Can India Become a Global Leader Without a Healthy Population?

India's demographic dividend can become a liability if we do not safeguard the population's health.

- PRATHAP C. REDDY, Founder-chairman, Apollo Hospitals

INDIA IS TODAY on the cusp of global leadership, boasting an economic heft that will propel it into the top three economies, with a projected GDP of $7.3 trillion by 2030. The numbers support this optimism, with GDP growth in the first quarter of 2025-26 growing at a robust 7.8%.

Yet, a fundamental question demands our attention—can we truly be a global leader if our 1.4-billion-strong population and the workforce that powers our economy are not healthy? Gro Harlem Brundtland, former WHO director-general, always reiterated the message that “health is central to development”. No country can rise to great heights if illness and poor health are holding its people back.

This means India’s demographic dividend can quickly become a liability if we do not safeguard the population’s health. Studies show that air pollution costs India about 1.36% of its GDP in health-related losses, while diseases and premature deaths linked to tobacco use account for an additional 1% GDP loss.

The most important step to safeguard our growth is to shift our focus from illness to wellness and from cure to prevention. This means regular preventive healthcare and routine health checkups as the first line of defence. Early intervention, before it develops into a medical crisis, reduces the overall burden of diseases and saves enormous costs in the long run.