Hyderabad: “Fertility rates are declining in countries like India, and 1 in 6 couples are struggling to conceive. Therefore, the need for precision in fertility treatment is the need of the hour,” said Shobhit Agarwal, CEO of Nova IVF Fertility.
“We believe that advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence should be accessible to all patients in metros and tier 2 regions, without any additional monetary charges.”
Fertility via AI
Nova IVF Fertility has started using Artificial Intelligence (AI) across its clinics in 65 cities. The Bengaluru-based fertility chain performs over 20,000 IVF cycles each year and now deploys Vita Embryo, an AI-based embryo assessment system, at more than 120 clinics nationwide.
The technology comes from Kai Health, a South Korean AI firm. Nova IVF began implementing the system at 20 locations and plans to expand it across the full network by year-end. The system runs without charging patients extra fees.
AI can double the accuracy of embryo selection
Clinical tests indicate that AI-powered Vita Embryo can double the accuracy of embryo selection compared to human evaluation. A survey conducted by Kai Health showed that the precision of selecting embryos increased by 12 per cent.
“Our research indicates that with the intervention of AI, the precision of selecting embryos increased by 12 per cent,” said Dr Hyejun Lee, CEO of Kai Health. “Our association with Nova IVF Fertility signifies our readiness for global market expansion.”
How IVF works
Inside the human body, fertilisation happens in the fallopian tube. The egg is released from the ovary, travels into the tube, and meets sperm swimming up from the uterus. The embryo forms in the tube and moves into the uterus, where it implants.
“In IVF, we help couples in whom this fertilisation does not happen naturally,” explains Dr Radhika Potluri, Regional Medical Head and Fertility Specialist at Oasis Fertility, Hyderabad.
“This could be due to blocked or damaged fallopian tubes, poor sperm quality or low sperm count, or situations where the eggs are few in number or not being released properly. In such cases, we collect the eggs and sperm, allow them to fertilise in the lab, and then transfer the resulting embryo into the uterus,” the doctor said.
The process replicates conception outside the body. Doctors retrieve eggs, collect sperm, combine them in laboratory dishes, and monitor embryo development. After several days, they transfer the embryos into the uterus.
“Even patients who have previously undergone sterilisation can opt for IVF,” Dr Potluri adds. “Sometimes, couples who have lost a child or decide later in life that they want another baby can still conceive through IVF, even after tubal ligation or vasectomy.”
The selection problem
Embryologists face a decision at every IVF cycle. They must choose which embryo to transfer into the uterus. They look through microscopes, examining cell symmetry, checking how cells divide and assessing the structure of embryos. They grade each one based on what they see.
“Earlier, we didn’t have very accurate embryo selection techniques,” says Dr Potluri. “So, we often had to transfer embryos that looked morphologically normal under the microscope but could still be genetically abnormal. Sometimes, issues during the embryo's early cleavage stages go unnoticed. That’s why we see failed implantations even when everything appears fine visually.”
Where modern technology helps in fertility
Human observation has limits. Two embryologists might grade the same embryo differently. Subtle details escape notice. The human eye cannot measure cellular features at microscopic scales or track changes over time with precision.
“With non-invasive embryo testing and AI-based grading systems, we can now identify embryos with better implantation potential — without needing to biopsy them,” Dr Potluri explains. “This helps reduce the number of transfer attempts and improves success rates because we're selecting the best-quality embryo from the start.”
Where AI enters the lab
Nova IVF runs its labs according to European standards of embryology protocols. The fertility chain employs 120 fertility specialists and 150 embryologists. Now, AI serves as an additional tool in their hands.
“One of the most critical moments in IVF treatment is the selection of the right embryo,” the company states. “Within the IVF Lab, clinical embryologists apply years of expertise, grading each embryo on its capacity to develop into a pregnancy. With Artificial Intelligence, now serving as an additional pair of eyes, this helps to further improve accuracy.”
The technology spots details about embryo health that remain too subtle for human eyes. It gives couples confidence that the selection process follows objective criteria rather than subjective judgment alone.
Dr Potluri points out that AI helps mainly with lab efficiency and standardisation in India.
“The main areas where AI is helping right now are ovarian stimulation, sperm selection and embryo selection. It’s also extremely useful in cases of severe male factor infertility, repeated implantation failures, and in identifying the right placement and timing for embryo transfer. With AI, we see fewer manual errors and eliminate inter-observer variations — making our results more consistent and reliable.”
The full cycle
AI can integrate into almost every step of IVF treatment. The technology starts before egg retrieval begins.
“Step by step, it can support us from the very beginning,” Dr Potluri explains.
