India's Health Shift: From Sick Care to Well-Being

India's ambition for Viksit Bharat 2047 hinges significantly on managing its demographic dividend effectively. The nation faces a dual health challenge, combating communicable diseases while experiencing a rise in lifestyle-related conditions.

To address this, India's healthcare approach must evolve from treating illness to actively preserving health, particularly for its large working-age population. Universal preventive health check-ups are proposed as a practical starting point.

Making health screening universal and tracking health status will enable early detection and risk awareness. The real value emerges when this data is structured into portable digital health records, owned by individuals and shared with consent.

These longitudinal, interoperable health records, combined with analytics and AI, can support customized early interventions. The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission is already establishing this digital infrastructure, with over 83 crore ABHA IDs issued.

This UPI-style framework for health has the potential to improve care continuity and efficiency. The upcoming Budget presents an opportunity to prioritize prevention, accelerate digital health integration, and reward long-term wellness.