India has achieved significant progress in tuberculosis elimination, with yearly emerging TB cases reducing by 21% between 2015 and 2024, compared to the global decline of 12%. The country's treatment coverage stands at 92% versus the global average of 78%, while TB deaths reduced by 28% during the same period. This marks one of the most significant declines in TB incidence globally, exceeding the pace of reduction in other high-burden nations.
The intensified TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan has driven substantial outcomes, with cumulative screenings crossing 28.1 crore people. Over 20 lakh individuals have been provided TB Preventive Treatment (TPT), and 5.7 lakh new Nikshay Mitras (TB supporters) have been added to the program. Additionally, 46,118 Gram Panchayats have received TB-free certification. The national response has been accelerated through a 34-fold increase in X-ray screening using handheld units and the rollout of the TB Mukt Bharat App featuring the AI chatbot 'Khushi'.
New medical advancements include the introduction of the shorter, safer BPaLM (Bedaquiline, Pretomanid, Linezolid, and Moxifloxacin) treatment regimen for drug-resistant patients, reducing treatment duration to 6 months. More than 15,000 MDR/RR-TB patients have been initiated on this regimen. The program also utilizes advanced AI-driven triage tools for improved detection and management.
The JOSH (Joint Squad for Health) campaign, launched on October 13, 2026, mobilizes young people and communities across 11 states and 55 districts on a pilot basis. Each JOSH team includes MY BHARAT volunteers, National Cadet Corps cadets, and a designated Class-I officer to spread awareness on timely screening and treatment. The campaign aims to promote TB awareness, early detection, timely treatment adherence, and address stigma through community participation.
Financial support mechanisms include the Nikshay Poshan Yojana, which provides Rs. 1,000 per month to each notified tuberculosis patient. Since its launch in April 2018, Rs. 4,454.68 crores have been disbursed directly into the bank accounts of 1.38 crore beneficiaries. Nikshay Mitras have distributed over 45 lakh food baskets to TB patients through 6,77,541 individuals and organizations.
Infrastructure development includes 1,87,250 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (community health centers) providing universal and affordable healthcare, including TB diagnosis and treatment services. The program maintains more than 9,800 rapid molecular testing facilities and 107 culture and drug susceptibility testing laboratories—the world's largest network for TB detection. Over 500 AI-enabled hand-held chest X-ray units are deployed for community screening, with 1,500 additional units being delivered to states and union territories.
The 100-Day TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan launched on December 7, 2024, in 347 high-priority districts across 33 States/UTs has achieved a treatment success rate of 90%, surpassing the global average of 88%. The campaign involved over 30,000 elected representatives and 24 line ministries, demonstrating a whole-of-society and whole-of-government approach. During the second phase starting March 2026, over 1.7 lakh Ayushman Arogya Shivirs were held across 1.2 lakh high-risk villages and wards, with participation from 32 lakh students and 1.9 lakh MY Bharat volunteers.
AI-led initiatives include Cough Against TB (CATB) using acoustic AI for screening, which has identified 1.62+ lakh people and provided 12–16% extra case yield over conventional methods. Predictive analytics for adverse outcome prediction have reported a 27% decline in adverse outcomes after nationwide deployment. DeepCXR radiology AI for chest X-ray reading has been deployed in 8 States/UTs to identify presumptive TB cases and address specialist shortages.