New Delhi: Union Budget 2026–27 proposes five regional medical hubs that will combine AYUSH services with diagnostics, rehabilitation and post-care facilities. The budget speech said states will develop the hubs in partnership with the private sector to support medical tourism.
The government also plans to establish three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda, upgrade AYUSH pharmacies and drug testing laboratories and strengthen the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Center at Jamnagar. The speech sets out these measures as a way of improving the quality of the product and encouraging evidence-based research in traditional medicine.
Another area of emphasis is healthcare workforce training. The budget includes plans to upgrade existing allied-health institutions and to establish new ones, creating 100,000 professionals over five years. It also pledged to train 150,000 multi-skilled caregivers in the next year.
Industry representatives welcomed the direction but emphasized that growth in AYUSH and nutraceuticals will be dependent on evidence, quality and consistent standards. ETHealthworld/PTI quoted Sanjaya Mariwala of OmniActive Health Technologies, who pointed to those conditions. Other healthcare leaders pointed to the possible advantages of integrated care and more trained staff.
The measures are proposals and training targets, not facilities or staff increases already delivered. Their impact will depend on the implementation, accreditation and standards applied to the services and products.
Resources
Union Budget Speech 2026–27, Government of India
https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/doc/Budget_Speech.pdf
ETHealthworld/PTI, “Budget 2026-27: Experts see momentum for AYUSH, nutraceutical ecosystem”
The official Budget Speech confirms the proposal for five Regional Medical Hubs with AYUSH Centres, diagnostics, post-care and rehabilitation facilities, as well as the proposal for three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda and upgrades to AYUSH pharmacies and Drug Testing Labs.
The ETHealthworld/PTI report contains the cited industry responses concerning evidence, quality, consistency, integrated healthcare and workforce expansion.
