The central government presents its budget estimates for each of the sectors, including the health sector, in its Annual Financial Statement (traditionally in February) – also called the Union Budget of India. The budget is prepared mainly in the Ministry of Finance after detailed consultations with major stakeholders, including other ministries. Thus, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s inputs are critical. However, the National Institute for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog (the policy think tank of the government, which provides technical advice to both central and state governments), which replaced the former Planning Commission, also plays an important role especially in terms of new initiatives and can influence the budget, including the health budget (Government of India, 2018a).

References:

Government of India. (2018a). NITI Aayog holds Dialogue on Health System for New India. Available from: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=186039