India has emerged as a thriving hub for start-ups, carving out a significant space for its AI-driven startups in the global arena.
The Innvovation Factory India showcased two bright Indian entrepreneurial minds who pitched their cutting-edge solutions designed to tackle the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to a panel of local and international experts at AI for Good Impact India, a side event of WTSA-24 and organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU),
After a dynamic pitching session and an engaged discussion, HealthTech company Qure.ai emerged victorious. Their pioneering use of AI and Deep Learning is set to transform global healthcare, making it more accessible and equitable for people globally. Qure.ai’s win guarantees them a spot at the Innovation Factory Grand Finale during the AI for Good Global Summit 2025 and are given opportunities to scale up their solution internationally with the aid of various global organizations, experts, and investors.
Sanya Chawla, Director of Health Systems Innovation at Qure.ai, discusses their win and how the company’s ambitious goals contribute to advancing global well-being and reshape the global accessibility to healthcare.
Can you tell us about your winning solution?
Founded in 2016, Qure.ai develops AI-powered radiology interpretation solutions for X-rays and CT scans, addressing critical healthcare needs in lung, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and neurocritical health.
“Our vision is to make healthcare more accessible and affordable through the power of machine learning and artificial intelligence.” Sanya Chawla
Deployed in over 90 countries, our solutions help tackle major global health issues such as TB, lung cancer, stroke, and heart failure.
The flagship product, qXR, identifies and localizes a wide range of abnormalities in chest X-rays, distinguishing normal and abnormal findings with high accuracy. It flags signs of tuberculosis (TB), lung cancer, heart failure, and over 35 other conditions. Trained on a dataset of 9 million scans, qXR generates automated comprehensive chest X-ray reports. It has been evaluated by the WHO for TB triage and screening in adults, proving effective in areas without access to human readers.
qXR is deployed in diverse settings, including community-based TB screenings, routine screenings in healthcare facilities, occupational health assessments, immigration health checks, as well as humanitarian health settings. It’s hardware-agnostic design enables integration with various imaging devices and healthcare systems, making it adaptable for remote regions with limited internet access. qXR empowers frontline health workers by enabling decentralized decision-making at the community or primary health center (PHC) level in low- and middle-income countries.
Beyond primary care, qXR implementation in routine screening of Chest X-Rays in secondary municipal hospitals in Mumbai led to a 29% increase in incidental TB case detection, along with improved case notifications and cost savings across the care pathway. The patient management platform, Qure app, complements qXR by helping to coordinate patient care from diagnosis through treatment, reducing drop-off rates and ensuring better patient outcomes.
With evidence from over 121 publications and 13 patents, Qure.ai’s solutions have proven efficacy and scalability. For example, evaluations in countries like Nepal and Cameroon demonstrated up to 66% cost savings on confirmatory TB tests, highlighting qXR’s potential as a global health innovation.
Where are you from and what regions do you work in?
Qure.ai operates across more than 3,100 sites in 90+ countries, reaching around 25 million people. Headquartered in Mumbai, we have offices in India, the UK, and the UAE, and our solutions are widely deployed in regions such as APAC, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and LATAM.
In India, Qure.ai’s collaboration with NITI Aayog in Baran district increased TB case detection by 33%, while in the UAE, our support for the Ministry of Health’s visa screening program has processed 3.1 million scans with 99.9% accuracy. In the UK, we work with over 25 NHS sites, processing more than a million scans annually.
Our partnerships span public and private sectors, including Ministries of Health in Kenya, Egypt, and Thailand, as well as collaborations with global organizations like FIND and the Stop TB Partnership.
Through alliances with companies like AstraZeneca, Medtronics, Minxray and Fujifilm GE Healthcare, we deliver AI-powered diagnostics to underserved regions worldwide.
How can your solution help to solve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals?
Qure.ai’s qXR Solution: Advancing SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being)
- Target 3.3: Ending Epidemics of TB and Other Communicable Diseases
- Early Detection: Qure.ai’s qXR enables the early detection of TB, often identifying cases before symptoms appear—crucial for timely intervention. Integrated into active case-finding campaigns, qXR supports large-scale screenings in remote areas, helping reduce transmission and supporting public health goals.
- WHO-Endorsed Solution: qXR has been evaluated by the WHO for TB screening in settings without human readers, expanding diagnostic access in areas with limited radiology expertise.
