Keeping this situation in mind, a TB Free India Summit in Dharamshala on April 7 & 8, 2017 was organized. As a part of the summit, various stimulating panel discussions and interactions between Union & State Ministers, Members of Parliaments, Government officials, celebrities, public health experts, etc. were held to galvanize support and commitment from these key stakeholders.

To ensure that the message of TB Free India reached people across length and breadth of the country, a One-Day friendly India vs TB Cricket Tournament was hosted on April 8, 2017 at HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala. The match was played between MP’s XI (Member of Parliaments) and Mumbai Heroes (Celebrity team).

Over 10,000 people gathered live at the stadium and  the match was telecast live on Doordarshan National, Rajya Sabha TV and deferred live by DD Sports has been aired several times.

Doordarshan National and DD Sports, combined enjoy a viewership of over 200 million and Rajya Sabha TV too have a robust viewer base. To make sure that people being reached become an active agent in eradicating TB from India, Sh. Anurag Singh Thakur took a pledge before the commencement of the match. He was accompanied by Sh. JP Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Sh. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Leader of Opposition, Himachal Pradesh Assembly and the team of MP’s XI, Mumbai Heroes along with their friends, family and the audience present at the stadium.

Over the course of two days, eminent dignitaries and key stakeholders got associated with the initiative. Day One of the Summit saw participation from Sh. Kaul Singh Thakur, the then Health and Family Welfare minister in Himachal Pradesh Cabinet, Sh. V.P. Singh Badnore, the then Governor of Punjab, Health experts, experts from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, TB survivors, international associations and media fraternity.

Day Two started with a welcome note by Sh. Anurag Thakur, followed by an inaugural keynote address by Sh. Rajiv Pratap Rudy, the then Union Minister of State Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (IC), Government of India. This was followed by a panel discussion between experts to dwell upon ways and means to curb the growth of TB in India. The session was concluded with a closing address from Sh. JP Nadda, the then Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare.

The summit witnessed attendance from over 35 celebrities, 20 Member of Parliaments, cutting across party lines, Union Cabinet & State Ministers, 120 experts from health department and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare attended the event.