Healthcare for Viksit Bharat

Over the last 75 years, India has taken important strides towards enabling access and affordability to quality care. Various initiatives, including the Ayushman Bharat PM Jan Arogya Yojana reflect India’s commitments towards ‘Health For All’. Despite significant progress, the shifting demographics, growing burden of noncommunicable diseases alongside a growing ageing population represent health challenges that millions in India continue to fight.

Pillars of a Future-Ready Healthcare Ecosystem

1. Universal Health Coverage (UHC)

With Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), India aspires to achieve UHC by 2030, which is fundamental to achieving the other Sustainable Development Goals. UHC entails ensuring all people have access to quality healthcare services, including prevention, promotion, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliation without financial hardship.

2. Advanced technology

If India is to achieve its UHC and SDG goals, the uberisation of the healthcare industry is required to radically change the way healthcare operates. From use of AI to 3D printing and less invasive technologies, the healthcare ecosystem has a lot of scope for technology incorporation. According to World Economic Forum, India Can Be a Global Pathfinder in Digital Health by building on its digital healthcare initiatives like CoWIN, e-Sanjeevani, Arogya Setu, e-Hospital, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) and the Digital Health Incentive Scheme (DHIS).

3. Robust and scalable infrastructure

Expanding the digital health infrastructure along with government hospitals, and medical colleges is critical towards meeting the evolving healthcare demands of India’s burgeoning population. Ayushman Arogya Mandirs in India enhancing access to comprehensive primary healthcare services across rural and urban areas. The government is also on track to open 5 more AIIMS campuses and build the healthcare infrastructure with projects worth more than Rs. 11,700 crores.

4. Highly skilled workforce

According to WHO, there will be a shortfall of 11 million health workers by 2030, mostly in low and lower-middle income countries. Without proper emphasis on education and training of health workers and employment strategies, health worker shortages are inevitable. The National Skill Development Corporation is working towards bridging this gap by focusing on skilling the workforce and equipping them with the expertise required to meet international standards. By strengthening skill development and placement pathways, nations like India not only address domestic workforce requirements, but also enhance their position as a trusted provider of skilled care professionals across the globe.

Role of CII

Over the past two decades, Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) has worked extensively to catalyse the engagement and commitment of the private sector to support strengthening of health systems and bringing it to the boardroom agenda. From mass screening campaigns, workplace wellness programs to optimising primary health centres, CII has helped push private sectors to engage more with health initiatives and bring measurable results. Recently, CII has introduced its transformative platform CII Centre for Health. This pioneering initiative integrates innovation, inclusion and system level change uniting Indian industries’ agility, technological expertise and scalable solution towards achieving public health imperatives. The centre delivers across three verticals- capacity building through training and workshops, knowledge creation and development and stakeholder engagement. CII Centre for Health along with CII Centres of Excellence will identify and develop actionable to leverage private sector strengths in complementing government health initiatives. They will also work on increasing engagement through PPPS, CSR and other avenues.

India stands at the threshold of a transformative era, poised to realize the bold vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047, where health is not merely a sector but the very foundation of national progress and prosperity. This calls for a revolution in the health sector, one that is fuelled by technology and policy innovation. By leveraging collective leadership and forging genuine public-private partnerships to deliver accessible, patient- centric care, we can achieve a transformed health landscape and lay the foundation for a healthier, more equitable, and prosperous Viksit Bharat by 2047.