Economic Survey Flags Digital Addiction, AI And Heart Disease As India’s Next Health Test

Last Updated:January 29, 2026, 15:09 IST

The Survey flags compulsive digital use among youth as an economic and behavioural concern. With near-universal internet access, focus is shifting from access to digital hygiene.

News18

Artificial intelligence is transforming India’s healthcare system even as compulsive digital use and lifestyle diseases emerge as the country’s biggest threats to productivity and human capital, the Economic Survey 2025–26 warns.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey 2025-26 in the Lok Sabha during the Budget Session of Parliament on Thursday. According to the survey, artificial intelligence (AI) is being deployed across disease surveillance, screening and clinical decision-making across India.

But on the other end, the survey warned that India’s deepening digital dependence — especially among youth — is beginning to erode productivity, wellbeing and social capital. “India’s youth are living in an intensely digital environment," the survey said, adding that while access fuels learning and jobs, “compulsive and high-intensity use can impose real economic and social costs".

With near-universal mobile and internet access among 15–29-year-olds, the survey emphasises that the challenge has shifted. “Access is no longer the binding constraint; the focus needs to shift to behavioural health considerations such as the rising problems of digital addiction, quality of content, wellbeing impacts, and digital hygiene."

Digital addiction: an economic and behavioural risk

The survey places digital addiction alongside obesity and poor nutrition as a behavioural risk shaping India’s future human capital. In 2024, nearly half of internet users watched online videos, 43 per cent accessed social media, and roughly 40 crore Indians used OTT platforms and food delivery apps.

While digital tools have expanded opportunities, the survey cautions that “digital addiction negatively affects academic performance and workplace productivity due to distractions, ‘sleep debt’, and reduced focus". It also warns that compulsive use “erodes social capital through weaker peer networks, lower community participation, and diminished offline skills".

Beyond productivity losses, it links excessive screen use to mental health concerns. “Compulsive digital use is linked to anxiety, stress, depression, and sleep disturbances," it states, particularly among students exposed to academic pressure, cyberbullying and high-stimulus platforms.

A major policy gap, it adds, is data. “A major challenge in addressing digital addiction in India is the lack of comprehensive national data on its prevalence and mental health effects," limiting targeted interventions. The forthcoming National Mental Health Survey is expected to provide “empirical and actionable insights".

A shifting disease burden: heart disease now dominates

As behavioural risks rise, India’s disease profile has undergone a structural shift. “Over the past few decades, the country has experienced a substantial decline in mortality from infectious diseases," it noted, but this has been accompanied by a surge in non-communicable diseases.

“Recent data show that NCDs account for more than 57 per cent of all deaths in the country," it states. Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death for both men and women, with consistently higher mortality among men.

At the same time, women often face delayed diagnosis and higher fatality after acute events. “The dominance of cardiovascular diseases highlights the need for targeted prevention and management strategies," the survey said, stressing the importance of gender-specific risk factors and healthcare access. The higher proportion of ill-defined causes of death among women, it adds, points to gaps in diagnosis and healthcare utilisation.

Obesity, ultra-processed foods and lifestyle change

The survey flags obesity as one of the fastest-growing public health challenges in India. “Obesity is rising at an alarming rate and is today a major public health challenge in India," it warns, driven by sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy diets and environmental factors.

India has also emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing markets for ultra-processed foods (UPFs). According to the survey, the sales of such foods rose more than 150 per cent between 2009 and 2023. “UPFs are displacing long-established dietary patterns, worsening diet quality, and are associated with increased risk of multiple chronic diseases," it states.

The impact is already visible among children. It highlights that the prevalence of excess weight among children under five has risen sharply and warns that the number of obese children could more than double by 2035 if current trends continue.

AI in healthcare: tools to offset the burden

Even as technology contributes to behavioural risks, the survey underscores its role in strengthening healthcare delivery. “Centres of Excellence for AI-driven reform have been established at AIIMS Delhi, PGIMER Chandigarh, and AIIMS Rishikesh," it said, alongside AI-enabled disease surveillance and screening initiatives.

A clinical decision support system integrated with e-Sanjeevani, AI-based diabetic retinopathy screening, and tools for tuberculosis detection and drug-resistance mapping are already in use. These initiatives “empower healthcare workers for early screening and surveillance, boosting accuracy, speed, efficiency, and access".

Looking ahead, the Survey argues that India’s next health challenge lies in consolidating its gains while adapting to new risks. As digital exposure, lifestyle diseases and ageing converge, policy must move beyond treating illness to shaping healthier behaviours — online and offline — to protect productivity and long-term economic growth.

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