Hope Indian budget would pave the way for affordability of robotic surgery: Vattikuti Foundation CEO

Noting the measures announced by Sitharaman in her budget over further enhancing healthcare system to deal with cancer treatment, he said: "Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman's Union Budget 2025-26 has placed a renewed focus on enhancing healthcare facilities for cancer treatment by announcing the establishment of day-care cancer care centres in all district hospitals within three years."

He said: "The government would do well to reskill the hospital teams to run the day care cancer centres."

Bhandari said: "What will come as an immediate relief for cancer and other critical disease patients and their families is the announcement to reduce the basic customs duty on 36 lifesaving drugs, especially considering that India ranks third in cancer cases worldwide, after China and the USA, according to the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN)."

He said the healthcare industry hopes that the announcement of adding 75,000 medical college seats over the next five years will place much-needed emphasis on producing medical graduates who have access to advanced, new-age tools and have demonstrated mastery in the use of AI and other novel techniques that transcend traditional approaches deliver better patient outcomes.

The Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday proposed to add 36 life-saving drugs and medicines to the list of medicines fully exempted from Basic Customs Duty, a move which will provide relief to patients, particularly to those suffering from cancer, rare diseases and other severe chronic diseases.

The Budget also proposes to add 6 life-saving medicines to the list attracting concessional customs duty of 5%.

"Specified drugs and medicines under Patient Assistance Programmes run by pharmaceutical companies are fully exempt from Basic Customs Duty, provided the medicines are supplied free of cost to patients," read a statement issued by the Indian government.

The Budget proposes to add 37 more medicines along with 13 new patient assistance programmes to the list.

Nirmala Sitharaman presented her eight straight Union Budget on Saturday.

The Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday proposed to add 36 life-saving drugs and medicines to the list of medicines fully exempted from Basic Customs Duty, a move which will provide relief to patients, particularly to those suffering from cancer, rare diseases and other severe chronic diseases.

The Budget also proposes to add 6 life-saving medicines to the list attracting concessional customs duty of 5%.

"Specified drugs and medicines under Patient Assistance Programmes run by pharmaceutical companies are fully exempt from Basic Customs Duty, provided the medicines are supplied free of cost to patients," read a statement issued by the Indian government.

The Budget proposes to add 37 more medicines along with 13 new patient assistance programmes to the list.

Nirmala Sitharaman presented her eighth straight Union Budget on Saturday.