Pre-Budget Expectations

Dr Arun Singhvi

MD & Group CEO ASG Eye Hospital

The landmark GST 2.0 reforms implemented in September 2025 have provided a significant fillip to the healthcare industry. The reduction in GST rates from 12% to 5% on ophthalmic equipment is a visionary step that directly supports ASG Eye Hospital's "Vision 2030" to democratize affordable and accessible eye care pan-India....

Yashna Garg

Founder Yugap Wellness

From a Union Budget 2026 standpoint, MSME-led D2C brands- particularly women-led consumer businesses need targeted fiscal support. Rationalising GST on wellness and nutrition products to the 5–12% bracket, expanding the MSME Credit Guarantee Scheme beyond ₹5 crore, and enabling easier access to affordable working capital through lower-interest, faster-disbursal credit lines...

Rajiv Gandhi

Founder, MD & CEO Hester Biosciences Ltd

In stable economies, annual budgets do not witness wide variations. The changes are largely aimed at refining ongoing reforms and maintaining continuity in policy direction. So is the case with India. From the upcoming Budget, I would particularly like to see enhanced public expenditure towards agriculture, animal husbandry and infrastructure...

Suresh Garg

Founder & CMD Zeon Lifesciences

I urge the Finance Minister to leverage Budget 2026 to bolster India's contract manufacturing prowess. Expanding PLI schemes for nutraceuticals, rationalizing GST on raw materials like botanical extracts, and streamlining FSSAI approvals with global standards will drive domestic production and exports. Enhanced credit guarantees akin to ECLGS extensions, plus R&D...

Mr. Amarendra Kumar Gupta

CFO Sterling Hospitals

Ahead of the Union Budget, a higher allocation for public healthcare, aligned with the National Health Policy target of 2.5% of GDP, will strengthen care delivery and ease operational pressures. Increased outlay for Ayushman Bharat can help streamline reimbursements and improve system efficiency. Incentives for private hospitals, indigenous medical devices,...

Mr. Venkat Nelabhotla

Co-Founder, President & CEO Vyome Holdings, Inc.

In the Union Budget 2026, India must place life sciences, biotech, and biopharma innovation at the core of our bioeconomy. I propose a dedicated Life Sciences & Biotech Innovation Mission with an allocation of ₹50,000+ crore focused purely on R&D incentives, translational research, clinical development, and global regulatory readiness—with clear,...

Mytri Macherla

Vice President & Sector Head, Corporate Ratings ICRA Limited

The upcoming budget is likely to focus on preventive healthcare, given the significant rise in non-communicable and lifestyle diseases in the country. To boost investments in the sector, tax incentives for private sector investments in modernising medical facilities, especially in tier-2 and tier-3 cities and developing greenfield hospitals in rural...

Shreehas Tambe

CEO & Managing Director Biocon Biologics

India stands at a pivotal moment as it evolves from being a global supplier of affordable generics to a leading hub for pharmaceutical innovation and advanced manufacturing. The Union Budget 2026 offers a strategic opportunity to accelerate this transition and strengthen India’s position in the global pharmaceutical value chain. The...

Ms. Priyanka Chigurupati

Executive Director, Granules India Limited

As India’s role in global pharmaceutical supply chains continues to expand, this is a critical moment to strengthen our manufacturing and innovation ecosystem. In a global environment driven by supply chain de-risking and diversification, the right policy support can help India emerge as the preferred long-term alternative. A forward-looking Union...

Masaharu Morita

Founder and Program Director, NURA – AI Health Screening Centre

"As India prepares for the Union Budget, there is a crucial opportunity to reorient healthcare towards prevention and early intervention. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) continue to place a growing burden on individuals, families and public health systems, yet many conditions remain undetected until advanced stages. Strengthening structured screening programmes and enabling...

Dr G.S.K. Velu

Chairman and Managing Director of Trivitron Healthcare, Chairman & Managing Director, Maxivision Eye Hospitals, and Chairman and Managing Director, Neuberg Diagnostics.

