Universal Health Coverage · Resilient Health Infrastructure · Human Resources for Health · Digital Health

Stronger health systems for the world's most vulnerable.

I'm a health economist and policy leader with 25+ years building universal health coverage and resilient health systems — from India's PM-JAY, the world's largest publicly funded health scheme, to sovereign programmes advised across Asia, the Pacific and Africa.

Portrait of Dr. Nishant Jain
Dr. Nishant Jain Senior Health Specialist · Asian Development Bank
2B+ people
Improving access to quality health care
25+ yrs
Leading health-sector reform
20+ countries
Advised across Asia, the Pacific & Africa
About

A thought leader in the health sector, I help governments design, implement and evaluate reforms in health systems, health financing, insurance, health infrastructure, human resources for health and public health — and turn ambitious policy into programmes that reach hundreds of millions.

Across more than 25 years I have worked hand in hand with governments — across Asia and Africa — to address their toughest health-sector challenges: shaping strategy, building the partnerships to deliver it, and generating the evidence to prove what works. As technical lead, I supported the design and rollout of national programmes that brought financial health protection to more than 1 billion poor and vulnerable people and formal-sector workers.

Today, as a Senior Health Specialist at the Asian Development Bank, I bring that experience to design and implement sovereign loans and technical assistance across the Asia-Pacific — from universal health coverage and climate-resilient infrastructure to human resources for health and digital health.

Worked across
IndiaNepalCambodiaBangladeshThailandGhanaZambiaMaldivesPhilippines
What I work on

Focus areas

The themes shaping my current work — building on universal health coverage, and extending into the priorities reshaping health systems across the region.

01

Universal health coverage

Designing and financing national systems that make quality care accessible and affordable for all.

02

National health insurance

Building large-scale public insurance that pools risk and shields families from catastrophic costs.

03

Primary health care

Strengthening the front line of care so prevention and treatment reach people in their communities.

04

Resilient health infrastructure

Building hospitals and systems that withstand climate shocks and keep serving communities.

05

Human resources for health

Developing the skilled health workforce — training, deployment and retention — every system depends on.

06

Digital health

Registries, electronic health records and platforms that make systems faster, fairer and more transparent.

07

Early childhood development

Investing in the earliest years to shape lifelong health and human-capital outcomes.

08

Climate change & health

Embedding climate-smart approaches into the way health services are planned and delivered.

09

Vaccine manufacturing

Strengthening regional capacity to produce vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, and the rules that govern them.

Current portfolio

Senior Health Specialist, Asian Development Bank

Advising sovereign loans and technical assistance that strengthen health systems and expand coverage across the Asia-Pacific — spanning India, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Thailand, Nepal and regional programmes.

2022
at ADB since February
The path here

Experience

2022 — PresentAsian Development Bank

Senior Health Specialist

Advising sovereign loans and technical assistance across the Asia-Pacific on universal health coverage, climate-resilient infrastructure, digital health, medical education and vaccine manufacturing.

2006 — 2022GIZ India

Head, Health & Social Security Portfolio

Worked with GIZ in India from 2006, leading its health and social-security portfolio — a team of 85+ experts and over €30 million in programme funds — in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, National Health Authority, NITI Aayog and 28+ states.

  • Technical lead on the design and rollout of PM-JAY — covering 650M+ people and converging 26 fragmented insurance schemes
  • Led RSBY (2008–2018), India's earlier national health insurance scheme covering 130M+ poor people — named by UNDP and ILO among the world's top 18 innovative social-security schemes (2012)
  • Reformed health insurance for 120M+ formal-sector workers under the Employee State Insurance Scheme
  • Designed UHC programmes for 10 state governments, and advised governments across Asia and Africa on their own reforms
2000 — 2006IIM Ahmedabad

PhD (Fellow Programme in Management) — Health Financing

Doctoral research in health finance at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad — the foundation for a career spent financing universal health coverage.

Track record

Impact that spans countries and systems.

Not the work of one country, but of many — designing flagship national reforms and advising governments across Asia, the Pacific and Africa on their own paths to universal health coverage.

2B+
People reached across the countries and health systems I've worked in
20+
Governments advised on health-system and financing reform
2
Cross-country knowledge networks founded — UHC PEERS & the Joint Learning Network
26
Fragmented schemes unified into India's PM-JAY, the world's largest publicly funded health scheme
In the public domain

Selected writing

Recent essays and analysis on universal health coverage, technology and health financing.

DevAsia · April 2026

Closing Health Access Gaps in Small Island States

How targeted financing, regional pooling and digital solutions can expand essential health services across dispersed island populations.
ADB Blog · December 2025

Expanding Health Coverage & Cutting Costs Through Technology & Smarter Spending

India's national insurance programme has delivered cashless care to 700M+ people — and could become a model for other developing countries.
DevAsia · August 2025

Shared Lessons, Shared Solutions: Achieving & Sustaining UHC

A new regional platform connecting countries to turn shared experience into action on inclusive, sustainable health reform.
Book Chapter · 2025

Digital Public Health: The Way Forward

In Introduction to Public Health and Research: Essential Concepts — how AI, big data, telehealth and mHealth are reshaping prevention and equitable access.
Selected earlier publications
Embedding Quality within Universal Health Care in India
BMJ Global Health · 2021
Evidence of integrated health service delivery during COVID-19 in LMICs
BMJ Open · 2021
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Mixed and multi-methods protocol to evaluate the PM-JAY
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health · 2020
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Modicare Post-Election: Enhancing the Impact of Public Health Insurance on UHC
Center for Global Development · 2019
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Priority-setting, the Indian way
Journal of Global Health · 2018
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Health Care Coverage Decision Making in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Population Health Management · 2014
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Role of Government-Funded & Community-Based Health Insurance in India
USAID · 2017
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Analysis of public and private healthcare expenditures
Economic & Political Weekly · 2006
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Selected government reports for the Ministries of Health and Labour, NITI Aayog and others are available on request.

Service & networks

Memberships

Government & policy
  • Member, Sub-Group on converging health & social-security financing — Economic Advisory Council to the PM / NITI Aayog
  • Member, Governing Council, Insurance Information Bureau — IRDA
  • Chairman, National Sectoral Innovation Council on RSBY — Ministry of Labour & Employment
  • Special Invitee, Expert Group on National Health Assurance — MoHFW
Academic & international
  • Steering Group Member — Joint Learning Network for UHC
  • Founder Member — Indian Health Economists & Policy Association
  • Scientific Committee — Health Systems Research Symposium
  • Reviewer — various international & national journals
Education

Qualifications

Degrees
  • PhD, Health Financing
    IIM Ahmedabad    2006
  • MBA, Financial Management
    Patna University    2000
  • M.Sc., Chemistry (Physical)
    Patna University    1998
  • M.A., Music — Violin
    Prayag Sangit Samiti, Allahabad    —
  • B.Sc., Chemistry (Hons.)
    Patna Science College    1996
Speaking — selected platforms
WHOWorld BankADBOECDRockefeller FoundationHealth Systems Global
Beyond work

Away from policy — I play the violin, read widely, cook for family and friends, and head for the hills whenever I can.

Get in touch

Let's talk health systems.

For collaborations, speaking invitations or advisory work on universal health coverage and health financing.

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