Tag: nutrition led consumption trends india budget outlook

Rajiv Vasudevan, Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Apollo AyurVAID; Dipu Bose, Head Medical Technology, ZEISS India and Neighboring Markets; Sameer Merchant, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Laxmi Dental Limited; Ashwani Dhanawat, Executive Director and Chief Investment Officer, Shriram General Insurance; and Ankush Jain, Chief Financial Officer, Proventus Agrocom Limited, outline expectations on preventive care, medical manufacturing, insurance penetration and nutrition-led consumption

As India prepares for the Union Budget 2026, healthcare and nutrition leaders are urging policymakers to look beyond short-term allocations and focus on structural reforms that strengthen preventive care, affordability, and domestic manufacturing. From evidence-based Ayurveda and medical technology access to insurance penetration and nutrition-led consumption, industry voices are calling for deeper integration of healthcare with policy planning to reduce long-term public expenditure and improve outcomes.
A key theme emerging ahead of the Budget is the role of preventive and integrative healthcare in managing India’s growing chronic disease burden. Rajiv Vasudevan, Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Apollo AyurVAID, said that while the government has made visible efforts to build credibility for the Ayush ecosystem, sustained investment is now required to translate intent into measurable outcomes. He stated that dedicated annual funding of at least INR 500 crore over the next five years is essential to build robust clinical evidence for Ayurveda as a treatment of choice for select chronic conditions such as diabetes, osteoarthritis, Parkinson’s and neurological disorders. He added that a structured public private mission for evidence generation, similar to models used in biotechnology, could significantly reduce elective surgeries, emergency care costs and long-term healthcare expenditure.

Vasudevan also emphasised the need for demand-side reforms, stating that the inclusion of Ayurveda Ayush treatments under Ayushman Bharat PMJAY is critical to lowering out-of-pocket expenses, which currently account for nearly half of India’s healthcare spending. According to him, covering secondary and tertiary prevention through integrative care would offer meaningful relief to households while strengthening public health delivery.
Medical technology leaders echoed similar concerns around affordability, access and domestic capability building. Dipu Bose, Head Medical Technology, ZEISS India and Neighboring Markets, said that the upcoming Budget presents an opportunity to address long-standing gaps in healthcare infrastructure, particularly in underserved regions. He stated that reducing cumulative tax burdens on essential medical devices, aligning GST rates to the 5 percent slab, and simplifying import-export procedures would improve access to critical technologies. Bose also highlighted the importance of expanding PLI schemes and phased manufacturing programmes to reduce import reliance while encouraging investment in research, biosimilars and advanced therapies.

From the dental healthcare perspective, Sameer Merchant, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Laxmi Dental Limited, said that increased incentives for digital health adoption, AI-driven diagnostics and advanced medical manufacturing could significantly improve accessibility and affordability. He stated that in the dental sector, support for technologies such as CAD CAM, 3D printing and smart diagnostic tools can enable faster, more precise and predictable treatments, while strengthening preventive care and clinical efficiency. According to Merchant, easier regulatory pathways and policy backing for digital dentistry would position India as a global leader in tech-enabled healthcare.
Insurance sector leaders have also called for reforms that improve penetration and affordability. Ashwani Dhanawat, Executive Director and Chief Investment Officer, Shriram General Insurance, said that despite positive measures such as higher FDI limits, insurance penetration in India remains low. He stated that Budget 2026 must focus on affordability, efficiency and resilience, particularly in health insurance. Dhanawat said that enhancing Section 80D limits, extending tax benefits for senior citizens and integrating insurance with quality healthcare delivery would help address rising medical costs. He also highlighted the need to expand coverage to outpatient care, diagnostics and preventive services, which account for a large share of household healthcare spending.

Nutrition and food consumption trends are also shaping pre-Budget expectations. Ankush Jain, Chief Financial Officer, Proventus Agrocom Limited, said that Indian consumers are becoming increasingly conscious about nutrition, transparency and quality. He stated that continued government support for food innovation, sustainable sourcing, clean-label manufacturing and modern retail infrastructure is essential to build a resilient food ecosystem. Jain also pointed to initiatives such as the Makhana Board and the INR 476.03 crore makhana development scheme as steps that could benefit farmer training, research and processing modernisation, while strengthening India’s position in healthy snacking and value-added foods.
Taken together, these perspectives underline a broader expectation that Budget 2026 should move healthcare and nutrition policy towards long-term resilience. By aligning preventive care, insurance coverage, domestic manufacturing and responsible consumption, industry leaders believe the Budget can help reduce systemic costs while improving access and outcomes across India’s healthcare ecosystem.

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