Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam has a new stop for visitors this week, and it is not about shopping. The Union Health Ministry opened its Health Pavilion at the 45th India International Trade Fair (IITF) on Saturday, 14 November, packing 24 national health programmes into 39 stalls across 989 square metres in Hall No. 4. The pavilion stays open till 27 November, and its message is aimed squarely at young India: check your health before illness forces you to.
The pavilion carries the theme “Yuva Bharat, Swasth Bharat”, or Young India, Healthy India. It was inaugurated by Dr M. Srinivas, Member of NITI Aayog, in the presence of Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava, ICMR Director General Dr Rajiv Bahl and National Health Authority CEO Sunil Kumar Barnwal.
24 programmes under one roof
The idea is simple. Programmes that usually work in separate silos sit side by side here, so a visitor can walk from one stall to the next and see how public healthcare actually fits together. The displays cover primary healthcare, disease prevention, immunisation, maternal and child health, digital health services, mental healthcare, food safety and organ donation.
Among the programmes on show are Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, the upgraded primary health and wellness centres, which have three stalls of their own, and the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, the health cover scheme run through the National Health Authority. Visitors can also learn about eSanjeevani telemedicine, the Universal Immunisation Programme, Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram, the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan and Tele-MANAS, the national tele-mental health service.
The TB stalls carry a practical ask. Visitors can register as Ni-kshay Mitras, community volunteers or organisations who adopt a person undergoing TB treatment and provide monthly nutritional food baskets. Research published in The Lancet in 2023 showed that nutritional support for TB patients and their household contacts cuts treatment failure, deaths and new infections within families.
Why prevention is the headline
The pavilion’s sharpest focus is on non-communicable diseases, the slow-building conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer that develop over years rather than spreading from person to person. According to the World Health Organization, these diseases account for about 66 percent of all deaths in India each year, with cardiovascular disease and diabetes driving a large share of premature deaths among working-age adults.
That is why the displays lean heavily on everyday habits rather than hospital care. Stalls explain food label reading with guidance from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, the risks of tobacco and alcohol, and the value of at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity every week. Free screening and counselling for diabetes, hypertension and other chronic conditions are available at the pavilion, so visitors can walk out with a number, not just a pamphlet.
The timing is deliberate. World Diabetes Day fell on 14 November, the same day the pavilion opened, and the 2026 global theme is “Early Action on Diabetes”. Millions of Indians live with high blood sugar for years without a diagnosis, and early detection is the cheapest treatment there is.
Planning your visit
The 45th IITF runs from 14 to 27 November at Bharat Mandapam, organised by the India Trade Promotion Organisation under the theme “Vikas aur Virasat”, or Development and Heritage. More than 3,500 exhibitors from over 30 states and Union Territories and 11 countries are taking part across the fair.
One detail matters for planning. The first five days, 14 to 18 November, are Business Days reserved for business visitors. General public entry begins on 19 November and runs till 27 November. The Health Pavilion is on the ground floor of Hall No. 4, and it stays open through the full run of the fair.
For families, the pavilion doubles as a quick health check-up stop in the middle of a trade fair visit. Parents can ask about immunisation schedules, young visitors can try the digital health services on display, and anyone can get a basic screening done without an appointment.
FAQs
Where is the Health Pavilion at IITF 2026?
It is on the ground floor of Hall No. 4 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, spread across 989 square metres with 39 stalls.
When is it open?
The pavilion opened on 14 November and runs till 27 November 2026. General public entry to the fair begins on 19 November; 14 to 18 November are Business Days.
What can visitors do there?
Visitors can explore 24 national health programmes, get free screening for diabetes and hypertension, learn food label reading, register as a Ni-kshay Mitra for TB patients, and try digital services such as eSanjeevani and Tele-MANAS.
What is the theme this year?
“Yuva Bharat, Swasth Bharat”, or Young India, Healthy India, with a focus on preventing lifestyle diseases among young people.
Is there an entry fee for the pavilion itself?
The pavilion is part of the trade fair, so normal IITF entry tickets apply. The screenings and counselling inside the pavilion are free.
If you are heading to the trade fair this week, Hall No. 4 is worth the detour. It is the rare pavilion where the takeaway is not something you buy, but something you learn about your own health.
