Suneeta Reddy, Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals

This budget was unique in the way it transitioned to a new vocabulary. With economic fundamentals like a controlled deficit, moderate inflation, and strong growth, the Budget recognised that it is time to bring the future into the present.

With focus on strategic emerging sectors for manufacturing, AI and technology, energy security, mineral security and an underlying focus on skills – the budget pivoted strongly towards the 5-year and 20-year vision for a developed nation.

A cardiac surgery in Chennai or cancer treatment in Mumbai will soon be more easily accessible to the international care seeker. The Union Budget 2026 sets out several powerful proposals for the healthcare sector. The announcement of Medical Value Tourism hubs comes at an appropriate time. MVT has been a key economic growth driver in India, with travellers arriving in India from about 150 countries. MVT hubs in partnership with the private sector will cluster accredited hospitals, diagnostics and wellness centres transforming India’s cost advantage and medical expertise to a stronger global health system that also contributes to steady earnings from international patients.

Integrated models

The Ayush quality mark ensures that trans-national patients seeking traditional medicine get a standardised experience. This emphasis on a synergistic and integrated model is a transformative approach, and very unique to India.

India can extend world-class healthcare to all its citizens. India has shining evidence that sustained investment in public health improves maternal and child health outcomes. A similar trajectory is now on the cards for mental health and NCDs. Compulsive digital engagement causes functional impairment amongst the young, triggering mental health issues, and this can be thoughtfully addressed now, with the measures introduced for mental health.

The budget highlights the need to transform potential to performance as outlined by plans to strengthen allied health workforce across diverse disciplines. Multi-skilling programmes to train caregivers for the geriatric aims to build a flexible, service-oriented workforce.

The exemption of life-saving drugs that target cancer, muscular atrophy and dystrophy from basic customs duty makes them more affordable. The focus on deepening our expertise in advanced research, biopharmaceutics, clinical trials and health informatics places the healthcare sector on a more advanced phase of development. This enables the Indian healthcare sector to move up the value chain, developing intellectual property and strengthening the country’s scientific stature.

Overall, the budget made significant progress towards creating a complete eco-system for healthcare – from manufacturing to affordable therapeutics, to acute care to integrated health.

Three types of challenges

Looking ahead, India now faces three types of health challenges: Stress for our young, lifestyle and genetic composition for the millennials, and quality of life challenges for our elderly. Our women do not pay enough attention to their own health and well-being, and are at heightened risk for chronic conditions. The Economic Survey of India 2026, emphasises the need for preventive healthcare and behavioural change strategies. Going forward, health policy and spend must reflect these priorities. So far, preventive health was only 14 per cent of total spend, and that needs to change.

If we do not make this change, then healthcare will continue to be a cost, and will not transform into the investment that it actually is. The role of thoughtful spending decisions in shaping the health of the nation is very important.

Forty years ago, when private corporate healthcare started in India, no one would have believed that we could achieve the longevity and quality of life metrics that we have today. Similarly, I have no doubt that the investments that we make today will yield exponential returns in the years to come.

Suneeta Reddy, Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals

Published on February 1, 2026