NEW DELHI: As Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman prepares to present the Union Budget 2026–27 in February, healthcare leaders, hospital administrators, medical professionals and industry stakeholders have put forward an extensive wishlist, calling for higher public investment across prevention, infrastructure, manpower and access to ensure affordable and equitable healthcare for the common man.
Emphasising the need for sustained investment in people, Dr Aashish Chaudhry, Managing Director and Orthopaedic Surgeon at Aakash Healthcare, said India must now look beyond brick-and-mortar expansion.
“India has made progress in expanding hospital infrastructure and insurance coverage, but we now need a deeper focus on healthcare policy and human resources,” he said. “The Budget should prioritise training and upskilling of doctors, nurses and allied health staff, along with continuous medical education. Without well-trained professionals, even the best infrastructure cannot deliver quality care.”
Dr Chaudhry also underscored the importance of strengthening medical education beyond metropolitan areas, suggesting targeted incentives for teaching hospitals, simulation-based training and robust public–private partnerships to address workforce shortages in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.
Industry leaders also raised concerns about manufacturing and supply-side vulnerabilities. Rajiv Nath, Forum Coordinator of the Association of Indian Medical Devices (AiMeD), urged the government to raise import tariffs to 10–15 per cent from the current 7.5 per cent to support domestic manufacturing, while incentivising suppliers with over 50 per cent local value addition.
The need to decentralise healthcare delivery was echoed by Dr NK Pandey, Chairman and Managing Director of Asian Hospital, Faridabad. “The Budget should encourage expansion of secondary and tertiary care in underserved regions. Tax incentives and easier access to finance for hospitals in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities will go a long way in improving access. Preventive healthcare and early diagnosis must be integrated into primary healthcare,” he said.
Suresh Garg, Founder and CMD of Zeon Lifesciences, emphasised strengthening India’s contract manufacturing ecosystem, especially in nutraceuticals. “Expanding PLI schemes, rationalising GST on raw materials like botanical extracts, and streamlining FSSAI approvals in line with global standards will boost domestic production and exports,” he said.
He also called for enhanced credit guarantees similar to ECLGS extensions, along with R&D tax credits for innovations in probiotics and gut health, to help MSMEs scale up and position nutraceuticals as a pillar of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Echoing the sector’s core demand, Aman Puri, Founder of Steadfast Nutrition, said, “The healthcare sector eagerly awaits increased government allocation to healthcare to 2.5–3 per cent of GDP, which has been a longstanding demand.”
Healthcare professionals warned that chronic underinvestment has resulted in acute shortages of doctors, nurses and hospital beds, particularly outside major urban centres. India’s doctor–population ratio, nurse-to-bed ratio and allied health staffing levels remain well below global benchmarks.
Pavan Choudary, Chairman of the Medical Technology Association of India (MTaI), recommended expanding insurance coverage to include more effective procedures, which would improve patient outcomes and encourage responsible medical innovation while Dr Rajendra Patankar, CEO of Jupiter Hospital, Pune, called for a decisive shift towards prevention-led healthcare. “The focus should move from only treating illness to preventing it. Higher allocation for screening programmes, digital health records and integrated care models can reduce long-term costs and improve outcomes,” he said.
Diagnostic providers highlighted affordability and access as key concerns. Dr Ravi Kapoor, Founder and Director of City X-Ray & Scan Clinic, said, “Rationalisation of GST on diagnostic services and equipment will help keep tests affordable. The Budget should also support diagnostic hubs in smaller cities so patients do not need to travel long distances for basic investigations.”
Rajneesh Bhandari, Founder of NeuroEquilibrium, pointed to India’s growing MedTech potential. “With exports exceeding USD 4 billion and the sector projected to reach USD 50 billion by 2030, the Budget must create ‘clinical evidence and validation grants’ to fund multi-centre studies and real-world evidence, enabling Indian technologies to compete globally,” he said.
Dr Khyatee, a senior Physiotherapist and former Senior Research Officer at AIIMS Delhi, drew attention to rising workplace violence against healthcare professionals, calling for dedicated funding for their protection, increased medical and nursing seats, and more DNB positions, particularly in paediatrics. She also urged focused funding for senior care, early detection of gynaecological cancers and femtech innovation.
Highlighting India’s ambition to become a global life sciences hub, Mayank Singhal, Vice Chairperson and Managing Director of PI Industries, called for enhanced R&D investments, AI-enabled research platforms, continued PLI support for APIs, and predictable, innovation-friendly policies to strengthen India’s drug discovery ecosystem.
Dr Vineet Malhotra, Head of Urology and Director at VNA Hospital, underlined gaps in specialist training. “There is a clear mismatch between demand and availability of trained specialists. The Budget should encourage fellowship programmes, skill-based training and clinical research, particularly in high-burden specialties like urology, oncology and cardiology,” he said, also advocating tax benefits on health insurance and preventive check-ups.
Dr NK Soni, Senior Consultant and Head of Internal Medicine and Diabetology at Yatharth Super Speciality Hospital, Greater Noida, said increased allocation for healthcare facilities, technology and preventive services would significantly improve outcomes in Tier-2 and Tier-3 regions, while reducing the financial burden on patients. At the same time, Mansi Bansal Jhunjhunwala, Founder and CEO of MASSH Hospital, emphasised the need for greater spending on maternal health, nutrition, screenings and neonatal care, along with investments in digital health and telemedicine.
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