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17 cancer drugs to become cheaper as Sitharaman announces customs duty exemption in Budget speech
FM Nirmala Sitharaman in her budget speech announced measures to reduce the financial burden on cancer patients by waiving customs duties on several medicines.
In her Union Budget 2026 speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled steps to reduce treatment costs for cancer patients by removing basic customs duty on 17 medicines. She also announced that import duty exemptions would be extended to drugs, medicines and specialised medical food brought in for the treatment of seven additional rare diseases.
As part of the indirect tax proposals for 2026-27 aimed at improving ease of living, the government reduced the tariff rate on all dutiable goods imported for personal use from 20 per cent to 10 per cent, according to information released by the PIB.
The tax relief measures are intended to lower the financial burden on patients, particularly those undergoing cancer treatment, while also expanding duty-free personal imports for medicines and food for special medical purposes used in the treatment of rare diseases.
"To provide relief to patients, particularly those suffering from cancer, I propose to exempt basic customs duty on 17 drugs or medicines. I propose also to add 7 more rare diseases for the purposes of exempting import duties on personal import of drugs, medicines and food for special medical purposes used in their treatment," she said.
“India's disease burden is observed to be shifting towards non-communicable diseases like diabetes, cancer and auto-immune diseases. Biological medicines are key to longevity and quality of life at affordable costs,” she added.
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FM Nirmala Sitharamana also announced plans to establish three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda, upgrade AYUSH pharmacies and drug testing laboratories to strengthen skilled manpower, and further develop the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in Jamnagar.
More details are awaited shortly.
