On Friday, the World Bank and India agreed on two complimentary loans worth USD 500 million each to support and improve the nation's healthcare infrastructure. 

The bank will support India's Pradhan Mantri-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), launched in October 2021, through this combined financing of USD 1 billion (roughly Rs 8,200 crore),  to improve the public healthcare infrastructure across the nation, according to a statement from the multilateral funding organisation.

One of the loans will prioritise the delivery of health services in seven states, including Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh, alongside the national-level interventions, it said.

Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, and World Bank India Country Director Auguste Tano Kouame, signed the agreement, according to the statement.