India, Dec. 16 -- In India, healthcare is facing a paradox. On one side, technological advancement is setting the stage for better and quicker diagnosis, while on the other side, a surge in healthcare cost is making it less accessible. To add on, a Lancet study has confirmed that the incidence of chronic diseases is rising at an unprecedented rate in India, thus further overburdening the country's healthcare system.

What is more unnerving is that the average cost of managing chronic disease is almost three-fourths of the monthly income of a poor rural household, thus pushing patients and their families into financial stress. Not just this, it also has a broader economic impact, threatening India's dream of becoming a USD 5 trillion econo...