New Delhi, March 30 – The Union Budget lays the framework for expanding the allied health workforce, strengthening infrastructure, and elevating Ayush on the global stage, the government said on Monday.
The recent budget has increased allocations for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare by 10 per cent, from 2025-26 to over Rs. 1,06,530 crore, and includes initiatives such as global AYUSH integration and the establishment of NIMHANS-2 in North India, according to an official statement.
The allocation for the ministry also represents a 194 per cent increase over the past 12 years, while the Department of Health Research has been allocated Rs 4,821.21 crore. This rising government expenditure demonstrates a strong commitment to universal healthcare and medical research innovation, the statement noted.
The government highlighted the 100 per cent customs duty exemption on 17 new cancer drugs, adding that the budget aims to train 1 lakh allied health professionals and 1.5 lakh caregivers over the next five years.
Furthermore, the budget proposed the establishment of three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda to meet growing global demand and upgrade the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre in Jamnagar.
The initiatives for the AYUSH sector aim to strengthen education, clinical training, and research capacity for both domestic healthcare delivery and international engagement, while also raising regulatory standards and certification ecosystems to position Indian AYUSH products in global markets that demand scientifically validated solutions.
Funding for the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri-Jan Arogya Yojana has been increasing, with the scheme providing up to Rs. 5 lakh annually per eligible household and covering over 12 crore vulnerable families.
"While the nation has made significant progress in addressing maternal and child health and increasing life expectancy from 49.7 years in 1973 to 70.3 years in 2023, it now faces a rising health challenge: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, and cancers," the statement noted.
NCDs accounted for 57 per cent of deaths in the country in 2021-23. To counter this, the government runs the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases, which systematically identifies high-risk individuals and links them to appropriate care and treatment.