Healthcare received a significant boost in the Union Budget 2026–27, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announcing a Rs 10,000 crore outlay for the Bio Pharma Shakti scheme aimed at strengthening the production of biologics and biosimilar drugs and positioning India as a global bio-pharma hub.
Presenting the Budget, Sitharaman said the initiative would help India address the rising burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes. The scheme is expected to enhance domestic capabilities in advanced medicines while supporting innovation and global competitiveness in the bio-pharmaceutical sector.
Push for Healthcare Workforce And Infrastructure
The Finance Minister also announced plans to create 1 lakh Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) across 10 disciplines, including optometry, radiology and anaesthesia, over the next five years. In addition, the government will create 1.5 lakh caregivers for geriatric care and National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF)-aligned programmes.
Further strengthening healthcare infrastructure, Sitharaman said more emergency and trauma centres would be established across the country, while mental health institutions would be developed on the lines of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS).
Reforms, Growth And Viksit Bharat Vision
During her Budget speech, the Finance Minister said that since the Narendra Modi government assumed office, India’s economic trajectory has been defined by fiscal discipline and sustained growth. She outlined interventions across six sectors in the Budget 2026–27, including manufacturing, strategic and frontier sectors, healthcare and advanced technology.
Among other proposals, Sitharaman announced plans to scale up manufacturing in strategic and frontier sectors and to develop city economic regions. Highlighting the government’s reform agenda, she said, “Over 350 reforms have been rolled out, and the ‘Reforms Express’ is well on its way, and India will continue to take confident steps towards Viksit Bharat, balancing ambition with inclusion.”
She added that the Union Budget, prepared in Kartavya Bhavan, is guided by three ‘kartavyas’ (duties). “We are inspired by three kartavya: accelerate and sustain economic growth, fulfil aspirations of people and build capacity, and the third is to ensure that every family, community, and region has access to resources,” the Finance Minister said.
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