What is ABDM (Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission)?

ABDM (Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission) is the Government of India’s programme, run by the National Health Authority and launched nationally in 2021, to build digital health infrastructure. It includes ABHA for patients, the Health Facility Registry and Healthcare Professionals Registry, and consent-based standards for exchanging health records between hospitals, labs, insurers and apps.

Why it matters for hospitals

ABDM is shaping how hospitals register patients, share records and connect with insurers and schemes. It also changes the digital front door, as patients may arrive with records linked across providers.

How to put it into practice

  • Register your facility on the Health Facility Registry and encourage doctors to join the Healthcare Professionals Registry.
  • Ask HIS and app vendors for their ABDM integration status and roadmap.
  • Map where ABDM touches your patient journey, from registration to discharge.
  • Update privacy notices to explain record sharing under ABDM and DPDP.
  • Check for current incentive schemes and rules, as these evolve.

The common mistake

Treating ABDM as only an IT compliance project, without planning the patient communication and staff training it needs.

An illustrative example

A hospital group used its HIS upgrade to become ABDM integrated and updated its app to show linked records. Registration became faster for returning patients with ABHA. (Composite example, not a specific hospital.)

Further reading

Part of the healthcare growth and digital glossary. Last reviewed 7 October 2026.

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