As the most populous country on the planet, India’s healthcare policy shapes the well-being of more than 1.4 billion people. During Narendra Modi’s decade-long tenure as prime minister, the nation has started various public health initiatives, and yet its healthcare system still falls short of meeting needs.

Preventable illnesses like tuberculosis and diarrhoeal diseases remain leading causes of death there, and chronic conditions such as heart disease and cancer are rapidly rising. Can this be turned around?

Low healthcare spending is partly…