Mumbai, June 02, 2026: ManipalCigna Health Insurance, one of India's leading health insurers, today unveiled the inauguraledition of India Health Quotient (IHQ) 2026, an annual study offering the most comprehensive picture yet of how Indians perceive, prioritise, and manage their wellbeing. It is a proprietary multi-dimensional index that measures self-assessed health perceptions and behaviours across five inter-connected dimensions: Physical, Mental, Financial, Occupational, and Social.
India's overall health score stands at 65 out of 100, signalling moderate wellbeing among urban Indians. Physical health leads the five dimensions at 68, followed by social health at 66, occupational health at 65, mental health at 65, while financial health trails at 62, the lowest score across all dimensions and a critical aspect requiring greater attention.
AI in Healthcare: A Nation Cautiously Optimistic
The India Health Quotient 2026 data reveals a striking receptiveness to artificial intelligence among urban Indians. 63% of respondents express positive feelings, either ‘only positive’or ‘mostly positive’, about the impact of AI on healthcare over the coming year. Only 8% lean negative, while 24% remain neutral. Crucially, only 10% say they have not used any AI-based health tools and do not intend to in the future, suggesting that the vastmajority are already engaged with or open to health technology in some form.
Interestingly, sentiment toward AI varies with age in nuanced ways. The ‘only positives’ view is more common among those above 35 (30%) than those under 35 (23%), suggesting strongerconviction among older cohorts.
What Indians Believe AI Can Do for Healthcare
The perceived benefits of AI in healthcare are both wide-ranging and substantive. The leading benefits cited by respondents are early prediction of future diseases (35%), accurate diagnosisand treatment (34%), and real-time health monitoring (33%). These reflect a sophisticated understanding of AI’s potential beyond novelty, respondents are thinking about how technology can make healthcare more proactive and precise.
When grouped thematically, the data paints an even more compelling picture. 76% of respondents cite at least one benefit related to accuracy and quality of care such as accurate diagnosis,personalised care, early disease prediction, or real-time monitoring. 80% cite at least one operational efficiency benefit, such as faster claims processing, claim accuracy, reduced fraud, lowered costs through automation, or improved patient record management.A further 60% mention at least one benefit related to improved access and service reach, including virtual assistants, AI-powered apps, and chatbot services that can extend healthcare to remote areas.
Commenting on the findings, Sumeet Aggarwal, Chief Technology Officer, ManipalCigna Health Insurance, said, “The India Health Quotient 2026 offers a clear view of how urban Indians in this study are thinking about AI in healthcare, the interest is high, and expectations are rising. With 80% recognising operational efficiency benefits and 76% pointingto quality-of-care advantages, this goes beyond curiosity to considered openness. These insights will help inform our technology roadmap as we design AI-enabled experiences that earn trust and add real value.”
Sapna Desai, Chief Marketing Officer, ManipalCigna Health Insurance, said, “What the India Health Quotient 2026 data suggests is that Indians are open to AI in healthcare, but they want it to be done right. The demand for regulation and privacy reflects an informed consumer who understands the value of health data and expects itto be protected. The India Health Quotient will continue to guide how we listen to consumers and design for trust as health and technology evolve.”
Concerns: Privacy and the Human Touch
While optimism runs high, Indians are clear-eyed about the risks. The top concern is privacy: 39% of respondents cite risks from sharing personal health data with AI systems. Closebehind is the fear of losing human connection in healthcare: 38% worry about the lack of human empathy and personal touch in AI-driven care.
Across concerns, 69% of respondents cite at least one concern related to the loss of human touch, including discomfort with machines making health-related decisions, reduced accessto human professionals, and the absence of empathy in care interactions. A further 65% express concerns around transparency and explainability, including difficulty understanding how AI systems make decisions, and limited ability to challenge AI-driven insuranceoutcomes.
These findings underscore a clear message from Indian consumers: AI is welcome in healthcare, but it must augment, not replace, human judgment and empathy.
What Would Build Greater Confidence in AI?
Urban Indians have clear expectations about the conditions under which they would more fully embrace AI in health and insurance. Government regulation of AI in healthcare and insurance is the top confidence booster, cited by 37% of respondents. Strong privacy protections for personal health and financial data follow closely at 36%. Transparency in how AI makes decisions, the ability to appeal AI-driven outcomes, and greater access to humansecond opinions also emerge as important enablers of trust.
The Manipal Cigna India Health Quotient 2026 underscores the company's commitment to going beyond traditional health insurance by developing a deeper, evidence-based understanding of how urban Indians experience well-being. With this, the company reaffirms its focus on building more responsive, holistic health solutions for a rapidly evolving India.
