India To Require 20 Lakh Hospital Beds To Meet Viksit Bharat Vision By 2047: JP Nadda

Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Thursday said that India will need to add 20 lakh hospital beds—equivalent to two beds per 1,000 population—in the coming years to align with the government’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.

Speaking at the FICCI HEAL 2025 conference here, Nadda emphasised the need for equitable, accessible, and affordable healthcare, and urged all stakeholders to work collaboratively to meet this ambitious target.

“Ayushman Bharat is today the world’s largest universal health coverage programme. Over 62 crore citizens, or more than 40% of India’s population, are covered under it with Rs 5 lakh health coverage per family. Additionally, every citizen above 70 years is entitled to lifetime coverage,” the Minister said.

He also announced that the number of Jan Aushadhi Kendras would be scaled up from the current 16,000 to 25,000 outlets, making affordable generic medicines more widely accessible.

Highlighting the impact of government schemes, Nadda noted a significant decline in out-of-pocket health expenses, which have dropped from 62.6% to 39.4% in recent years, largely due to the Ayushman Bharat initiative.

The Minister also shared achievements in medical education infrastructure, stating that the number of medical colleges has more than doubled—from 387 to 810—and undergraduate (UG) medical seats have increased from 51,000 to 1.25 lakh.

“In the next five years, we aim to add 75,000 UG seats. Postgraduate (PG) seats currently stand at 76,000. While expanding, we are also committed to maintaining quality, which is the need of the hour,” Nadda added.

On the digital front, Nadda praised the growing adoption of platforms like eSanjeevani, which is transforming remote healthcare delivery. He also reiterated the government’s commitment to increase health spending to 2.5% of GDP, as laid out in the National Health Policy 2017, while urging states to enhance their contributions and ensure effective utilisation of available funds.

On the issue of hospital bed regulation, Nadda informed that a committee is actively working on a framework for deregulation, calling it “the need of the hour.”

Suring the event, Dr. VK Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, outlined the healthcare goals under the Viksit Bharat vision. “While the goal is to become a USD30 trillion economy, it is equally important to increase life expectancy from 71 to 85 years, and healthy life expectancy from 60 to 70–75 years, matching developed nations,” he said.

Dr. Paul also stressed the need to build more medical infrastructure and promote home care and called for the integration of family medicine, encouraging private hospitals to adopt the discipline to deliver holistic care.

FICCI President Harsha Vardhan Agarwal appreciated recent GST reforms, noting that reduced tax rates on medicines and medical devices—from 12–18% to just 5%—have significantly improved healthcare affordability. “The next 25 years must harmonize accessibility, quality, innovation, and sustainability, ensuring that no one is left behind,” he said.

Dr. Harsh Mahajan, Chair of FICCI’s Health Services Committee and Founder of Mahajan Imaging, emphasised India’s growing focus on advanced medical technologies, digital platforms, and AI-driven healthcare, aiming to integrate preventive, promotive, and personalised medicine at every level.

At the same time, Varun Khanna, Co-Chair, FICCI Health Services Committee and Group MD of Quality Care India Ltd, underscored the sector’s reliance on skilled professionals. “In the next seven years, India is likely to add one million doctors. We already have the largest health workforce in Asia,” he noted.