Key Points
- India links 100 crore health records to ABHA digital health accounts
- Records doubled from 50 crore to 100 crore in just 15 months
- Uttar Pradesh leads with over 15 crore linked health records
India has linked over 100 crore health records to Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts under the national digital health mission, the government announced on Friday. The milestone makes the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission one of the largest digital health ecosystems in the world.
The achievement means citizens can now access their medical history — from hospital visits and lab tests to prescriptions — through a single digital identity. ABHA, short for Ayushman Bharat Health Account, functions as a unique health identifier that allows patients to share records with any registered healthcare provider without carrying physical documents.
By the numbers
- 100 crore
- Health records linked to ABHA
- 15 months
- Time to double from 50 crore to 100 crore
- 450+
- Health technology solutions integrated with ABDM
The National Health Authority, which implements the mission under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said the number of linked records doubled from 50 crore in February 2025 to 100 crore in just 15 months. The system now links nearly 10 crore new records every two to three months.
How the Digital Health System Works
The consent-based mechanism at the heart of ABDM allows patients to control who sees their health information. When visiting a new hospital or clinic, a patient can digitally authorise the provider to access relevant past records. The provider receives only the information the patient approves, and only for the duration specified.
This addresses a longstanding problem in Indian healthcare where patients often repeat tests or struggle to provide complete medical histories when seeing new doctors. For chronic conditions requiring ongoing treatment across multiple providers, the digital record serves as a continuous thread connecting all consultations.
More than 450 public and private health technology solutions have integrated with the ABDM platform. These range from government hospital management systems to private laboratory chains and telemedicine applications.
State Contributions to the Milestone
Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the leading contributor with over 15.03 crore ABHA-linked health records. Andhra Pradesh follows with 11.95 crore linked records. Bihar, Rajasthan and Gujarat have linked 7.37 crore, 6.32 crore and 4.77 crore records respectively.
Several government programmes have driven adoption. These include the Non-Communicable Disease Programme, CoWIN — the vaccination platform built during the pandemic — and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, the flagship health insurance scheme for low-income families.
State-level platforms have also contributed significantly. Uttar Pradesh’s eKavach, Gujarat’s TeCHO and Rajasthan’s iHMS systems have integrated with the national framework, allowing records created on these platforms to flow into the central system.
From Pilot to Scale
The growth trajectory underscores how rapidly the system has expanded. During its initial pilot phase, fewer than 1,000 health records were linked to ABHA. The current figure of 100 crore represents a fundamental shift in how health data is organised in the country.
National Health Authority CEO Dr Sunil Kumar Barnwal, said the milestone reflected increasing adoption across government programmes, states, health facilities and private technology partners.
“ABHA-linked health records empower citizens with secure and consent-based access to their health information and support continuity of care across the healthcare ecosystem,” Barnwal said.
Private health technology companies have also contributed to record creation and linkage. Hospital chains, diagnostic laboratories and health management applications that have integrated with ABDM add to the growing database each time they serve a patient with an ABHA number.
The system stores records in a federated architecture, meaning the data remains with the original healthcare provider rather than in a single central database. The ABDM platform facilitates the exchange when a patient authorises it but does not itself hold the underlying medical information.
Your Questions, Answered
What is ABHA and how does it help patients?
ABHA is a unique digital health identity under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. It allows citizens to link their health records from hospitals, labs and clinics to a single account. Patients can then share this information digitally with any registered healthcare provider without carrying physical documents.
How many health records are linked to ABHA in India?
Over 100 crore health records have been linked to ABHA as of May 2025. The number doubled from 50 crore in February 2025, with nearly 10 crore new records being linked every two to three months.
Which states have the most ABHA-linked health records?
Uttar Pradesh leads with over 15.03 crore linked records, followed by Andhra Pradesh with 11.95 crore. Bihar, Rajasthan and Gujarat have linked 7.37 crore, 6.32 crore and 4.77 crore records respectively.
Is health data safe under the ABHA system?
The system uses a consent-based mechanism where patients control who can access their records. Data remains with the original healthcare provider in a federated architecture rather than in a single central database. The platform facilitates exchange only when patients authorise it.
