Budget 2026: India Declares War on Diabetes, NCDs with ₹10,000 Cr Biopharma Shakti Plan

• India's health landscape is rapidly shifting, with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and cancer now posing the biggest public health threat.
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled the 'Biopharma Shakti' plan in Budget 2026, a ₹10,000 crore program to make India a world leader in biopharma products, specifically targeting NCDs.
• Obesity is a major driver of the NCD epidemic; a LocalCircles survey found three in four Indians have an obese individual in their social network, with 56% also suffering from lifestyle diseases.
• Diabetes is a national emergency, with 101 million Indians having diabetes and another 136 million at risk; Tamil Nadu alone saw a 104% increase in cases over the last decade.
• Cancer cases are climbing, with over 15.33 lakh new cases recorded in 2024, and autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis affecting 13 million people, predominantly women.

Why It Matters: Budget 2026 prioritizes India's rising NCD crisis with a ₹10,000 crore Biopharma Shakti plan.