“First, it helps in patient evaluation and pre-IVF planning by assessing hormone levels and predicting how a patient might respond to treatment. Then, during ovarian stimulation, it individualises medication doses and provides computerised follicle monitoring to ensure proper timing for the trigger injection and egg retrieval.”
After doctors retrieve eggs, AI systems analyse sperm samples. The software examines sperm morphology and motility, identifying viable cells even in cases where few sperm exist.
“AI systems can analyse sperm morphology and motility far more efficiently, even in cases of azoospermia, helping identify one or two viable sperm cells that may not be visible manually,” says Dr Potluri. “It also grades eggs by maturity and quality, ensuring only the best ones are fertilised.”
Algorithms predict the best sperm
Research from Mexico demonstrates how this works. Dr Alejandro Chávez-Badiola’s team developed software called SiD v1.0 that tracks sperm cells swimming under microscopes. The program measures straight-line velocity, linearity of trajectory and head movement pattern for each cell.
A 2022 study published in Reproductive BioMedicine Online analysed 383 individual sperm cells from 78 ICSI cycles. The algorithm predicted which sperm would successfully fertilise eggs and which would produce embryos reaching the blastocyst stage.
“Selected spermatozoa had significantly higher means for all parameters evaluated, suggesting that embryologists intuitively selected the fastest spermatozoa with more linear motility and better head movement," the researchers wrote.
The software eliminates variability between practitioners. It applies identical criteria to every sperm cell and generates objective rankings within milliseconds.
Watching embryos grow
After fertilisation, AI continues monitoring development inside the lab. Time-lapse imaging systems capture photographs of embryos every few minutes.
“Through time-lapse imaging, the technology captures continuous pictures of embryo growth up to Day 5, giving us detailed insight into how the cells are dividing,” Dr Potluri adds. “This allows us to select embryos that are developing normally, with the highest implantation potential.”
The same Mexican research team developed ERICA—Embryo Ranking Intelligent Classification Algorithm—which analyses static photographs of five-day-old embryos. The system extracts 94 measurable features from each image using deep neural networks.
A 2024 study analysed 172 embryo transfers from two clinics in Mexico. All resulted in positive pregnancy tests, but researchers wanted to predict which pregnancies would continue or end in miscarriage. Embryos classified as optimal or good had a 16.1 per cent miscarriage rate. Embryos classified as fair or poor miscarried 25 per cent of the time.
“Spontaneous abortion imposes a high toll on patients, not only emotionally, financially and physically, but also by increasing the time until the next opportunity for pregnancy,” the researchers wrote.
The algorithm correctly predicted outcomes in 67.4 per cent of cases.
Current practice in India
Dr Potluri admits that AI adoption in India remains limited at present. “At the moment, we are not using AI at every stage,” she clarifies. “In our centre, we currently use AI mainly for sperm selection and through time-lapse embryo monitoring. These tools help our embryologists save time, reduce subjectivity, and improve consistency.”
Many AI systems remain foreign technologies just entering Indian labs. Cost and access limit widespread implementation.
“Frankly speaking, AI in fertility treatment is still evolving here,” Dr Potluri adds. “Many of these advanced systems are foreign technologies that are just beginning to enter Indian labs. We are optimistic about their potential, but at present, they’re being used selectively rather than across all patients. Over the next few years, as access improves and costs come down, we expect to see AI integrated much more widely into IVF practice in India.”
Tech available in metropolitan cities and tier 2 regions
Nova IVF’s decision to implement AI across its network without charging patients extra represents a shift. The technology becomes available to couples in metropolitan cities and tier 2 regions alike.
“With the usage of Artificial Intelligence, we are looking at improving the chances of successful pregnancies and faster turnaround of the IVF cycle,” said Agarwal. “Improved precision can also reduce the number of embryos needed for transfer, addressing ethical concerns related to multiple pregnancies.”
The system saves time for patients undergoing IVF treatment because embryo selection happens faster. Transparency increases when objective measurements replace subjective assessments.
What comes next
Emerging technologies promise even more applications. Some studies suggest AI can measure endometrial thickness and determine the exact window of implantation—when the uterus becomes most receptive for embryo transfer.
“Some of the recent studies suggest that AI can also help us obtain highly accurate imaging of the embryo, measure the endometrial thickness, and even determine the exact ‘window of implantation’ — that is, when the uterus is most receptive for embryo transfer,” says Dr Potluri.
The technology could monitor hormonal patterns, predict ideal timing for hormonal support, and synchronise every element of the IVF process.
“In the future, AI could help us synchronise everything — selecting the right embryo, identifying the perfect moment for implantation, and ensuring the uterine environment is fully receptive,” she adds. “All of this can work together to significantly improve pregnancy rates.”
The software sees what embryologists cannot. It measures what human eyes miss. And in those measurements lies data that can increase success rates and reduce the number of failed cycles couples must endure.