India’s health spending increases from 1.2% to 1.8% of GDP

India has adopted a mixed model for health and education, integrating public and private sector contributions to establish vital safety nets, Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the 11th Annual Forum of the Public Affairs Forum of India (PAFI), he said vulnerable households receive cash transfers as income support, balancing immediate relief with long-term infrastructure investments.

“India has adopted a mixed model for health and education, integrating public and private sector contributions to establish vital safety nets,” he said.

“Our health spending has increased from 1.2 per cent to 1.8 per cent of GDP, demonstrating our commitment to improving healthcare access and quality while supporting community uplift,” Chandra asserted.

At the forum, Vini Mahajan, secretary in the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti; Dammu Ravi, secretary (Economic Relations), Ministry of External Affairs, Arunish Chawla, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers and Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting discussed about India’s commitment to inclusive growth through job creation, improved healthcare and education, global integration, and effective information dissemination.

Mahajan said the ambition for the country’s future is rooted in the vision of inclusive growth, ensuring that every individual could dream and achieve, with job creation playing a vital role in that journey.

She underscored the significance of women’s empowerment through self-help groups to enhance economic participation.

Chawla said inclusion has four dimensions – income, spatial, social, and intergenerational mobility, all critical for bridging the middle-income gap. The healthcare market of 1.5 billion people requires a diverse range of professionals, including physicists, engineers, and pharmacists, to support the Meditech sector.

Building a robust domestic industry integrated with global value chains is essential.

“However, we face multiple arbitrages’”price arbitrage is just one aspect. Tax arbitrage, often overlooked, significantly impacts industry dynamics, influencing investment decisions and regulatory policies. Identifying all these arbitrages is crucial for addressing the challenges ahead,” he said. PTI