Budget 2025: An Opportunity to Build a Healthier Tomorrow

India stands at a transformative vantage point in its journey as a global leader in Health. From hosting the 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva to making significant strides with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), our progress has been noteworthy. With over 711.6 million Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA) created, 3.54 million health facilities registered, and 537,000 healthcare professionals enrolled under ABDM, these achievements reflect our commitment to accessible healthcare for every citizen.

Private sector healthcare in India consistently delivers world-class outcomes at one-tenth of global prices. This accounts for over 70per cent of healthcare spending in India, valued at $132 billion in 2023. Additionally, it drives medical value travel, generating $6 billion in revenue in 2023.

As a world, we are at the cusp of innovation and longevity. To stimulate India’s longevity economy, we are hopeful that the government will present a budget that enables investments, fosters employment generation, accelerates innovation, and nurtures the value benefits of the healthcare sector. As personalized medicine and precision therapies become more prevalent with the advent of new and emerging technologies, the pressure on the healthcare industry continues to rise. Growth incentivized taxation, GST rationalization, and respite in import duty can be critical differentiators to help achieve broader and more affordable healthcare access for everyone.

We face unparalleled challenges as the world’s most populous nation, but we also see them as unique opportunities that are beyond just sustaining progress. The Union Budget 2025 must enable us to reimagine the way we deliver healthcare in India. This is about more than saving lives—it is about transforming the health of a ₹324 trillion economy, unlocking better opportunities, large-scale job creation, reducing morbidity, reducing the burden of Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALY), and ensuring healthcare availability, accessibility, and affordability.

Telemedicine has already proven to be a game-changer, connecting patients and providers, particularly in underserved areas. The surge in telemedicine consultations that began during the pandemic has continued and has been enabling high-quality care to reach even the most remote parts of our country. Yet, financial barriers remain a hurdle. Many hospitals and clinics hesitate to adopt telehealth solutions due to the upfront costs of equipment, training, and integrating these tools into existing workflows. To overcome such barriers, and enable faster adoption, The Union Budget 2025 should introduce grants and tax incentives that support hospitals and clinics in adopting telehealth technologies and combining them with physical care models. These measures will not only ensure health access to all but also pave way for real time health monitoring and quality healthcare to patients who transcend beyond top tier cities.

Possibilities are becoming endless with smart wearable devices and remote monitoring tools that can further expand the possibilities for early detection, disease prevention and curb the burden on healthcare infrastructure. Seamless integration of predictive analytics into Electronic Health Records (EHR) data can result in clinical accuracies, productivity and enhance patient care. With over 459.9 million health records linked to the Ayushman Bharat Health Account, we have made significant progress, and further investments can create a scalable and sustainable healthcare system.

To ride this next wave of growth and economic prosperity in India, we must prioritize having a future-ready workforce that is aware and focused on prevention, early detection, and a healthy lifestyle. Additionally, we need a clinically competent healthcare workforce trained in AI-driven diagnostics, predictive analytics, and wearable device management, along with scientific and social skills for delivering patient-centric healthcare.Healthcare is not just about individual well-being—it is the backbone of economic resilience. A healthy population drives productivity, innovation, and economic growth. Budget 2025 must address not only access and affordability but also foster public-private partnerships to accelerate advancements in digital healthcare and tap into its potential to transform the healthcare delivery landscape in India and globally.

With a shift in population profiles, disease burden and care protocols, it is imperative that the Budget 2025 takes a smarter approach to harness the potential of India’s healthcare ecosystem that is shaping the future. Budget 2025 must serve as a catalyst for innovation, inclusivity, and transformation, enabling a future where no patient is too far, no data is inaccessible, and no care is delayed. The government’s bold leadership in shaping this budget will inspire confidence in every citizen, enabling India to transform its healthcare landscape. Touching more than a billion lives is a dream that will be fulfilled when we reimagine, redefine and reaffirm the value that a healthy individual can bring into our world.

A government that can make Apple come to India can undoubtedly ensure a ubiquitous digital healthcare environment. "Heal in India, from India" must become the rallying cry for this transformation. Encouraging medical value travel under the HEAL IN INDIA initiative has the potential to generate over $500 million in foreign exchange, with streamlined processes, improved flight connectivity, and robust infrastructure ensuring that India’s healthcare ecosystem is ready to serve the world. Simultaneously, advancements in internet infrastructure and medical devices under HEAL FROM INDIA can position India as a global leader in remote care, delivering cutting-edge healthcare solutions worldwide. Finally, HEAL BY INDIA focuses on harmonizing medical degrees and creating a globally competent healthcare workforce, equipping India’s youth to address domestic healthcare needs while serving as ambassadors of care on the global stage.

A prosperous India begins with a healthy India, and the choices we make today will define the lives, productivity, and well-being of generations to come. The time to act is now!

This article is written by Dr. Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals.

(DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are solely of the author and ETHealthworld.com does not necessarily subscribe to it. ETHealthworld.com shall not be responsible for any damage caused to any person/organisation directly or indirectly)