New Delhi [India], February 3 (ANI): The Union Health Budget 2026 has unveiled a major push for the healthcare sector, aimed at making India self-reliant and globally credible in the long term.
Commenting on the announcements, Mayank Singhal, Vice Chairperson and Managing Director, PI Industries, said that the Union Budget 2026–27 lays a strong foundation for positioning India as a global hub for life sciences innovation and advanced biopharma manufacturing. He highlighted that the Rs 10,000 crore outlay under the Biopharma Shakti initiative, along with the expansion and upgradation of National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs), will significantly strengthen India’s research, talent, and innovation ecosystem in high-value biologics and advanced therapeutics. Singhal added that measures to enhance the capabilities of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and streamline clinical trial compliances are particularly encouraging, as they will improve regulatory efficiency and global credibility. The integrated focus on innovation and manufacturing scale-up, he noted, will accelerate innovation-led pipelines and enable deeper global collaborations.
Dr GSK Velu, Chairman and Managing Director, Trivitron Healthcare, Maxivision Eye Hospitals, and Neuberg Diagnostic, said that Budget 2026 positions India to accelerate its transition from volume-driven production to value-driven global leadership across pharmaceuticals, biopharma, and medical devices. He stated that Biopharma Shakti serves as the anchor of this transformation, supported by a renewed focus on regulatory and manufacturing reforms that ensure reduced compliance. Dr Velu further explained that the Rs 10,000 crore commitment to strengthening the biopharma, biotech, and life sciences ecosystem, alongside support for the drug regulatory framework and biopharma R&D, creates a strong foundation for raising quality benchmarks and aligning Indian innovation with global standards. This integrated approach, he said, will help move ideas from the laboratory to the bedside more efficiently while encouraging closer collaboration between industry, academia, and healthcare providers.
JS Shinde, President, and Rajiv Singhal, General Secretary, of the All India Organization of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), said that, in the interest of patients, the proposal to grant complete exemption from Basic Customs Duty (BCD) on 36 life-saving medicines used for cancer and other serious diseases is a highly sensitive and humane decision. They noted that this move will lead to a significant reduction in treatment costs and make critical therapies more affordable.
They further said that the inclusion of 37 new medicines and 13 new programmes under patient assistance initiatives clearly reflects the government’s commitment to placing patient welfare at the highest priority. The proposal to establish three new NIPERs and upgrade seven existing institutions, they added, will provide fresh momentum to pharmaceutical education, quality research, innovation, and the development of skilled human resources, serving as a strong bridge between industry and academia in the long run.
Dr Gowthami AV, CEO, Yatharth Hospital, Noida, said that the Union Budget 2026’s focus on upgrading existing institutions for allied health professionals is a highly progressive step towards strengthening India’s healthcare delivery ecosystem. She stated that by enhancing training infrastructure, modern curricula, and hands-on skill development, the initiative will help bridge the critical workforce gap across diagnostics, rehabilitation, emergency care, and clinical support services. A stronger allied health workforce, she added, will improve patient outcomes, reduce pressure on doctors and hospitals, and ensure more accessible, high-quality care across both urban and rural regions. (ANI)
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