|
Medical infrastructure, technology adoption and supply-side resilience have emerged as critical priorities for the healthcare and diagnostics sector ahead of the Union Budget 2026, with industry stakeholders urging targeted policy support and higher public spending.
Experts emphasise that accelerating the adoption of advanced technologies such as AI-driven diagnostics and digital health platforms, and building resilient domestic supply chains are essential to improve access, affordability and preparedness, while reducing dependence on imports and addressing growing healthcare demand across India.
Surajit Chakrabartty, CFO, MedGenome Labs, said “Healthcare delivery has transformed in recent years, resulting in increased adoption of proactive and integrated models of care. Today, genomics and multiomics are not only enabling early detection of complex diseases but also helping predict and prevent many of these diseases. Omics-led insights are now integrated into every stage of a patient’s journey from disease diagnosis to management and treatment.”
Our mission is to translate the advances in omics into practical applications for clinicians to provide patients with the right diagnosis and targeted treatment regimen, he added.
We appreciate the government recognizing the role of genomics in enhancing healthcare outcomes, which is reflected through initiatives such as government-led, large-scale genome sequencing projects and targeted initiatives in therapy areas like sickle cell anaemia, tuberculosis, etc. This budget should aim to build on past initiatives and increase support for improving awareness, affordability and accessibility. Government's support for research projects and on-ground initiatives in collaboration with Indian companies should also be encouraged, he said.
Budgetary support for investments in research, infrastructure, and public–private partnerships will strengthen India's healthcare ecosystem, give an advantage to Indian Companies to compete with their international peers, and boost the economy, noted Chakrabartty.
Vipul Jain, CEO, CK Birla Hospitals pointed out that for this 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 years ahead. One of the critical areas to watch will be policy support for domestic manufacturing of advanced medical equipment. Today, a significant share of cutting-edge technology used in hospitals, from imaging systems to surgical platforms, continues to be imported from Western markets and China, even as clinical demand for these technologies is growing rapidly.
If similar equipment were manufactured at scale in India, costs could eventually be materially lower, much like what the automotive sector has demonstrated with domestic production of high-end vehicles. Beyond cost, local manufacturing would also strengthen supply reliability, enhance service support, and enable long-term technology adoption across hospitals, said Jain.
Further policy incentives to accelerate domestic manufacturing would help build a more resilient medical technology ecosystem, while enabling wider and more affordable access to high-quality care over time, said the CK Birla Hospitals CEO.
|