Narayana Health has also reduced administrative workload by over 50%.
Narayana Health operates as both a healthcare provider and insurer in India and the Cayman Islands. The organization manages 20 tertiary hospitals, 18 clinics, and four heart centers, serving approximately four million patients annually with over 4,000 doctors and 6,000 beds. It also extends consultation services to other hospitals in the region.
Kumar Krishnamurthy Venkateswaran, CIO of Narayana Health, explained how the group leverages digital technology to scale operations, reach remote locations, and support other healthcare facilities. The IT department, made up of around 400 professionals, is responsible for developing innovative health technology solutions. Kumar highlighted that the team is divided into management and development groups to maintain ongoing operations while creating new capabilities simultaneously.
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Narayana Health began its IT transformation in 2015 by establishing a health information team and an advanced analytics and AI team. Over the years, the organization integrated security frameworks, developed web-based microservices, and rolled out a health information platform across its facilities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the hospital expanded digital tools by introducing virtual stations, radiology information systems, patient and doctor applications, and budgeting and planning software.
Between 2021 and 2024, Narayana enhanced its digital infrastructure by digitizing laboratory information systems, developing an in-house visualization platform featuring AI-powered search capabilities, and launching a superapp driven by active analytics that converts data into actionable insights. A major innovation includes a clinical documentation app powered by robotic process automation, generative AI, and speech-to-text technology, which has returned an estimated 25,000 hours to clinicians. Routine administrative tasks such as registration, payments, and discharge have been moved to a patient app, effectively making hospitals front office-less and cutting administrative workload by nearly 55 percent.
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These digital efforts have saved nurses about four hours per shift, reduced the average patient stay from 4.5 to 3.5 days, and saved more than $38 million in costs. Over the past decade, Narayana has invested nearly $120 million in IT and digital innovation. Kumar stressed that achieving these efficiencies requires a mindset shift. “You have to move from a technology focus to a completely changed mindset, which means the entire culture has to change. Every stakeholder in this ecosystem has to have a completely different thought process when approaching digital.” He added, “It is no more a function of the IT team or an IT issue. Business also has to participate, which means that both Business and IT form that digital ecosystem.” For Narayana Health, innovation means using technology to deliver care with fewer resources, expand access, reduce errors, improve outcomes, and build a reputation for high-quality, affordable healthcare.
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