Introduction:
In the context of evolving policy for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/tuberculosis (TB) co-infection in India, the study was conducted to explore civil society perspectives for HIV/TB co-infection collaborative policy and service delivery in the country.

Material and methods:
Twenty-six in-depth interviews were conducted with purposively selected representatives of advocacy organizations, health activist, positive networks of people living with HIV (PLWHA), and general community. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, coded using QSR NUD*IST software version 6.0, and thematically analyzed. The study was approved by the ethics committee.

Results:
The civil society prioritized HIV/TB co-infection as an important public health issue and advocated identifying common indicators for co-infection for better program management. ‘Team training concept’ for increasing ‘antiretroviral therapy coverage’ and ‘intensified tuberculosis case finding’ were reported successfully in Karnataka, and replication of such models of service delivery in other parts of the country was the expectation. Referring to the disparities observed in the national HIV/TB program, the collaborative policy must be inclusive to address co-infection in all high-risk population including intravenous drug users. Principles of ‘greater involvement of people with HIV/ acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)’ was advocated for district coordination committees and service delivery, suggesting the possible role of PLWHA as a ‘directly observed treatment short course’ provider. Advocacy has a significant role in policy decisions if provided with strong evidence base, but communication between research, advocacy, and policy makers remains a challenge.

Conclusions:
Advocacy made valuable contributions to national AIDS control program in India. However, advocacy for HIV/TB co-infection policy is still in a nascent stage requiring consultative and inclusive approaches.