Budget 2026 healthcare and biopharma focus shapes outlook for Morepen, Mankind Pharma, BSV, Park Hospitals, HCG Cancer Centre, MediJourn, Ramky Infrastructure, Anondita Medicare, JK Lakshmi Cement and others

Sushil Suri of Morepen Laboratories, Sheetal Arora of Mankind Pharma, Sanjiv Navangul of BSV, Ankit Gupta of Park Medi World, Avik Chauhan of HCG Cancer Centre, Shaaz Mehmood of MediJourn, Sunil Nair of Ramky Infrastructure, Anupam Ghosh of Anondita Medicare and multiple healthcare leaders respond to Biopharma Shakti, duty relief on cancer drugs, medical tourism hubs and workforce expansion under Union Budget 2026–27

The Union Budget 2026–27 places healthcare and biopharma at the centre of India’s human capital and economic growth strategy, with a strong focus on domestic manufacturing, affordability, workforce expansion and global competitiveness. Key announcements including the ₹10,000 crore Biopharma Shakti initiative, full basic customs duty exemption on 17 cancer drugs, expansion of medical tourism hubs, strengthening of clinical research infrastructure and skilling of allied healthcare professionals signal a long-term shift toward building resilient, patient-centric healthcare systems. Leaders across pharmaceuticals, hospitals, medical tourism, preventive healthcare and wellness have shared their perspectives on the implications of these measures.

Sushil Suri, Chairman and Managing Director of Morepen Laboratories, said the Budget reinforces India’s position as a trusted global partner in pharmaceuticals and healthcare. He noted that the emphasis on biopharma manufacturing, ease of doing business, infrastructure creation and export competitiveness provides greater confidence to invest, innovate and expand globally while continuing to deliver affordable healthcare solutions.

Sheetal Arora, Promoter and Chief Executive Officer of Mankind Pharma, said the Budget makes a timely choice by placing biopharma at the centre of India’s next manufacturing wave. He observed that the Bio Pharma Shakti initiative and regulatory upgrades will enable faster approvals, attract global investment and strengthen India’s leadership in advanced therapies, while duty exemptions on cancer and rare disease drugs improve patient access.

Sanjiv Navangul, Chief Executive Officer of BSV, commented that the Budget provides much-needed momentum for India’s biopharma journey. He said the focus on innovation, research institutions, domestic production and regulatory strengthening will improve supply security, research capabilities and long-term health outcomes.

Ankit Gupta, Managing Director of Park Medi World, said the Budget presents a comprehensive roadmap for strengthening healthcare delivery as India’s disease burden shifts toward non-communicable diseases. He noted that the addition of allied health professionals, caregiver training programmes and regional medical tourism hubs creates opportunities to scale specialised care, rehabilitation services and global patient outreach.

Avik Chauhan, Cluster Chief Operating Officer of HCG Cancer Centre Mumbai, said the Budget strengthens the healthcare landscape at a critical time for patients. He observed that exemptions on cancer drugs and support for biopharmaceutical capabilities will ease financial burdens, expand access to innovative therapies and reduce dependency on imports.

Shaaz Mehmood, Founder of MediJourn Solutions, said the announcement of five regional medical tourism hubs is a timely step that enhances India’s position as a global medical value travel destination. He noted that integrating modern healthcare with diagnostics, rehabilitation and AYUSH systems creates a coordinated ecosystem that improves scalability and service delivery.

Sunil Nair, Chief Executive Officer of Ramky Infrastructure, said the Budget’s emphasis on biopharma parks, bulk drug parks and healthcare infrastructure strengthens India’s manufacturing and innovation ecosystem. He added that public capital expenditure and asset monetisation initiatives will support large-scale healthcare infrastructure development.

Anupam Ghosh, Managing Director of Anondita Medicare, said the Budget’s focus on healthcare delivery and domestic manufacturing creates a supportive environment for preventive healthcare products. He noted that affordability, steady manufacturing and efficient distribution remain critical to ensuring access to family planning and reproductive health products across urban and rural markets.

Suraj Punjabi, Co-Founder of Medicine Walla, said making essential medicines duty-free is a patient-centric decision that will help reduce treatment costs and strengthen last-mile healthcare delivery through community pharmacies.

Ranjit Ghuliani, Medical Superintendent of NIIMS Hospital, said the Biopharma Shakti programme represents a paradigm shift by placing healthcare innovation at the centre of national growth. He observed that support for clinical trials, regulatory strengthening and tertiary care expansion will improve evidence-based treatment and reduce out-of-pocket expenditure.

Dr. Ankita Mittal, Founder and Director of Adrita Menopause Wellness, said the increased focus on mental health is welcome but stressed the need for dedicated resources for women’s health, particularly menopause care. She noted that structured awareness, education and support systems are essential for equitable access.

Sneha Rathor Khandelwal, Chief Executive Officer of Sanfort Group of Schools, said initiatives around digital labs, skilling and education-to-employment alignment will help build future-ready healthcare and life sciences talent over the long term.

Sujay Shetty, Managing Director Health Industries at PwC, said the Budget sends a strong signal of intent for India’s biopharma sector through manufacturing support, skills development and faster regulatory approvals. He added that the emphasis on medical tourism and Ayurveda opens new avenues for innovation and exports.

Dr. Suresh Kumar Chaudhari, Director General of The Fertiliser Association of India, noted that healthcare and nutrition linkages, particularly preventive care and affordability, will be shaped by coordinated execution across allied sectors.

Sushil Suri, Chairman and Managing Director of Morepen Laboratories, added that alignment between healthcare manufacturing and export competitiveness supports India’s role as a reliable global healthcare supplier.

Anjana Ghosh, Managing Director of Scale Sherpas, said the Budget’s focus on employment generation, women entrepreneurs and formal workforce models will benefit FMCG and healthcare consumption-driven industries.

Dr. Ankit Gupta, Managing Director of Park Medi World, added that allied healthcare workforce expansion will strengthen long-term care, rehabilitation and geriatric services.

Avik Chauhan, Cluster Chief Operating Officer of HCG Cancer Centre Mumbai, observed that affordability measures and clinical research support will improve long-term outcomes for chronic and cancer patients.

Shaaz Mehmood, Founder of MediJourn Solutions, said effective execution and private sector participation will be key to scaling India’s medical tourism leadership.

Taken together, responses from healthcare, biopharma, hospital networks, wellness providers and medical tourism stakeholders indicate that Budget 2026–27 marks a decisive step toward building a resilient, affordable and globally competitive healthcare ecosystem. With manufacturing, innovation, workforce development and patient access emerging as core pillars, industry leaders believe sustained execution will determine how effectively policy intent translates into improved health outcomes and long-term sectoral growth.

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