India is the most populous country in the world, with a population of 1.46 billion, of which 48% are female, and 30% are children (under 18 years). The ICRIER-ANVKA Foundation 2025 report titled, “Roadmap to Address Vitamin D Deficiency in India” found that one in five Indians are Vitamin D deficient and the most vulnerable groups are women and children. This deficiency poses serious and lifelong health risks, including rickets in children (46% of children are prone to rickets), poor foetal bone development during pregnancy, and osteomalacia/osteoporosis in older women (who are three times more likely than men to experience hip fractures). Women are the backbone of families, and children are the future of the nation. Addressing Vitamin D deficiency among them is critical to reduce healthcare costs, improve the quality of life, and achieve India’s long-term development goals.
This policy brief highlights the role that the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) can play in leading the nation towards “Vitamin D Kuposhan Mukt Bharat”. One of the core mandates of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) is to address malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency. Among these, Vitamin D deficiency is one of the most widespread. This policy brief presents six key action points for the MoWCD that include, a) how to build awareness on self-identification and actions to mitigate the deficiency b) areas for capacity building and training c) developing multi-stakeholders partnerships to address the deficiency d) working with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and other government bodies to make Vitamin D fortified food available through public distribution programmes, and e) leveraging Mission POSHAN 2.0 to address Vitamin D deficiency.
