India has the world’s 2nd largest population, rising from 760 mn in 1985 to an estimated 1.37 bn in 2019, a period during which the proportion of people living in poverty fell by half. This era of growth is marked by “dual illness burden – upswing in communicable diseases and a spurt in non-communicable or “lifestyle” diseases. As a result, it is burdening the growing and ageing population.
