India's population in 2024 as per World Bank is 1.45 billion. Being the world's most populous country and one of its fastest-growing economies, India experiences both challenges and opportunities in context of public health. India is a hub for pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries; world-class scientists, clinical trials and hospitals yet country faces daunting public health challenges like child undernutrition, neonatal and maternal mortality, rising non‑communicable diseases, and road traffic accident cases.

The Human Rights Measurement Initiative finds that India is fulfilling 80.5% of what it should be fulfilling for the right to health based on its level of income. When looking at the right to health with respect to children, India achieves 92.1% of what is expected based on its current income. In regards to the right to health amongst the adult population, the country achieves only 85.6% of what is expected based on the nation's level of income. India falls into the "very bad" category when evaluating the right to reproductive health because the nation is fulfilling only 63.7% of what the nation is expected to achieve based on the resources (income) it has available.

India's traditional medicine systems have evolved over thousands of years, rooted in holistic principles and closely linked to the country's cultural and spiritual heritage. The most prominent among these are Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, Yoga, and various folk traditions.

Ayurveda originated during the Vedic period and emphasizes balance between three doshas—Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Foundational texts like the Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita detail diagnostic methods, therapies, and surgical techniques. Sushruta, often regarded as the "Father of Surgery", described procedures like nasal reconstruction and cataract surgery.

Siddha medicine, practiced mainly in Tamil Nadu, uses herbs, minerals, and alchemical methods, and traces its origins to sages like Agastya. Unani medicine, introduced during medieval Islamic rule, is based on the four-humor theory and was expanded in India by physicians like Hakim Ajmal Khan. Naturopathy integrates traditional Indian practices such as fasting, mud therapy, and hydrotherapy.

Traditional healers—vaidyas and hakims—served as community healthcare providers, passing down knowledge through oral traditions and manuscripts.

During the British Raj, these systems were marginalized in favor of Western medicine, but they persisted at the grassroots level. In recent decades, revival efforts have led to formal recognition under AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Homoeopathy), with the Ministry of AYUSH established in 2014. Today, these systems are being increasingly integrated into national health programs and the Global wellness industry.

Modern Western medicine was introduced to India during the British colonial period in the 18th and 19th centuries. It gradually became institutionalized through the establishment of hospitals, medical colleges, and public health departments.