Making of ABDM
National Digital Health Mission
2018–2019: Foundation Laid
2018:
As part of the broader Ayushman Bharat vision, the idea of a national digital health ecosystem begins to take shape, aiming to support portability, efficiency, and transparency in schemes like PM-JAY.
August 2019:
The National Digital Health Blueprint (NDHB) is released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It outlines the building blocks for a digital health infrastructure, including unique health IDs, registries, consent frameworks, and standards.
2020: Birth of the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM)
February 2020:
The Union Budget announces the launch of a National Digital Health Mission (NDHM).
August 15, 2020:
Prime Minister Modi launches NDHM in six Union Territories (Chandigarh, Ladakh, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Lakshadweep) on a pilot basis. The mission introduces key elements:
- Health ID (now Ayushman Bharat Health Account or ABHA)
- Healthcare Professional Registry (HPR)
- Health Facility Registry (HFR)
- Personal Health Records (PHR)
- Consent-based data sharing model
Sandbox environment is introduced for digital health solution providers to test and integrate their applications with NDHM.
2021: Nationwide Rollout and Rebranding
February 2021:
The National Health Authority (NHA) is designated as the implementing agency for NDHM.
2022: Ecosystem Development and Public-Private Integration
April 2022:
ABDM launches the Unified Health Interface (UHI)—India’s equivalent of UPI for health—to allow interoperability across digital health service providers. Large-scale onboarding of hospitals, diagnostics, and software companies begins through the Health Facility and Health Professional Registries.
2023: Scale-Up and State Integration
Over 40 crore ABHA numbers created.States begin integrating public health systems—state schemes, hospital management information systems, and citizen apps—with ABDM.
Digital Health Incentive Scheme (DHIS) is launched to encourage hospitals and diagnostic labs to adopt and use ABDM features.
2024: Deeper Integration, More Services
ABHA-based services expand into pharmacy, telemedicine, insurance claims, and OPD systems.
States like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala make significant progress in ABDM integration at the district and primary care level.
More private digital health platforms and startups go live on UHI, improving access and innovation.