- Target 3.4: Reducing Premature Mortality from Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)
- Comprehensive Disease Screening: qXR can identify over 35 abnormalities on chest X-rays, including signs of NCDs like lung cancer and heart failure. Deployed in healthcare facilities, it flags high-risk cases during routine screenings, facilitating early diagnosis and timely referrals to care.
- Target 3.8: Achieving Universal Health Coverage
- Equitable Access and Versatility: With online and offline capabilities, qXR is a low-cost, adaptable solution for diverse healthcare settings—from hospitals to mobile clinics. Its versatility enables high-quality diagnostics in under-resourced areas, contributing to universal health coverage, particularly in rural and remote regions.
- Target 3.C: Strengthening the Health Workforce
- Support for Healthcare Professionals: qXR automates critical aspects of the diagnostic process, freeing up clinicians to focus on urgent cases and streamlining workflows—particularly valuable in regions with workforce shortages.
- Capacity Building: By enabling frontline health workers and primary care providers to interpret chest X-rays accurately, qXR empowers them to make informed clinical decisions even in the absence of radiologists, building local capacity and strengthening health systems.
- Target 3.D: Early Warning and Risk Reduction
- Comprehensive Patient Management: The qXR platform, together with Qure’s app, facilitates systematic case tracking and management, minimizing patient loss during follow-up and supporting data-driven decision-making to improve program outcomes.
- Enhanced Disease Surveillance: qXR’s diagnostic and monitoring capabilities support national health systems in early disease screening and serve as a valuable surveillance tool for high-risk diseases, reinforcing proactive public health efforts
What is your biggest challenge as an AI startup?
- Siloed Health Systems and Gaps in Digital Infrastructure Implementing AI in healthcare requires seamless interoperability, yet many health systems are fragmented and lack cohesive digital infrastructure. This creates challenges in data sharing and integrating AI tools into workflows, especially in regions with limited digital health adoption. Bridging these gaps is essential to delivering AI’s full potential in healthcare
- Building End-user Trust and Fostering Adoption Among Healthcare Professionals
Healthcare professionals are apprehensive about accuracy and reliability of AI solutions, particularly as they adapt to new technology in their workflows. They approach AI cautiously, concerned about diagnostic reliability, potential job displacement, and workflow changes. We have attempted to address these concerns by building real-world evidence to validate our solutions in multiple settings, providing education and training on AI’s capabilities, limitations, and role in clinical decision-making. This empowers healthcare providers with the knowledge and confidence to integrate AI smoothly into their practice - Regulatory Compliance and Evidence Generation
The regulatory landscape for healthcare AI is complex, with rigorous standards for safety and efficacy. To scale globally, Qure has achieved key regulatory approvals (CE, FDA) and developed a robust evidence base across multiple health conditions. These certifications are pivotal to establishing credibility and demonstrating clinical impact across diverse healthcare settings.
Why did you join the Innovation Factory Pitching Competition?
Qure.ai participated in the Innovation Factory Pitching Competition to highlight its commitment to developing AI solutions for integrated care (both non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and infectious diseases). Our advanced technology addresses critical global health challenges, including TB, lung cancer, and heart failure, while offering scalable solutions adaptable to diverse healthcare needs.
As part of the AI for Good initiative, our goal is to engage with innovators, policymakers, and decision-makers to further the impact of AI in healthcare. We aim to broaden the scope of our technology into new disease areas, explore innovative at-scale public health deployment models, and develop new applications tailored to the evolving demands of global health systems.
“The competition platform offers a unique opportunity for us to share insights from our work in under-resourced settings. These learnings help us continually refine and optimize our AI solutions, ensuring they are impactful across varied environments.” Sanya Chawla
Through these efforts, we seek to accelerate the adoption of AI in healthcare, advancing equitable health outcomes. Our ultimate objective is to support the achievement of the UN SDGs by expanding access to advanced diagnostics, improving healthcare delivery, and transforming care, especially in underserved regions.
The AI for Good Innovation Factory showcased some of the most innovative AI solutions coming out of India. As we anticipate the next AI for Good Global Summit in 2025, it is crucial to acknowledge and promote existing startups and organizations that are leveraging technology to reach the UN SDGs.
To learn more about Qure.ai and Innovation Factory India, watch the full competition below:
