India – Union Budget 2026 (Announced Feb 1, 2026)

🇮🇳 India – Union Budget 2026 (Announced Feb 1, 2026)

📌 1. Overall Healthcare & Research Allocations

The total healthcare budget (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare + associated health research and wellness programmes) for FY 2025–26 is approximately ₹1,03,280 crore. This includes health services, disease control, medical education, and research. 

This budget underpins the Department of Health Research, which funds public medical research, though specific scientific research figures are embedded within broader health allocations.

📌 2. Department of Health Research

In the prior budget year (FY 2025–26), the Department of Health Research (DHR) received about ₹3,901 crore — a ~15% increase over the previous year. This budget supports institutes such as the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and related scientific grants. 

Of this, historically the ICMR consumes around ~73% of DHR’s allocation — roughly ₹2,700 + crore — primarily for disease research and public health studies. 

📌 3. Biopharma Shakti – Major Longevity/Innovation Push

The most significant research-linked initiative in the 2026 Budget is Mission Biopharma Shakti:

₹10,000 crore committed over five years (≈ ₹2,000 crore/year on average).

Aims to build a domestic biopharmaceutical ecosystem — including manufacturing of biologics/biosimilars, clinical trial networks, regulatory strengthening, and research infrastructure. 

Biologics and biosimilars play a key role in chronic disease care and longevity (e.g., advanced treatments for diabetes, cancers, autoimmune conditions). 

📌 What This Means for Longevity Research

While longevity (aging biology) research isn’t explicitly earmarked as a standalone line item, the Biopharma Shakti initiative’s focus on biologics and clinical research infrastructure effectively supports longevity-related science (e.g., advanced therapeutics, biologic drug development). 

However:

India’s total health research spend remains a small fraction of GDP (health research historically ~0.02% of GDP, well below many advanced economies). 

There isn’t a separate stated budget line for longevity research analogous to some Western initiatives.

🌍 Context – Other Countries (for comparison)

🇺🇸 United States

The NIH (National Institutes of Health) budget for FY 2026 was proposed at ~$27.5 billion, which represents a notable reduction vs prior levels (~$48 billion previously). This cut reshapes how US biomedical science — including aging studies — is funded. 

🌐 Private/Prize-Driven Longevity Funding

Some major non-governmental investments target longevity explicitly:

A $101 million XPrize Healthspan initiative aims to accelerate longevity solutions by 2030. 

Private funds like a $25 million longevity research fund by Deepinder Goyal’s Continue Research support early-stage aging biology work. 

🧠 Summary – India 2026 Budget: Medical Research & Longevity

Category Budget / Funding Notes

Healthcare total (FY 2025–26) ~₹1,03,280 crore Includes health services & research 

Department of Health Research ~₹3,900 crore Funds medical research via DHR/ICMR 

Biopharma Shakti Initiative ₹10,000 crore over 5 yrs Innovation, biologics, clinical research infrastructure 

Longevity-specific funding Not separately stated Supported indirectly via broader biopharma research

🧩 Takeaway

India’s budget does support medical research, primarily through the Department of Health Research and new innovation ecosystem funding.

The significant priority for longevity-related science (especially in aging biology) is still less explicit in India’s budget compared to some Western private and public funding mechanisms.

The ₹10,000 crore Biopharma Shakti programme is the biggest recent strategic push that indirectly advances longevity-aligned research capabilities.