How India reimagined healthcare in 12 years—and what comes next

Twelve years is an important milestone in the life of a nation. As India reflects on more than a decade of sweeping transformation under the leadership of Hon. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, it is tempting to look at healthcare progress purely through the lens of scale.

The numbers are undeniable: millions of families are now protected by Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, nearly 18,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras provide affordable care (a staggering leap from just 80 stores in 2014), and the CoWIN digital platform successfully powered one of the largest vaccination drives in human history.

But scale is only part of the story. The true transformation of Indian healthcare isn’t just about expanding an existing system; it is about a fundamental structural shift. We have successfully moved from a state of crisis management to one of deep-rooted systemic resilience. As we look toward the next decade, our shared responsibility is to transition from basic access to an ecosystem driven by world-class innovation.

Rewriting the social contract: Access and affordability

For decades, Indian healthcare was defined by crippling out-of-pocket expenses that could push vulnerable families into poverty overnight. Overturning this reality required a complete rethinking of primary and tertiary care delivery models, a vision heavily anchored by the National Health Policy 2017.

The launch of Ayushman Bharat completely changed this social contract, offering a robust financial safety net to millions of our most vulnerable citizens. However, insurance is only effective if care is physically within reach. By anchoring this system with a vast network of over 1.82 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs across the country, we have brought preventive, promotive, and primary healthcare directly to the doorsteps of local communities.
At the grassroots level, the rapid expansion of Jan Aushadhi Kendras has ensured that daily, life-saving medications are no longer a luxury. This local accessibility is backed by major macro-infrastructure growth. The rapid establishment of new AIIMS institutions, expanding medical education, and targeted funding from the PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission have significantly enhanced our national health preparedness, disease surveillance, and critical care laboratory networks.

From volume to value: The era of self-reliance and innovation

No amount of policy planning could fully prepare the world for the COVID-19 pandemic, yet it became the ultimate test of India’s healthcare architecture. The crisis demanded an unprecedented level of real-time collaboration among the government, private industry, healthcare professionals, scientists, and local communities.

We didn’t just scale up infrastructure under pressure; we mass-produced vaccines for the world. Through the Vaccine Maitri initiative, India supplied nearly 300 million vaccine doses to less developed and vulnerable nations—solidifying our reputation as a trusted global healthcare partner.

However, a truly self-reliant nation cannot rely solely on manufacturing scale. The defining turning point of the past decade has been our evolution from a producer of low-cost generics to a leader in high-value biopharmaceuticals.

The government’s PLI Schemes for bulk drugs and pharmaceuticals, alongside the PLI for Medical Devices and the Bulk Drug Parks initiative, have been major catalysts. By incentivising the domestic production of essential KSMs and APIs, we have steadily reduced our import reliance and fortified our national health security.

Yet, manufacturing power must be matched by intellectual leadership. To transition India from a manufacturing hub into a global research and development engine, the PRIP scheme, launched in 2023, with an approved outlay of INR 5000 crores and the recently announced BioPharma Shakti programme, with an approved outlay of INR 10,000 crores, have marked a pivotal shift.

Furthermore, the government’s recent Union Budget commitment to strengthen our network of seven NIPER institutions as Centres of Excellence ensures we are actively nurturing scientific talent and fostering vital industry-academia links in precision medicine, medical devices, and targeted therapies.

A conducive regulatory horizon

This shift toward deep technology and original innovation is backed by a quiet regulatory revolution. The implementation of the NDCT rules, 2019 streamlined approval processes and minimised bureaucratic red tape. This has made India an increasingly attractive, predictable, and competitive destination for global clinical research, allowing Indian patients earlier access to cutting-edge therapies.

This modernisation is an absolute necessity. India is currently navigating a complex health transition, marked by a heavy burden of non-communicable diseases, an aging demographic, and rising demand for advanced specialised care.

Furthermore, recent fiscal measures—such as customs duty rationalisation and targeted import duty reductions on critical cancer medicines, life-saving therapies, and medical devices—have directly eased the financial burden on families fighting serious illnesses. This ensures that global breakthroughs in oncology, immunology, and precision medicine are not just theoretically possible in India, but practically accessible.

The roadmap for the next decade

As we look ahead, India’s expanding network of FTAs and economic partnerships—including recent agreements with the UAE, Australia, Mauritius, the UK, New Zealand, Oman, and the European Free Trade Association countries (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein)—will further integrate our healthcare ecosystem into global value chains, attracting investment and driving technology transfer.

To sustain this momentum, our strategic priorities for the next decade must center on five areas:

Strengthening Innovation: Build on PLI, PRIP, and FTA frameworks to enhance clinical research and IP protections, positioning India as a hub for medical innovation. Building a robust ecosystem around IP will require introducing RDP to recognise and value the innovation and increase the investment in the sector.

Faster Patient Access: Streamline regulatory and commercial pathways to ensure timely access to new treatments. This will help the Indian patient get a faster access to drugs when they are launched parallelly in India as globally.

Advancing Digital Health: Continue accelerating the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission to create an integrated, data-driven healthcare ecosystem.

Focusing on Outcomes: Measure success through better patient outcomes, earlier diagnoses, improved quality of life, and healthier communities—not just healthcare volumes.

Moving forward, the goal is clear: India must not only remain the Pharmacy of the World. We must become the Healthcare Innovation Hub of the World—a place where scientific excellence, equitable access, and deeply human, patient-centered care come together to improve and save lives globally.

As OPPI celebrates 60 years of bringing innovative therapies and putting patients at the core of all decision making, we continue our collaboration with the Government under the able guidance of our Hon. Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda-ji. We remain committed towards increasing access to innovation, and achieve the transformative vision set by Hon PM Shri Narendra Modi ji of Viksit Bharat 2047.

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