As we approach the Union Budget 2026–27, India stands at a crossroad where execution must take centre stage to manage our nation's soaring Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) burden, which accounts for a mortality rate of ~65%. We urge the government to fulfil the long-standing industry recommendation of raising public health expenditure...

Dipu Bose

Head, Medical Technology, ZEISS India & Neighboring Markets

We are optimistic that the upcoming Union Budget will introduce transformative reforms to address critical gaps in India’s healthcare access and infrastructure. The focus should be on reducing tax burdens, expanding incentives for innovation, and significantly increasing public health spending to build a more inclusive and robust healthcare system that...

Shweta Rai

Managing Director India and Country Division Head South Asia, Bayer Pharmaceuticals

Last year’s Union Budget signalled important progress toward improving patient access, particularly through duty exemptions on life-saving medicines and an increased on medical education. This progress is also reflected in the steady rise in public healthcare spending, with the share of government health expenditure in total health spending increasing over...

Dr. M.I. Sahadulla

National President, AHPI, and Chairman & Managing Director, KIMSHEALTH

Healthcare spending in India remains significantly lower than in many developing nations. To build a healthier nation and position India as a global leader in healthcare innovation, the combined healthcare expenditure of the Government of India and State Governments must be substantially increased to at least 5% of GDP. We...

Mr. Vipul Jain

CEO - CK Birla Hospitals 

As the Union Budget approaches, the healthcare sector will be looking closely at how policy continues to support the growing demand for consistent, high-quality and technology-enabled care. A balanced approach that reinforces healthcare infrastructure, technology adoption and supply-side resilience will be critical to strengthening the overall healthcare ecosystem in the...

Mrs. Veena Khandke

SVP & Managing Director of Ensono India

As India looks towards the Union Budget 2026, there is a significant opportunity to reinforce the country’s position as a trusted global hub for technology, innovation and digital services. Continued focus on digital public infrastructure, secure cloud adoption and resilient data ecosystems will be critical as enterprises worldwide accelerate technology-led...

Dr. Anand K

Managing Director & CEO, Agilus Diagnostics Ltd.

“As India approaches the 2026 Union Budget, diagnostics stands at the core of strengthening the nation’s healthcare backbone. Diagnostics informs nearly every clinical decision and policy choices have a direct bearing on patient outcomes, system efficiency and long-term costs Recent budgets have signalled intent with increased allocations—over ₹95,000 crore for...

Dr. Arunkumar Govindarajan

Director and Radiologist, Aarthi Scans and Labs

As a radiologist leading a large diagnostic network, I believe timely and affordable access to advanced diagnostics is central to saving lives. Technologies such as CT and MRI scanners, along with emerging medical AI tools, play a critical role in early disease detection, yet their high costs continue to limit...

Anuj Chahal

Founder of Maverick Simulation Solutions

As we approach the Union Budget 2026–27, the healthcare sector has a unique opportunity to strengthen India’s domestic capabilities and global competitiveness. The Budget should prioritise rationalisation of GST and import duties on healthcare education and training equipment, which are critical for building a skilled, future-ready healthcare workforce and improving...

Dr. Jothi Neeraja

Founder & Managing Director, People Tree Hospitals and Maarga Mind Care

In the Union Budget 2025–26, overall healthcare received a significantly higher allocation of approx. 10% as compared to the previous year, reflecting the government’s commitment to strengthening the health sector. Within this, direct mental health spending under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare was around ₹1,004 crore, making it...

Mr. Dev Tripathy

Head of Finance, Philips Indian Subcontinent

Delivering quality healthcare to the last mile is crucial for India, and this can only be achieved by leveraging AI. AI enables early diagnosis and consolidates data points, helping clinicians make accurate decisions and bridge the supply-demand gap. India has the talent to drive AI-led innovation, and incentives for AI...

Dr. Seema Pai

President, Indian Society for Clinical Research

As we get closer to the Union Budget 2026, we have a strong opportunity to strengthen the clinical research ecosystem of India by increasing investment in academic research, infrastructure, and skill development. Major support for AI-enabled clinical trial data collection and analysis, digital health tool use and collaboration between academia...