Last year, a 40-year-old woman in Mexico, who was undergoing in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment with donor eggs, gave birth to a healthy baby using a fully automated process assisted by artificial intelligence (AI). The automated system handled every part of the sperm injection process, including selecting the sperm with AI, immobilising it with a laser, and injecting it into the egg – all with greater speed and accuracy than a human could.
Similarly, in mid-2025, in another medical first, an AI system helped a US couple conceive after 19 years of trying. The couple had earlier undergone multiple IVF cycles and surgeries without success. The AI system scanned over 2.5 million images of sperm cells at high speed to pick out two viable ones.
IVF is often said to have suboptimal success rates, with only about one-third of cycles resulting in pregnancy and fewer leading to live births. However, technological advancements, especially in AI, are aiming to enhance the various stages of the IVF process, and making the treatment facilities less complicated and more accessible, raising the chances of conception as well. “India’s IVF field has changed fast,” says Dr Sonia Malik, chief clinical mentor at Nova IVF, a leading fertility centre, with a network of state-of-the-art clinics across Delhi-NCR.
“New embryology and digital tools are reshaping the game. These tools have shown proven results, producing better workability checks, fewer failed implants and higher success rates overall.”
Some clinics report up to 30% improvement in live birth outcomes – in particular with early-stage embryo selection, she adds.
New support system
Dr Sonu Taxak, director and senior IVF specialist at Yellow Fertility Clinic, Gurugram, shares a few emerging technologies that have been introduced put into use in the Indian fertility sector across IVF centres and clinics. “Time-lapse imaging systems allow continuous monitoring of embryo development without removing them from the incubators, thereby improving selection accuracy; preimplantation genetic testing to check for chromosomal abnormalities and genetic disorders; AI enabled sperm selection techniques for healthier sperm selection; vitrification or advanced cryopreservation; as well as laser assisted hatching which can improve implantation chances in select cases,” he adds.
Lab innovations that simulate in-vivo conditions very closely, such as controlled culture environments and enhanced media, have made a great difference in the quality of embryo development, offers Dr Malik. IVF labs now ensure precision in all the parameters such as temperature, humidity and light, in attempting to “replicate womb-like conditions”, she adds.
“From a patient standpoint, the shift is less about adding complexity and more about improving predictability. Fewer cycles to success and more informed decision-making are the outcomes that matter most,” explains Dr Prachi Benara, fertility specialist at Birla Fertility and IVF. AI is still finding its place in IVF, but one area where it is being used more actively is embryo assessment. “With time-lapse imaging, there is a large amount of data on how embryos grow, and AI helps analyse these patterns in a more structured way,” says Dr Benara.
However, this does not replace clinical judgment, explains Dr Benara, rather adds another layer of support while making decisions. “For now, the strongest contribution remains within the lab, where small differences can influence outcomes in a meaningful way,” she adds.
Emerging technologies
Among the most notable innovations currently at play in the Indian fertility sector, AI powered embryo selection might be the most significant and useful. Recently, IVF chain Gaudium IVF launched its own AI-powered embryo selection system, Sperm Identification Device (SID) and Embryo Ranking Intelligent Classification Assistant (ERICA), making it the first Indian company to do so.
Dr Manika Khanna, managing director, CEO and chairperson of Gaudium IVF, says that in the trial groups that were part of the sample in the United States, the embryo selection system showed a 5% improvement in successful IVF treatments. “We have done a lot of genome data sequencing and identified morphological factors studied inside the embryo to align the system with the Indian populace,” Khanna told FE at the launch event of the AI-led infertility treatment.
SID and ERICA can be integrated into routine clinical practices, according to Gaudium IVF. “What it means in simpler terms for the couples who are not able to have a baby is that these tools help select the best and healthiest sperm and the healthiest embryo to be transferred into the patient. So when you choose the healthiest embryo to be transferred, you automatically increase the chances of getting pregnant at the first cycle,” explains Khanna.
Similarly, medical devices manufacturer IntegriMedical recently launched India’s first needle free IVF injection system (N-FIS). “It is a patented drug-delivery technology that administers medication without the use of a conventional needle,” says Sarvesh Mutha, managing director of IntegriMedical. “The injection system is ergonomically designed with a sleek stainless-steel body and operates using a high velocity precision-controlled jet stream delivering the drug in less than a tenth of a second via a fine micro-stream into the required tissue layer with speed and accuracy.”
“While the technology is well established in pediatric care, it is now rapidly expanding into fertility treatment, where the need for a less invasive and more patient-friendly experience is even more critical,” explains Mutha. For many patients, the discomfort and anxiety associated with repeated needle-based injections can become an emotional and physical barrier in an already sensitive journey toward motherhood. “By reducing the burden of repeated injections, N-FIS has the potential to improve adherence and overall treatment experience in IVF journeys,” says Mutha.
Access & affordability
Dr Taxak believes there is a definite urban-rural demographic divide when it comes to access to IVF services. He says that as technology becomes more widespread, “costs are expected to become more standardised and accessible”. Even though, as of now, high upfront costs and increased per-cycle costs due to advanced lab infrastructure can discourage people from the process, he points out that better embryo selection will reduce the number of IVF cycles required, bringing the cost down.
Ambika Bhaik, CEO of Yellow Fertility, agrees. “Fewer complications and miscarriages lower overall treatment burden,” she explains, adding: “There is a clear shift toward data-driven, technology-backed IVF, with patients actively seeking centres that offer advanced, transparent, and evidence-based care.” Adoption of advanced IVF technologies is currently highest in metros, but is rapidly expanding into tier 2 cities due to networked fertility chains, says Dr Malik. Taking the example of AI-assisted embryo selection, she says, “While large-scale outcome data is still evolving, global studies indicate a 12% improvement in precision.”
Dr Benara opines, “Access has improved, but it is not uniform. In larger cities, patients tend to come in earlier and are more aware of when to seek help. In smaller towns, there is often a delay, sometimes because of lack of awareness, sometimes because of hesitation around treatment itself.” She cites travel to IVF centres as another factor impacting access to treatment facilities.
What’s next
Bhaik of Yellow Fertility shares the company’s imminent plans for AI and tech integration. “Deeper AI integration for outcome prediction; AI models that can predict IVF success probability before cycle initiation, enabling better patient counselling; non-invasive embryo testing; techniques that assess embryo genetics without biopsy; further automation in embryology labs, app-based tracking and teleconsultations, improved vitrifications, among other capacity enhancements are on the roster for Yellow Fertility,” she adds.
As for Nova, “its roadmap focuses on expanding AI beyond embryo selection into a more holistic, data-driven fertility journey”, as per Dr Malik. Nova is looking at integrating personalised embryo stimulation protocols, predictive analytics for gamete quality, and end-to-end treatment optimisation using big data, in the near future. Dr Khanna of Gaudium, speaking to FE on their new embryo selection tools, says, “This is a landmark innovation because these are two rapidly growing industries, both IVF and AI, these are industries of the future, and we have kind of brought them together inside the IVF laboratory.”
Disclaimer: The information in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. While the author has incorporated expert medical guidance while producing the story and ensured full authentic information is provided to the reader, you should always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider regarding a medical condition or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read here.