The government has released an updated National Mental Health Policy that triples the mental health budget to ₹18,000 crore over five years — the most significant financial commitment to mental health in India's history — and mandates the establishment of mental health outpatient departments in all 760 district hospitals within 18 months.

India carries an estimated 197 million people with mental health disorders of varying severity — approximately 14 per cent of the population — against a treatment infrastructure of approximately 9,000 psychiatrists, 2,000 psychologists, and 3,500 specialised mental health beds, almost entirely concentrated in urban areas.

The policy's most innovative component is the Community Mental Health Worker Programme: training 150,000 ASHA health workers in identification of depression, anxiety, and psychosis, and equipping them to provide initial counselling and referral under remote supervision from district psychiatrists via telemedicine.

The Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking across States programme, which provides 24-hour mental health helpline services and teleconsultation, will be expanded from its current 23 states to all 36 states and union territories.