Import duty on drugs for seven more rare diseases would be abolished, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her budget speech on Saturday, paving the way for easier availability of the prohibitively expensive medicines. “There are 51 rare diseases already on the list for which one does not have to pay any import duty. Another medical geneticist stated that these seven diseases were not on the list of recognised rare diseases in India when the policy on rare diseases was framed in 2021, but were added subsequently. The institute is one of the centres for excellence identified as nodal centres for identification and treatment of rare diseases patients. Sitharaman also said that import duties will not be levied on food for special medical purposes (FSMP) used by patients of these seven rare diseases.

Source: The Telegraph February 02, 2026 00:43 UTC