Budget 2026: India to Build 5 Medical Tourism Hubs, Boost Pharma Sector

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the establishment of five regional medical tourism hubs in partnership with the private sector under the "Heal in India" initiative.
• These hubs will feature modern hospital infrastructure, advanced diagnostics, and post-care rehabilitation to position India as a global Medical Value Tourism (MVT) destination.
• The Budget also focuses on traditional medicine, with three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda and upgrades to AYUSH pharmacies and drug testing labs.
• Human resource development plans include upgrading institutions to train allied health professionals in 10 fields and training 1.5 lakh geriatric caregivers.
• An allocation of Rs 10,000 crore under the "Biopharma Shakti" programme aims to boost domestic production of biologics and biosimilars over five years.

Why It Matters: Budget 2026 aims to make India a global medical tourism leader through new hubs, traditional medicine, and pharma boost.