India eyes standardized protein-rich food basket to boost TB recovery

India is working to standardize the nutritional support for tuberculosis (TB) patients and their family members through a regional food basket, according to two officials and documents reviewed by Mint.

- Priyanka Sharma [e-mail]

The budget for combating TB is ₹3,259.26 crore in the 2025-26 financial year.

This enhanced focus on nutrition comes in the backdrop of India’s high TB burden, which accounted for the highest number of cases globally in 2024, with over 2.6 million patients diagnosed that year. The basket intentionally relies on locally available, affordable, high-protein foods such as pulses, soya chunks, roasted peanuts, chana, and local seeds.

For instance, Western region's food basket comprises locally favoured items such as jowar, bajra, whereas the Eastern region's basket specifies parboiled rice and masoor. In comparison, the Southern region basket calls for the use of peanuts and Bengal gram, and the North’s has wheat and mustard oil.