NEW DELHI: India performed a record 20,138 organ transplants in 2025, crossing the 20,000-mark for the first time and registered a 6.5% increase over the previous year, according to National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation’s (NOTTO) annual report. The figure marks a fourfold rise from 4,990 transplants in 2013.Delhi-NCR recorded the highest number of transplants in 2025 with 4,564 procedures, followed by Tamil Nadu (2,796), Maharashtra (2,136), Telangana (1,523) and Kerala (1,489). Tamil Nadu topped the country in deceased organ donors with 266, followed by Maharashtra (205), Telangana (198), Karnataka (154) and Kerala (152).India has emerged as the world’s third-largest country in total organ transplants, after the US and China. Deceased donor transplants still far short of demandIndia continues to rank first globally in living donor organ transplants, according to Global Observatory on Donation and Transplantation report released in 2026.The 20,000-mark milestone coincided with the 16th Indian Organ Donation Day, when health ministry announced that more than five lakh Aadhaar-verified organ donation pledges have been recorded since the national digital pledge portal was launched in 2023.Despite the gains, deceased organ donation remains India’s biggest challenge. Deceased donor transplants rose from 837 in 2013 to 3,526 in 2025, but continue to fall far short of demand. “A substantial gap still exists between demand for organs and their availability. Addressing this gap remains a national priority,” MoS for health Anupriya Patel said.
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To strengthen the programme, govt launched ‘Jug Jug Jiyo Abhiyaan’, a year-long awareness campaign, besides rolling out e-Pratyaropan, a digital platform for donor registration, waitlist management and organ allocation, NOTTO mobile app, and new Brain Stem Death Certification and Swap Transplantation guidelines.Govt has also expanded transplant services, with 10 new AIIMS now performing kidney transplants, while AIIMS Bhopal has started heart transplantation and AIIMS Jodhpur, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Rishikesh have launched liver transplant programmes.The report highlights reforms under ‘One Nation, One Policy’ initiative, including removal of domicile requirements, the upper age limit and registration fees for patients seeking deceased donor organs. With nearly 1.73 lakh road traffic fatalities every year, the report says India has significant potential to increase deceased organ donation.
