New Delhi, Feb 1 Industry experts on Sunday hailed the Union Budget 2026’s push to the biopharma sector, clinical trials, along with its thrust to the medical tourism and Ayurveda.
The Union Budget 2026-27, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament, proposed the Biopharma Shakti (Strategy for Healthcare Advancement through Knowledge, Technology, and Innovation) scheme.
The scheme, with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crores over the next five years, aims to develop India as a global biopharma manufacturing hub. The government also announced the creation of a biopharma-focused network with three new National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) and upgrading seven existing ones.
In addition, a network of over 1,000 accredited India Clinical Trials sites will be created, the Finance Minister said.
“As India’s disease burden shifts toward cancer, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders, biologics and biosimilars will be central to improving longevity and quality of life. Biopharma Shakti initiative -- spanning manufacturing scale-up, global-grade regulation, new NIPER institutions and a nationwide clinical trials network -- can firmly position India as a global biopharma manufacturing hub,” said Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Chairperson, Biocon Group.
"The Biopharma Shakti initiative is designed to build an end-to-end ecosystem for MSMEs to develop and manufacture biologics and biosimilar drugs, which represent the fastest-growing segment of the global pharmaceutical market," said Namit Joshi, Chairman - Pharmexcil.
Dr. Dharminder Nagar, Managing Director, FICCI Healthcare Committee, said that backing a bio-pharma manufacturing ecosystem with sustained public investment sends a strong signal that India is serious about self-reliance in complex medicines.
“This support will not only accelerate research and production for diabetes and autoimmune conditions, but also lower costs, expand access, and position India as a global hub for affordable biologics,” he added.
Sudarshan Jain, Secretary General, Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, said that the “Budget aims to take forward India’s pharmaceutical ecosystem by creating a network of over 1,000 accredited India Clinical Trials sites, investing in scientific talent through upgrading NIPERs, and augmenting the drug regulator to meet global standards and approval timelines through dedicated scientific review cadre and specialists”.
Ameera Shah, President, NATHEALTH, noted that the announcement of five regional Medical Value Tourism hubs, supported centrally, will further position India as a global healthcare destination and act as a key enabler for growth, while integration of Ayush centres into these hubs will showcase India’s holistic care capabilities.
In addition to supporting both patient and industry, the experts also hailed the Budget’s much-needed focus on Ayurveda and wellness.
“Across biopharma, medical tourism, Ayurveda, wellness, and skills building -- these proposals make this a truly forward-looking Budget that will take India well on its way to achieving the goals of a Viksit Bharat,” said Sujay Shetty, Partner and Leader – Health Industries, PwC India.
“Significant for the MedTech sector is the enhanced allocation of Rs 40,000 crore for electronics component manufacturing, which will accelerate domestic value addition in medical electronics and diagnostics," said Pavan Choudary, Chairman, MTaI.
He added that investments across advanced biopharma manufacturing, clinical research infrastructure, district-level oncology care, expanded medical education, and new critical care blocks point to a balanced approach that aligns industrial ambition with patient outcomes.
“Budget 2026 positions India to accelerate its transition from volume‑driven production to value‑driven global leadership in pharmaceuticals, biopharma, and medical devices, with Biopharma Shakti as its anchor and a renewed focus on regulatory and manufacturing reforms and assuring reduced compliances,” said Rajiv Nath, Forum Coordinator, AiMeD
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