India, July 1 -- Co-authored by - Arpita Mukherjee, Professor, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), and Trishali Khanna, Research Assistant (ICRIER)

The Economic Survey (FY2024-25) reports that India's health expenditure had risen at a CAGR of 18 per cent between FY2021-FY2025. The World Bank (2014) estimated that micronutrient deficiencies cost the country over USD 12 billion in GDP annually. While India has made progress in addressing some micronutrient deficiencies like reducing Iodine deficiency through salt iodisation, double-fortified salt to address iron and Iodine deficiencies, iron fortification of rice; Vitamin D deficiency, which is now affecting 1 in 5 Indians, is yet to be addressed. Vita...