Budget 2026: Healthcare Push with Medical Tourism Hubs, AYUSH Expansion and Caregiver Training
The Budget outlines a multi-pronged strategy to improve the allure of the healthcare and medical tourism sector in India.
The Union Budget for the financial year 2026-27 was presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Lok Sabha on Sunday, February 1, 2026. The budget for this year has been formulated on the basis of 3 core kartavyas. As per the second kartavya of building capacity and people’s aspirations, the Budget announced a significant push to healthcare through...
The Union Budget for the financial year 2026-27 was presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Lok Sabha on Sunday, February 1, 2026.
The budget for this year has been formulated on the basis of 3 core kartavyas.
As per the second kartavya of building capacity and people’s aspirations, the Budget announced a significant push to healthcare through medical tourism hubs, expansion of AYUSH infrastructure and provision of large-scale training to caregivers.
Announcing the proposals in Part A of the Budget speech, the Finance Minister said the government will train 1.5 lakh caregivers in the coming year to address the growing demand for healthcare support services.
In a major move to promote India as a global destination for healthcare services, the Budget proposes the development of five regional medical tourism hubs in partnership with the private sector.
These hubs will integrate medical treatment facilities with education and research institutions, AYUSH centres, medical value tourism facilities and also include post-treatment care and rehabilitation infrastructure.
The Finance Minister reiterated the government’s intent to position India as a preferred destination for affordable and high-quality healthcare services, all while generating jobs for doctors and allied health professionals.
The Budget also places strong emphasis on the expansion of traditional medicine systems.
The Finance Minister highlighted the global appeal of yoga, making mention of Prime Minister Modi’s presentation before the U.N.
To strengthen this ecosystem, the government announced the establishment of three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda, along with the upgradation of existing AYUSH facilities across the country.
Further, the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine at Jamnagar will be upgraded to bolster global awareness, research, and training in traditional medicine systems.
The upgrades are poised to benefit farmers engaged in the cultivation of medicinal herbs, as well as youth involved in processing and value addition of AYUSH products.
Leveraging private sector participation and global demand, the renewed focus on medical tourism, caregiver skilling and AYUSH expansion is reflective of a dual objective of improving domestic healthcare capacity and global relevance in the industry.
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