- Union Budget 2026-27 proposes five regional Ayush medical hubs integrating traditional and modern care
- Three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda will enhance education, research, and clinical excellence
- The Budget plans to create 10 allied health disciplines training 1 lakh professionals in five years
The Union Budget 2026-27 has unveiled a comprehensive push to scale up India's AYUSH ecosystem, positioning traditional medicine as a pillar of integrated healthcare delivery, medical education and employment generation. Presenting her ninth consecutive Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a new scheme to support States in establishing five regional AYUSH led medical hubs, aimed at combining holistic care with modern healthcare infrastructure and expanding India's footprint in global wellness.
Under the proposal, the regional medical hubs will function as integrated healthcare complexes housing AYUSH centres alongside advanced diagnostic facilities and post treatment rehabilitation infrastructure. Designed to strengthen continuum of care models, the hubs are expected to bring together Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy with evidence-based diagnostics and recovery services, improving patient outcomes while reducing pressure on tertiary hospitals. The government noted that these hubs will also serve as major employment generators, creating diverse opportunities for doctors, therapists, nurses, paramedics, caregivers and allied health professionals across clinical, research and wellness services.
Complementing the regional hub initiative, the Budget announced the establishment of three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda (AIIA) to strengthen education, research and clinical excellence in traditional medicine. These national level institutions will expand training capacity for medical and allied health professionals and are expected to support the government's goal of developing a skilled workforce aligned to integrative healthcare models. According to Budget documents, the broader AYUSH expansion includes the creation of 10 new allied health disciplines, such as optometry, anaesthesia, applied psychology and behavioural health, with a target to train one lakh allied health professionals over the next five years.
The Finance Minister also announced the upgradation of AYUSH pharmacies and drug testing laboratories to ensure better quality control, standardisation and global certification of traditional medicine products. This move aims to strengthen India's credibility in traditional drug manufacturing and support exports amid growing international demand for natural and preventive healthcare solutions.
A key global dimension of the Budget's AYUSH push is the proposed strengthening of the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GTMC) in Jamnagar, Gujarat. The centre, established in collaboration with the World Health Organization, is envisioned as a global knowledge hub for evidence-based research, training and policy development in traditional medicine. Budget support to the Jamnagar centre is expected to enhance India's leadership role in setting international norms, standards and data frameworks for traditional and integrative medicine systems.
The government also outlined parallel investments in healthcare workforce development, including plans to train 1.5 lakh caregivers over the next five years to address rising demand for elderly care, rehabilitation and long term wellness services. Officials said the combined impact of regional medical hubs, new Ayurveda institutes and allied health training programmes would help build resilient regional health ecosystems while supporting employment at scale.
Taken together, the Budget's AYUSH announcements reflect a shift towards viewing traditional medicine not only as a cultural asset but as a strategic healthcare and economic sector. By integrating AYUSH with diagnostics, rehabilitation, education and global research platforms, the government aims to strengthen accessibility, standardisation and global competitiveness, aligning traditional systems with India's broader healthcare and wellness growth agenda.
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