Recommendations-Pre-Union Budget FY27, CK Birla Hospitals

“As the Union Budget approaches, the healthcare sector will be looking closely at how policy continues to support the growing demand for consistent, high-quality and technology-enabled care. A balanced approach that reinforces healthcare infrastructure, technology adoption and supply-side resilience will be critical to strengthening the overall healthcare ecosystem in the years ahead. One of the critical areas to watch will be policy support for domestic manufacturing of advanced medical equipment. Today, a significant share of cutting-edge technology used in hospitals, from imaging systems to surgical platforms, continues to be imported from Western markets and China, even as clinical demand for these technologies is growing rapidly.

If similar equipment were manufactured at scale in India, costs could eventually be materially lower, much like what the automotive sector has demonstrated with domestic production of high-end vehicles. Beyond cost, local manufacturing would also strengthen supply reliability, enhance service support, and enable long-term technology adoption across hospitals.

Further policy incentives to accelerate domestic manufacturing would help build a more resilient medical technology ecosystem, while enabling wider and more affordable access to high-quality care over time.” Vipul Jain, CEO, CK Birla Hospitals.

MB Bureau