By Sujay Shetty, Partner and Leader – Health Industries, PwC India
Union Budget 2026–27 sends across a powerful statement of intent for India’s biopharma sector. The focus on supporting both patient and industry needs through key pillars strengthening biomanufacturing, expanding skills development via additional NIPERs, and accelerating approval timelines—signals a clear commitment towards improving ease of doing business through regulatory capacity building and faster decision-making.
Another significant aspect of this year’s Budget is the strong emphasis on medical tourism. By positioning India as a trusted global destination for high-quality, affordable care, the Budget reinforces the sector’s potential both as a growth engine as well as a contributor to India’s global healthcare leadership.
Equally encouraging is the much-needed focus on Ayurveda and wellness. By providing targeted support to help the sector build scale and global competitiveness the government recognises India’s unique strengths in the pharma sector and opens new opportunities for innovation, exports, and job creation.
Taken together—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.
