The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare observed the 16th Indian Organ Donation Day on 3rd August 2026, highlighting significant achievements in India's organ transplantation program. A record 20,138 organ transplants were performed in 2025, representing the highest ever in a single year and a fourfold increase from the 4,990 transplants performed in 2013. This places India as the third largest organ transplant country globally after the United States and China, while maintaining its global leadership position in living donor organ transplants.
Deceased donor organ transplants showed particularly strong growth, increasing more than fourfold from 837 in 2013 to 3,526 in 2025. Public participation has been substantial with over five lakh Aadhaar-verified organ donation pledges recorded since the launch of the national digital pledge portal in 2023, including over 2.58 lakh pledges in 2025 alone. However, a substantial gap between organ demand and availability remains a national priority.
Several new initiatives were launched to strengthen the organ donation ecosystem. The 'Jug Jug Jiyo Abhiyaan' is a year-long nationwide awareness campaign aimed at promoting organ donation at the community level. The 'e-प्रत्यारोपण' platform is a unified digital ecosystem that integrates hospitals, doctors, donors, and recipients for seamless coordination and transparent organ allocation. A new NOTTO Mobile Application was launched to provide easier access to organ donation services and information.
Policy frameworks were strengthened with the release of National Brain Stem Death Certification Guidelines and National Guidelines on Swap Transplantation to standardize practices across states and union territories. The institutional network has expanded to include NOTTO, 5 ROTTOs, 26 SOTTOs, and approximately 1,200 registered hospitals, now spanning 31 States and Union Territories.
Financial support mechanisms include the National Organ Transplant Programme (NOTP) for infrastructure strengthening, Ayushman Bharat coverage for kidney transplantation, and Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi assistance for economically weaker patients. The expanding network of over 20,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras improves access to affordable post-transplant medications.
The event recognized outstanding contributions through National Organ Donation Awards. Tamil Nadu received the award for highest number of deceased organ donors, Assam for best performance in North Eastern Region, Delhi as best Union Territory, and PGIMER Chandigarh as best ROTTO in Northern Region. Donor families were felicitated for their contributions to the national organ donation movement.