India’s healthcare system has seen a remarkable shift in the past eleven years. Launched in 2018, Ayushman Bharat began as a promise to provide accessible & equitable healthcare to the poorest families. Today, it stands as the world’s largest government-funded health scheme with almost 40 crore beneficiaries across India. With a strong focus on prevention, insurance coverage and digital innovation, the scheme has been instrumental in making healthcare accessible and affordable to all sections of society that need it the most.

Take, for example, the story of Ravindra Bhave, a rickshaw driver from Nashik earning just ₹15,000 a month, who suffered a heart attack in 2018 and was advised a ₹2 lakh angioplasty- an impossible expense for his family of five. After learning about the PM-Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), Bhave received the life-saving procedure entirely free at a government hospital. The scheme covered the full cost and gave his family a second chance at life. Today, Bhave is back to work, taking children to school, and his own kids continue their education with hope. PM-Jan Arogya Yojana turned what felt like the end into a fresh start.

Since its inception, Ayushman Bharat set out to fill two key gaps: the lack of quality services in rural areas and the overwhelming burden of out-of–pocket expenses on vulnerable households. Something that a rural Indian citizen often faced before 2018. To achieve this, the government created the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM‑JAY), offering up to ₹ 5 lakh of health cover per family each year. In fewer than seven years, the number of Ayushman cards issued has skyrocketed from 39 lakh in 2018 to over 40 crore in 2025.

A decisive milestone came in late 2024, when Ayushman Bharat was extended to include every Indian citizen aged 70 and above. An additional 6 crore senior citizens were brought into the scheme. They were given access to secondary and tertiary care, irrespective of income or background. By January 2025, more than 40 lakh seniors had already enrolled, securing their health in their later years.

Underpinning these achievements has been a sharp decline in out-of-pocket expenditure. In 2014, before Ayushman Bharat was envisaged, individuals paid for nearly 62% of their healthcare costs directly. Today, the figure has fallen to 38%. Households across India have collectively saved over ₹ 1.25 lakh crore through the PM-JAY, while purchases at Jan Aushadi Kendras have saved citizens more than ₹ 38,000 crore over the past decade. This massive change has been through the empanelling of hospitals. A total of 29,929 hospitals, including 13,222 private hospitals, have been empanelled under AB PM-JAY to provide healthcare services to scheme beneficiaries as of January 2025.

But affordability is only one side of the story; accessibility has been another key goal that the central government has achieved under the leadership of PM Modi. The Ayushman Arogya Mandir initiative has established nearly 1.77 lakh wellness centres that screen patients for hypertension, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases at the village and neighbourhood level. More than 200 crore screenings have already taken place, enabling early detection and reducing the need for costly advanced treatment. Meanwhile, the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, launched in October 2021 with an outlay of more than ₹ 64,000 crores, has upgraded hospitals across the country. Critical care blocks, surveillance units and PHUs now stand ready in districts previously underdeveloped and devoid of modern facilities.

Digital innovation has emerged as a powerful pillar of Ayushman Bharat, driven by the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission has introduced a seamless, tech-enabled healthcare experience for citizens across the country. Over 68 crore Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA) have been created, allowing individuals to securely store and share their medical history. With more than 46 crore health records digitally linked and over 3.5 lakh hospitals, patients can now transition from a primary wellness centre to a tertiary hospital without repeating tests or paperwork. This continuity of care speeds up diagnosis and treatment while also removing long-standing administrative hurdles, making the entire healthcare journey more efficient and patient-friendly.

Women, frontline health workers have been vital drivers and beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat. Nearly 49 per cent of Ayushman cards belong to women, and they account for 48 per cent of hospital admissions under the scheme. In February 2024, the government extended coverage to 37 lakh ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, and helpers, acknowledging their indispensable role in grassroots health delivery. By protecting these workers, the scheme reinforces the very foundation of primary health care in India.

India’s healthcare journey over the past eleven years has been defined by vision, investment, and impact. With the health budget rising from ₹ 24,400 crore in 2014–15 to ₹ 90,658 crore in 2025–26. The government has built a robust, interconnected system. Ayushman Bharat is no longer just a scheme—it is a nationwide movement to ensure quality healthcare is both affordable and accessible to all, including the elderly and the poorest sections of society.

Ayushman Bharat has fundamentally reshaped India’s healthcare landscape, breaking barriers of affordability and accessibility for crores of Indians. Under PM Modi’s leadership, it has evolved into a pioneering model of universal, technology-driven healthcare that the world now looks up to. As the mission advances with innovations like telemedicine and expanded coverage, it is poised to build a resilient, future-ready health ecosystem. Moving forward, Ayushman Bharat will continue to empower every Indian with quality care, ensuring that no one faces a health crisis without timely access and support.