Strengthening Mental Health Institutions and Advanced Care: Key Outcomes from Post-Budget Webinar 2026

As part of the Post-Budget Webinar series on the theme “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas – Fulfilling Aspirations of People,” a dedicated session is held to deliberate on the Union Budget 2026–27 announcement focused on strengthening India’s mental health infrastructure. The discussion centres on the establishment of NIMHANS-2 and the upgradation of key mental health institutions across the country to expand advanced neuro‑psychiatric care. Senior experts from premier medical institutes, policymakers, public health specialists, researchers, and state government representatives participate to shape an implementation roadmap.
Panellists highlight the rising burden of mental and neurological disorders and underline the need to build institutional capacity through a multi-pronged approach that combines critical care services, workforce development, research and innovation, community outreach, and infrastructure expansion. Special emphasis is placed on underserved and geographically remote regions, including the North‑East, where improved infrastructure and targeted deployment of trained professionals are seen as crucial to closing access gaps.
The webinar stresses adopting a hub‑and‑spoke model supported by digital health platforms, with tertiary institutions and centres of excellence providing specialist guidance and clinical support to district hospitals and community health facilities. Integration of Tele‑MANAS services with existing and future NIMHANS campuses is discussed to create a nationwide tele‑mental health network for counselling, psychological support, and specialist consultations. Panellists also call for digital follow‑up systems aligned with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and the ABHA ID ecosystem to strengthen continuity of care and patient monitoring.
On capacity building, experts propose a statutory framework to establish NIMHANS‑2 as an autonomous Institute of National Importance and a national roadmap to expand mental health human resources by increasing DM/MCh, PhD, and fellowship seats. The idea of a national mental health research grid and registries for stroke, suicide, neurotrauma, and severe mental illness is advanced to support evidence‑based policymaking and large‑scale studies. The long‑term vision is to position India’s three‑institution mental health model as a regional centre for training, research, and capacity building for South and South‑East Asia, in line with World Health Organisation priorities.
The session, moderated by Vijay Nehra, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, features 18 distinguished panellists from leading mental health and public health institutions. Insights and recommendations from the discussions are expected to inform a comprehensive implementation roadmap to strengthen mental health infrastructure, expand advanced neuro‑psychiatric services, and improve access to quality mental healthcare across India through inclusive, technology‑enabled systems.