New Delhi, Feb. 1 -- Basic customs duty will be exempted on 17 drugs for patients suffering from cancer and non-communicable diseases, while medicines for seven rare diseases will be recognised for import duty exemptions, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in the Budget 2026 session on Sunday, February 1.

In the 1-hour 25-minute speech, Sitharaman proposed making drugs cheaper to provide relief to patients who spend crores on medicines while battling these diseases.

All India Institutes for Ayurveda to be set up

The Finance Minister proposed to set up three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda to further strengthen research in traditional medicines and meet the growing demand. The minister said that since Ayurveda gain...