Health Record Rights Index · country brief · this country's data as of October 2, 2026
Who holds the health record in India?
In 2026, India scores 45 out of 100 for how much say a person has over their own health record. It is tied for 71st of 198 countries and territories, and could rank anywhere from 52nd to 95th allowing for scoring error, in the Mixed band (45 to 64). Who holds the keys: you and the health system. Source: Health Record Rights Index, SuperTruth, this country's data as of October 2, 2026.
The person has real controls inside a government or provider system. Its strongest right, compared with the typical country, is rules for AI in your care (55 out of 100, against 30 for the typical country). The furthest behind is privacy and security (35 out of 100, against 45 for the typical country).
India built an opt-in consent exchange linking 1.1 billion records, but the records are thin and its privacy law and regulator are not yet working.
Published · updated · this country's data as of October 2, 2026 · research tool, not legal advice
overall score · Mixed band, 45 to 64
45/100
rank among 198 countries and territories; likely 52nd to 95th, allowing for scoring error
Low confidence. Thin evidence on 5 of the 8 rights: your copy, who sees it, joined-up record, doctors see it and AI rules. The evidence grade rates all our sources together; confidence looks at each right. Neither changes the score.
Questions people ask
Can I see my health record in India?
In 2026, getting your full record scores 55 out of 100 in India; the typical country scores 40 to 45. A binding medical ethics regulation makes doctors issue records within 72 hours, and 964.3 million ABHA accounts can view 1.1 billion linked records (August 2026). Linked records average about one per account, and the DPDP access right only gives a summary and starts in May 2027. Source: NMC, 2002, and the other sources below.
Who controls health records in India?
In 2026, you and the health system hold the keys to your health record in India. Control over who sees it scores 50 out of 100 in India; the typical country scores 30. ABDM shares records between providers only on the patient's revocable, time-bound consent, an opt-in choice that is live nationwide. Source: PIB, July 6, 2026, and the other sources below.
How does India compare?
In 2026, India scores 45 out of 100, against 39 for the typical country. This brief compares it with Uzbekistan (46 out of 100), Brunei (43 out of 100) and China (43 out of 100). Source: the ranking of all 198 countries and territories.
Eight rights, compared with Uzbekistan, Brunei, China and the typical country
Scores out of 100, by right
Getting your full record20%
55
60 · 35 · 35
Control over who sees it20%
50
30 · 30 · 30
Privacy and security15%
35
38 · 40 · 45
One record across your care15%
45
55 · 65 · 60
Protection from sale and ads10%
35
40 · 40 · 38
Doctors see it when treating you10%
35
52 · 62 · 50
Your say over research use5%
46
46 · 46 · 49
Rules for AI in your care5%
55
45 · 30 · 62
Black dot: India. Hollow dots: Uzbekistan, Brunei, China (scores out of 100 on the right, same order). Gray line: the typical country of all 198. Overall: India 45 out of 100. Scores move in steps of about 5 points, so read a rank with its likely range.
What would India need to change to score higher?
India sits in Mixed (45 to 64); Strong starts at 65. Its two weakest rights, compared with the typical country and weighted by how much each counts, are privacy and security (35 out of 100, against 45 for the typical country) and protection from sale and ads (35 out of 100, against 45 for the typical country). Our scoring rules give more points for:
Privacy and security: A health data regulator that is independent and actually acts: it decides cases about health records, breaches must be reported, and fines are applied.
Protection from sale and ads: Clear limits on selling health data or using it for ads, covering apps and data brokers as well as doctors and hospitals.
Which laws give health record rights in India?
Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023: General data law: consent, summary access, breach notice, Rs 2.5 billion penalties; main duties start May 2027.
Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025: Notified 13 Nov 2025; consent managers from Nov 2026, most duties from May 2027; research exemption standards.
IT (Reasonable Security Practices and Sensitive Personal Data) Rules, 2011: Medical records are sensitive data; prior permission for disclosure; binds companies until May 2027.
Doctors, waits and private care context, not part of the score
Doctors per 10,000
9.6 2024
Nurses and midwives per 10,000
27.1 2024
Private insurance + out-of-pocket
53.7% 2023
Record reaches private care?
partly
"Only ~26,000 facilities actively transact on the platform, predominantly government facilities (~21,000), while private-sector participation remains low (~4,000)."
Real cases
October 11, 2024 · The Register Health insurer confirms illegal access to customer records offered through chatbots
December 20, 2025 · Medical Dialogues Consumer commission orders hospital to hand over a senior citizen's discharge papers
In 2026, India scored 45 out of 100 for how much say a person has over their own health record, tied for 71st of 198 countries and territories (could be 52nd to 95th), in the Mixed band. Who holds the keys: you and the health system. Source: Health Record Rights Index, SuperTruth, this country's data as of October 2, 2026, https://healthrecordrights.com/brief/india/
The 16 sources for India
Each source appears once, under the first right it supports. Titles are shown as our research agents recorded them, usually in the page's own language; text in square brackets is our machine translation. Links were checked on the date shown.
Getting your full record (4 sources)
“Code of Medical Ethics Regulations, 2002”
NMC (law or regulation) · Title in English
Dated 2002 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission: India's Digital Health Backbone”
PIB (government guidance) · Title in English
Dated July 6, 2026 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
Used for: Control over who sees it; One record across your care; Doctors see it when treating you; Your say over research use; Rules for AI in your care
SuperTruth Inc. · 24 S. 24th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA · +1 215 918 4140 · supertruth.ai Something wrong? Tell us · Questions or a briefing: supertruth.ai/on-the-record#contact · Full index: healthrecordrights.com
OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (38 mostly high-income countries). DTI™: the Data Trust Index, which grades the evidence behind each score. SuperTruth makes it and publishes this index. Everything here comes from public information: laws, government and regulator pages, court decisions, published news, WHO, OECD and World Bank data. Full sources: https://healthrecordrights.com/brief/india/#sources. SuperTruth built this index and sells health data verification products; no one paid to be included. Research tool, not legal advice. Our scores and our own words are CC BY 4.0; quoted law and source titles stay with their owners.
