The age of intelligent healthcare: Philips' Bengaluru campus takes AI lead

Bengaluru: You are in the hospital, to rule out a chest condition. You are asked to undergo a cardiac MRI, which typically takes 30-60 minutes, but can extend to 90 minutes, depending on complexity or the need for repeated breath-holds. The scan captures detailed images of the heart, vessels, and lungs, and accurate findings depend on the quality and number of images.

Lying motionless inside a narrow tunnel, holding one’s breath repeatedly, while loud beeps blare, can be distressing for many patients. If scan time could be significantly reduced, patient comfort would improve considerably. Philips, the Dutch health technology giant, says it has achieved this through sustained R&D and innovation in artificial intelligence (AI), helping make healthcare faster, more precise and accessible.

Recently, it unveiled a new generation of AI-enabled Cardiac MR (CMR) innovations to accelerate scans and simplify workflows for clinicians. Key breakthroughs include SmartHeart, a one-click automation that plans and sets up all 14 standard and advanced cardiac views in under 30 seconds; SmartSpeed Precise, a Dual AI acceleration technology delivering up to 3x faster imaging and up to 80% sharper images; CINE FreeBreathing, which enables diagnostic-quality imaging without breath-holds; and single-beat acquisition, which captures complete cardiac data in a single heartbeat.

“In a cardiac scan, doctors need 12-13 views of the cardiac anatomy, and it takes 7-8 minutes just for planning. Using an AI algorithm, standard views required for quick diagnosis can be ascertained, and those 7-8 minutes reduce to 30 seconds. This is ‘SmartHeart’,” the company explains.

Even while pioneering high-end equipment such as MRI, CT, and ultrasound machines, the company evolved into a major healthcare software developer. The Philips Innovation Campus in Bengaluru has been operational for 28 years, and drives 50-80% of the company’s global software delivery across its product portfolio.

“In terms of our MRI product, almost 100% of the software-related work happens around Bengaluru. Similar is the case with enterprise informatics — bringing information and data exchange across hospitals and devices,” says Arvind Vaishnav, Head of Philips Innovation Campus, Bengaluru, adding that AI is increasingly being integrated across offerings.

The age of Intelligence

AI is rapidly transforming healthcare by improving diagnosis, treatment, and efficiency. Today, AI systems analyse massive volumes of medical data — scans, lab results, and patient records — helping clinicians detect diseases such as cancer, cardiac ailments, and neurological disorders earlier.

AI also plays a growing role in predictive analytics, helping anticipate patient risks, disease outbreaks, and hospital readmissions. In treatment, AI supports personalised medicine by recommending therapies based on genetics, lifestyle, and medical history. Meanwhile, AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants aid with appointment-scheduling, symptom-checking, and patient-monitoring, easing the burden on healthcare staff.

According to Philips’ Future Health Index 2025 – India report, AI adoption in Indian healthcare is accelerating rapidly, with the market expected to reach $1.6 billion by year-end. “Indian patients are more likely than their global peers to feel optimistic about healthcare AI (79% versus 59%). Healthcare professionals’ optimism is also high at 76%, close to the global average,” the report notes.

However, 77% of Indian respondents cite delays in healthcare delivery due to issues such as appointment unavailability. “Close to 30% of all data generated globally originates from healthcare. The challenge is to harness it productively. Hence, AI today also refers to the ‘Age of Intelligence’,” Vaishnav says.

The sector is also projected to face a shortage of nearly 10 million healthcare workers by 2030. “If AI can automate tasks, the time saved can be used to attend to patients,” he adds.

In August, Philips announced Transcend Plus, the next-generation upgrade for its EPIQ CVx and Affiniti CVx cardiovascular ultrasound systems, delivering major advancements in image quality and AI, including FDA-cleared 2D and 3D enhancements and a growing suite of AI-enabled clinical applications, helping cardiology teams handle patient volumes and staffing shortages.

Another area is image augmentation. In complex scans, the human eye may struggle to identify subtle lesions or pathologies. AI helps segregate and highlight critical regions, augmenting clinicians’ vision. For tumours, where volume and measurements matter, AI assists doctors and nurses in making faster, more confident decisions under pressure.

AI is also improving agility in hospital workflows. “Hospital data is enormous. If we combine imaging data with enterprise informatics and run an AI algorithm, we can identify disease progression much earlier. Decision-making is no longer dependent on a single modality, but on multiple data sources, enabling more precise treatment plans,” Vaishnav explains.

AI — The gate of access

As the world’s most populous country, India plays a crucial role in addressing global healthcare challenges and offers a strong testbed for AI solutions, particularly in extending care to the last mile. “The healthcare situation in India is far from being solved, but it’s moving in the right direction,” says Bharath Sesha, Managing Director, Philips Indian Subcontinent. Elucidating, he adds: “Diagnosis is the starting point. One way is to invest in thousands of scanners. The other is to get more productivity from existing equipment through technology, immediately improving access.”

India’s health spending currently stands at about 1.9% of GDP, but AI integration can help extend quality healthcare to far more people. “India will be at the forefront of providing AI-enabled access to care,” concludes Sesha.