FM Announces Customs Duty Exemption on 17 Cancer Drugs

In a relief to cancer patients, the government has proposed a basic customs duty exemption on 17 related drugs, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in her Union Budget 2026-27 speech on Sunday.

Along with streamlining customs processes, the move will strengthen India’s role and share in global trade as the country advances towards its Viksit Bharat vision, the minister said.

The Finance Minister also proposed adding seven more rare diseases to the list. “I also propose to add seven more rare diseases for the purposes of exempting import duties on personal imports of drugs, medicine, and food for special medical purposes used in their treatment.”

Sitharaman said the Customs and Central Excise proposals aim to simplify the tariff structure, support domestic manufacturing, boost export competitiveness, and correct duty inversions.

The Budget also proposes cutting the tariff rate on all dutiable goods imported for personal use from 20% to 10% to rationalise the customs duty structure.

Madhusudhan HK, Country Manager of Aerolase, said the Union Budget 2026 lays a strong foundation for India’s med-tech sector growth, directly benefiting patients, providers, and the healthcare ecosystem by making global-level technological solutions accessible through rationalized import duties on advanced medical devices, applauding alongside the price reductions for importing 17 key medicines, including those for cancer and diabetes. "These duty cuts, coupled with support for domestic manufacturing and exports, enable clinics to deploy cutting-edge lasers and diagnostics affordably," he said.

On healthcare, the Finance Minister proposed launching a scheme to support states in setting up five regional medical hubs in partnership with the private sector to position India as a global medical tourism destination.

She said these hubs will function as integrated healthcare complexes combining medical, education and research facilities, and will include AYUSH centres, medical value tourism facilitation centres, along with diagnostics, post-care and rehabilitation infrastructure.

"The proposed Regional Medical Value Tourism hubs, integrating diagnostics with clinical care, research, education and AYUSH, also signal a strong push towards globally competitive healthcare ecosystems. Together, these measures give providers...the confidence to invest in advanced platforms, wider networks and deeper outreach," said V. Govindarajan, Founder and Managing Director, Aarthi Scans & Labs.