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With nearly 25 million births annually in the country, when it comes to maternal health, the discussion has moved from mere survival to creating healthy generations. The recent Times Future of Maternity 2026 summit held in New Delhi brought this change into sharp focus. Organized by Times Internet and Pregatips, the event brought together over 250 people, including policymakers, practitioners, public health experts and families, to examine how integrated, evidence-based and equitable care can shape the country’s demographic future.Setting the context for the show, former Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi in her special address directly linked motherhood to national progress.“The future of motherhood is the future of a nation and it is also the future of humanity,” she said. Emphasizing that no country can call itself developed unless its women and children are taken care of, the former Minister of State argued that care should start from the mother.She also highlighted the cultural strength of India that provides continued support to experienced women even in poor homes, and cautioned against making pregnancy a source of fear through excessive medicalization.This broad approach flowed naturally into the first clinical discussions on “advancing evidence-driven maternal and newborn care.” Panelists examined why proven protocols often fail to deliver consistent results despite decades of global and national evidence.Professor (Dr) Aarti Maria, former Dean, ABVIMS and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, emphasized that mother and newborn are inseparable and called for greater family awareness as well as zero separation after birth.Professor (Dr.) Jyotsna Suri, Consultant and Unit Head, Incharge Obstetric Critical Care, VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital highlighted the rapid decline in maternal mortality in India compared to the global decline, yet emphasized that postpartum haemorrhage, infection and hypertension are among the major preventable causes, hence the need for vigilant action at this crucial golden time.Dr Madhu Goyal, Director, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Fortis La Fame, emphasized the fact that approximately 50 per cent of pregnancies in India are currently high risk, making early risk stratification and preventive strategies rather than purely medical responses as major game changers. Dr. Trupti Sharan, Director- Obstetrics and Gynecology; On the other hand, Head – High Risk Pregnancy, BLK Max Hospital emphasized that systematic screening, monitoring and early detection is the most effective intervention.score.The panel said that while the knowledge exists, the larger issue remains around standardizing practices and filling gaps in execution across multiple settings, from high-volume public hospitals to various private facilities.A standalone session on “Postpartum Nutrition and Recovery” by Saloni Arora, nutritionist and Founder of Femly, highlighted that recovery after delivery is not optional. According to Arora, eating the right diet helps regain strength and nutrient reserves, guided activity restores physical function, while mental health is known to aidFeelings of anxiety and fatigue. When addressed together, these elements enable mothers to provide more sustainable care for themselves and their babies. The panel on “How to strengthen antenatal, postnatal, breastfeeding and mental support systems” focused on the often neglected phase after delivery. Deepti Arora, Founder, Ever Bliss; Maternal; The FW leader described breastfeeding failures as system failures due to inadequate guidance rather than lack of knowledge.Dr Helai Gupta, Senior Consultant, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Rosewalk Hospital, called postpartum care the most under-medicalized phase in a woman’s life, pointing to overlooked aspects such as hydration, mobility and sleep.Dr Juhi Rachel Baluja, consultant psychiatrist at St Stephen’s Hospital, said 15-20 per cent of mothers experience anxiety, and if left unchecked, the symptoms sometimes turn into depression. Dr. Rashmi Bawa, Founding Director of WellMom, focuses on structured prenatal education as a high-impact but low-cost intervention that prepares families and helps deal with anxiety. The conversations called for continuity of care, family involvement, and moving from child-centered to parent-centered support.A fiery conversation with Rahul Dutta, Group COO, Ankura Hospitals, highlights what true comprehensive care should include from pregnancy through paediatrics. This was followed by a “conversation” session on “India’s fertility transition: What it means for maternal care”, which examined declining fertility rates, delayed parenthood and rising fertility rates.Challenges of pregnancy and their impact on maternal health services. The speakers at the session were Dr. Rajni Mittal, senior gynecologist, Hindu Rao Hospital, and Dr. Urvashi Prasad, senior fellow, Pahal India Foundation and former director of NITI Aayog.The next session on “Affordable, Accessible, Accountable: Reimagining Maternal Care Finance” highlighted structural gaps in the ecosystem. Aviral Srivastava, Founder and CEO, MomKidCare, highlighted that government schemes cover delivery programs, but not the entire care journey. Dr. Vandana Prasad, Founding Secretary; Principal Technical Advisor, Public Health Resource Society (PHRS) discussed the realities like high teenage pregnancies in tribal areas and maternal deaths without proper audit.Professor (Dr) Indranil Mukhopadhyay, School of Government and Public Policy, OP Jindal Global University, highlighted stagnant National Health Mission funding and wide disparities in cesarean rates, primarily due to insurance incentives. Professor (Dr) Sunita Reddy, Center of Social Medicine and Community Health, JNU stressed the need to strengthen public systems that serve the majority. The panel described maternal care financing as a question of policy design as well as political will.After lunch, a masterclass on “Matrisense: The Missing Lens in Modern Maternity Care” by Natasha Uppal, Founder, Matrisense reframed motherhood as a profound developmental change rather than simply a medical event, urging both parents and providers to recognize its emotional and psychological dimensions.The first post-lunch panel, “Maternal Health Care Journeys: Stories of Strength and Hope,” brought grassroots perspectives. Dr. Monica Banerjee, Head- Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Teaching, Mobile Creche; Pro. (Dr.) Nemthiangai Guite, Center for Social Medicine and Community Health, JNU; Richa S Sethi, a teacher and mother of a specially-abled child, and Stuti Srivastava, a mother of a one-year-old child and a legal professional, shared real-life experiences of challenges and community solutions, moderated by Dr. Urvashi Prasad.Following the session, a short talk by Gurpreet Kaur Sanyal, Founder of Momentum, discussed the hidden impact of grief on fertility, pregnancy and postpartum health.The final jury session on “Evaluation of Impact in Maternity Care” comprised Professor (Dr) Dinesh Kumar Yadav, Professor and Head, Department of Pediatrics, ABVIMS and Dr RML Hospital; Dr. Madhu Goyal, Director, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fortis La Fame; Professor (Dr) Manju Puri, Senior Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology, SGT University; and Professor (Dr) Surveen Ghuman Sindhu, Senior Director and Head, Center for IVF and Reproductive Medicine, Max Group of Hospitals.Jurors participated deeply in the extensive process involved in selecting winners for the awards, which included not only numbers, but also key aspects of respectful communication, family involvement, outcomes and the quality of care the patient received even when complications occurred. The Times Future of Maternity Awards 2026 recognized excellence in the maternity ecosystem with 22 winners across 13 categories.Ankura Hospitals received the Gold Medal for Best Mother and Child Hospital for comprehensive care. Other notable gold winners include Ajanta Hospital & IVF Center (Fertility and Reproductive Medicine), Femly’s Saloni Arora (Nutritionist of the Year), R for Rabbit and Himalaya Wellness (baby care brand), MSD for Mothers (Policy Impact), and Grogether (Innovation in Baby Gear).The summit was supported by nutrition partner Famly, supporting partners R for Rabbit and Ankura Hospitals, and exhibition partners Radcliffe Labs and GrowGather.