Dr. Azad Moopen, Founder & Chairman, Aster DM Healthcare
Today’s Budget lays out a thoughtful and forward-looking blueprint for India’s healthcare ecosystem—one that seamlessly integrates innovation, access, capacity expansion and global competitiveness. The Biopharma Shakti initiative, with an outlay of ₹10,000 crore over five years and a clear focus on strengthening research, manufacturing and regulatory capabilities, will play a pivotal role in accelerating India’s journey towards advanced, affordable and globally benchmarked healthcare solutions. The exemption of basic customs duty on 17 critical cancer drugs is a timely and patient-centric measure that will significantly improve access to life-saving therapies while easing the financial burden on families.
The Budget’s strong emphasis on healthcare infrastructure is equally encouraging. The proposed 50 percent capacity expansion of district hospitals, combined with targeted investments in tertiary care through the expansion of NIMHANS 2.0 in North India and the addition of three new AIIMS facilities, will meaningfully strengthen care delivery across both urban and underserved regions. These measures reinforce the government’s commitment to building a more resilient, inclusive and future-ready public health system.
Importantly, the Budget recognises healthcare as a powerful engine of employment and social impact. The announcement of 1,00,000 Allied Health Professionals (AHPs), alongside the training of 1.5 lakh caregivers, supported by structured skilling initiatives, AI-enabled training pathways and digital health programmes, marks a decisive step towards building a large, skilled and future-ready healthcare workforce. This integrated approach will help support an ageing population, specialised care needs and emerging models of care delivery. Together with the continued push for medical hubs, medical value tourism, and a sharper focus on mental and digital health, these initiatives firmly position India as a globally trusted healthcare destination with sustainable long-term growth potential.
Nitin Jain, Founder and Managing Director, Iberia Pharmaceuticals
“The Union Budget’s announcement of the ₹10,000 crore Biopharma Shakti initiative, along with investments in new and upgraded NIPERs, a nationwide clinical trial network, and the strengthening of regulatory institutions such as the CDSCO, is a strong and forward-looking step for India’s pharmaceutical ecosystem. These measures will significantly improve the industry’s ability to innovate, scale high-value biologics and biosimilars, and align more closely with global drug development and manufacturing standards. The emphasis on priority disease areas such as diabetes, combined with a clearly defined five-year horizon, provides long-term direction while strengthening India’s standing as a credible global destination for clinical research. By prioritising research infrastructure, regulatory capacity and domestic manufacturing, the government has laid the foundation for an innovation-led growth model that will enhance industry competitiveness and reinforce India’s position as a trusted global biopharma manufacturing and research hub, while addressing the growing burden of non-communicable diseases.”
Shafiulla Hirehal Nuruddin, Founder and managing director at Greenspace Herbs.
It is really gratifying to see the Union Budget 2026-27 place such a strong and unambiguous emphasis on the Ayush sector. We genuinely appreciate the government’s focus on this arena, as it recognises that Ayurveda is no longer just a traditional practice, but a rapidly rising sector that merits this level of national support.
The proposal to build three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda and the plan to improve Ayush pharmacies and drug testing facilities are critical measures. These initiatives will help build a much-needed ecosystem of higher certification standards and bring in the skilled personnel required to move the industry forward.
The government is looking very closely at the potential of traditional medicine, and by strengthening the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre for evidence-based research, they are providing the validation the industry needs to grow. We look forward to the industry collaborating closely with the government to build on this momentum and ensure these regional hubs and training programs create lasting opportunities for health professionals across the country.
Mr Vishal Bali, Executive Chairman, Asia healthcare Holdings.
“Budget 2026 was expected to bring multiple reforms for the growth of the healthcare sector including a major push to medical technology manufacturing in India. The total allocation for the healthcare sector has moved marginally from Rs 99,858 cr in 2025 to Rs 1,04,599 cr in 2026 which effectively means that public healthcare spending in the country as percentage of GDP remains much lower than the rest of the world. However, the Rs 10.000 cr allocation to make India as a global biopharma manufacturing hub over 5 yrs is an excellent push on the pharmaceutical side. The strategic impetus to create 5 regional medical tourism hubs which strengthens India’s position as a global healthcare provider is a good idea along with strengthening the regional Ayush Ecosystem of the country. The reduction in import duty on cancer drugs given the rise of Oncology patients in the country is also a good move. Overall, the allocation for healthcare sector still does not mark an exponential inflection point given the demand supply gap for healthcare in the country, and the constantly increasing import bills of medical technology given the depreciation of the rupee in recent times.”
Benjamin Lin, President, Delta Electronics India
This Budget brings together multiple strands of India’s manufacturing and technology growth story in a balanced and forward-looking manner. The ₹40,000 crore allocation for India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 and the enhanced outlay for electronics components manufacturing point to a clear focus on scale, depth, and ecosystem development. When seen alongside targeted support for MSMEs through a ₹10,000 crore growth fund, the policy framework addresses both large-scale manufacturing and the strength of the supplier base. By aligning capital support with capability building and innovation, the Budget creates a solid foundation for sustainable, technology-led growth and reinforces India’s ambition to emerge as a globally competitive electronics manufacturing hub.
Niranjan Nayak, MD, Delta Electronics India
What stands out in the Union Budget 2026 is the scale, consistency, and seriousness with which the government is approaching electronics and advanced manufacturing. The launch of India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 with an outlay of ₹40,000 crore, along with the expansion of the electronics components manufacturing scheme to a similar level, clearly signals a long-term commitment to building strong domestic capabilities. Importantly, the focus goes beyond manufacturing capacity to include full-stack design, development of Indian intellectual property, skill creation, and stronger supply-chain resilience. This reflects a practical understanding of how globally competitive technology ecosystems are built. Such clarity and continuity in policy direction give industry the confidence to plan long-term investments, deepen local value addition, and steadily move India up the electronics manufacturing value chain.
