Rs 1.3 Lakh Crore â a.k.a. What's Expected of the Health Budget This Year The pandemic should be used as an opportunity to correct the structural deficiencies in the healthcare sector. A man walks past a graffiti of people wearing protective masks amidst the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on a street in Navi Mumbai, India January 21, 2021. Photo: Reuters/Francis Mascarenhas Health25/Jan/2021 Union finance minister Nirmala Sitaraman in a statement last month said that the 2021 budget would be historic and like “never before” â one that would pitch India into becoming the engine of global growth. Economic Times has also reported that she also said investment in health is going to be absolutely critical and would take top priority, with the government looking into not just increasing health infrastructure but also human resources for health towards making lives safer and achieving a reduction in out of pocket health-related expenses.