In a significant boost to the healthcare sector, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday proposed the creation of five regional medical hubs to boost medical value tourism in the country.
“To promote India as a medical tourism hub, I propose a scheme to support states to set up five regional hubs in the country,” she said while presenting the Union Budget 2026-27.
These medical hubs will have Ayush centres, infrastructure for diagnostics, and post-care rehabilitation. These will also provide diverse job opportunities for medical service providers.
Presenting her ninth consecutive Union Budget, Sitharaman also announced the setting up of three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda, “to meet the global demand of Ayurveda”.
She noted that exporting quality Ayurveda products will help farmers who grow the herbs.
Further, the Finance Minister announced plans to upgrade Ayush pharmacies and drug testing labs. The WHO Traditional Medicine Centre at Jamnagar, Gujarat, will also be upgraded to “bolster evidence-based research on traditional medicine”.
