The Indian Medical Association (IMA) was established on December 28, 1928, as a result of the efforts of a group of patriotic doctors who were deeply involved in the freedom struggle, led by Mahatma Gandhi. Recognizing the need for a medical organization distinct from the British Medical Association, which was the only medical body in the country at that time, these visionary doctors formed the All India Medical Association. This initiative was formalized at the 5th All India Medical Conference in Calcutta, under the presidency of Dr. G. V. Deshmukh of Bombay, where a resolution was adopted to establish an organization dedicated to the promotion and advancement of medical sciences, the improvement of public health and medical education in India, and the preservation of the honor and dignity of the medical profession. In 1930, the organization was renamed the Indian Medical Association and was officially registered under the Societies Registration Act, XXI of 1860.
The IMA became one of the 27 founding members of the World Medical Association in 1948. Today, with over 2,000 branches and 400,000 members nationwide, it stands as the world’s largest medical professional organization.