “In Andhra Pradesh, we believe strongly in the power of building these foundational blocks of digital public infrastructure. The state has taken an all-out approach to creating ABHA numbers for the entire population and is taking this mission very seriously. This reflects our commitment to strengthening digital public infrastructure and ensuring that every citizen becomes part of the digital health ecosystem.”
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NHCX Innovation Meet: Over 110 Solutions Evaluated in Hackathon
A key highlight of the NHCX Innovation Meet was the presentation of solutions from the NHCX Hackathon, which received more than 110 submissions from teams across India.
These solutions were evaluated by an independent jury comprising experts from IIT Hyderabad, NRCeS, GIC, Google, IIA, NATHealth, and NHA.
The winning teams were felicitated at the NHCX Innovation Meet, recognising innovations aimed at solving major challenges in health insurance claims processing.
NHA Launches Three New Collaboration Initiatives
At the NHCX Innovation Meet, the National Health Authority also launched three initiatives designed to strengthen collaboration and recognise ecosystem partners supporting the adoption of ABDM.
- NHCX Champions
This initiative recognises organisations that have played a significant role in operationalising and scaling the National Health Claims Exchange across the payer and provider ecosystem.
- ABDM Ambassadors
This programme acknowledges organisations and professional bodies that have actively created awareness about the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission within their networks, helping extend the programme’s reach beyond government channels.
- NHCX–PMJAY Early Integrators
This initiative recognises organisations that have successfully built modules enabling **Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) claims to be submitted through NHCX, thereby integrating the world’s largest publicly funded health assurance scheme into a standardised and interoperable claims exchange platform.
The first cohort of awardees under all three initiatives was announced during the NHCX Innovation Meet.
Panel Discussions on Technology and Claims Innovation
The NHCX Innovation Meet also featured a series of panel discussions bringing together experts from government, regulation, industry, and technology sectors.
On the first day, sessions focused on the technical and operational dimensions of health insurance claims, including discussions on:
- Standardisation in claims settlement
- Transforming the health insurance value chain through artificial intelligence and digital technologies
The second day of the NHCX Innovation Meet focused on scaling adoption and addressing barriers to hospital participation in the digital claims ecosystem. Discussions explored the future of claims processing and strategies to expand adoption of the National Health Claims Exchange.
Closing Session and Policy Dialogue
The NHCX Innovation Meet concluded with a synthesis of the discussions presented by Kiran Gopal Vaska, Joint Secretary and Mission Director (ABDM), National Health Authority.
The event ended with the valedictory address delivered by Ajay Seth, Chairman of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India.
Through ecosystem-driven innovation, policy dialogue, and recognition of organisations contributing to NHCX adoption, the NHCX Innovation Meet is expected to strengthen momentum toward a digitally enabled, interoperable health claims ecosystem across India.
