India Exempts Customs Duty on Cancer Drugs
Analysis based on 11 articles · First reported Feb 01, 2026 · Last updated Feb 01, 2026
The customs duty exemptions by India are expected to significantly reduce the cost of cancer and rare disease treatments, benefiting patients and potentially increasing demand for therapies from multinational drugmakers like Novartis, Eli Lilly and Company, and AstraZeneca. This move is positive for the healthcare sector in India, easing financial burdens and improving access to advanced medicines.
In the Union Budget 2026-27, Nirmala Sitharaman, the Finance Minister of India, announced the removal of basic customs duty on 17 cancer-related drugs and medicines. This measure aims to make life-saving therapies more affordable and improve access to essential treatment, particularly for patients dependent on imported medicines for complex and advanced cancers. Additionally, seven more rare diseases will be brought under customs duty relief, exempting personal imports of drugs, medicines, and foods for special medical needs. This initiative is expected to reduce out-of-pocket expenditure for patients and families, especially those without comprehensive insurance coverage. Industry observers and healthcare providers like Aakash Healthcare have welcomed the announcement, noting its potential to lower drug prices and encourage earlier adoption of certain therapies. Multinational drugmakers such as Novartis, Eli Lilly and Company, AstraZeneca, AbbVie, Roche, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Bayer, and Bristol Myers Squibb may see growth in patient numbers as the price barrier eases on imported therapies.
Set up alerts, explore entity relationships, search across thousands of events, and build custom intelligence feeds.
Open Dashboard