India’s medical tourism sector has seen significant growth, with 1,31,856 Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) for medical purposes from January to April 2025, constituting 4.1% of total FTAs.

About Medical Tourism

• Medical tourism (also called Medical Value Travel (MVT), health tourism or global healthcare) is a term used to describe the rapidly-growing practice of travelling across international borders to seek healthcare services. 
  • Services typically sought by travelers include elective procedures as well as complex surgeries, etc.
• India ranks 10th in the Medical Tourism Index (2020-21) among 46 destinations.

Top Source Countries for Medical Tourism (2020–2024)

• Total FTAs for Medical Purposes:
  • 2020: 1,82,945
  • 2024: 6,44,387
• Bangladesh: Largest contributor with 4,82,336 FTAs in 2024, showing consistent growth from 99,155 in 2020.
• Iraq: Significant increase from 16,647 in 2020 to 32,008 in 2024.
• Somalia: Fluctuating trend, peaking at 15,947 in 2023, followed by 11,717 in 2024.
• Oman: Steady growth from 4,328 in 2020 to 10,431 in 2024.
• Uzbekistan: Notable rise from 1,712 in 2020 to 8,921 in 2024.

Drivers of Medical Tourism in India 

• Cost Advantage: Treatment costs in India are 30–80% lower than the US/UK for similar quality procedures.
  • Example: Cardiac bypass costs ~USD 7,000 in India vs. USD 1,20,000 in the US (FICCI-EY Report).
• World-Class Quality & Accreditation: India has 40+ Joint Commission International (JCI) accredited hospitals and 600+ NABH-accredited hospitals.
  • Apollo Hospitals, Fortis, and Max Healthcare are globally recognised for complex surgeries.
• Skilled & English-Speaking Workforce: Most of the doctors and surgeons at Indian hospitals are trained or have worked at some of the medical institutions in the US, Europe, or other developed nations and also are fluent in English.
  • Indian surgeons are known for complex transplant surgeries and advanced cardiac procedures, attracting patients from Africa and the Middle East.
  • Indian nurses are among the best in the world. 
    • Nearly 1000 recognized nurses-training centers in India, mostly attached to teaching hospitals, graduate nearly 10,000 nurses annually.
• Diverse Treatment Portfolio
  • Modern Medicine: Cardiac surgery, organ transplants, orthopaedics, IVF, oncology.
  • Traditional Medicine: Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy (AYUSH).
  • Example: Kerala’s Ayurveda wellness resorts draw tourists from Europe for rehabilitation and rejuvenation.
• Government Support & Policy Push: Initiatives like Heal in India portal, Medical Visa & Attendant Visa, inclusion in National Tourism Policy.
  • The National Strategy & Roadmap for Medical and Wellness Tourism focuses on hub creation in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kochi, and Hyderabad.
• Strategic Geographic Location: Proximity to South Asia, Africa, Middle East reduces travel time and cost for patients.
  • Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Maldives account for a major share of inbound patients.
• Integrated Hospitality & Tourism Ecosystem: High-quality hotels, wellness resorts, translators, and facilitators support patient comfort.
  • Example: Cities like Chennai and Kochi offer integrated packages covering surgery, post-operative care, and leisure tourism.

Opportunities in Medical Tourism in India

• Rapidly Growing Global Demand: Rising healthcare costs in developed nations and long waiting times in countries like the UK and Canada push patients to seek affordable, quality care abroad.
  • India’s cost advantage: treatment costs 60–90% lower than in Western countries.
• Expansion of AYUSH & Wellness Tourism: Global shift towards preventive healthcare and traditional medicine.
  • Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy have high potential in European, Gulf, and ASEAN markets.
• Emergence of New Source Markets: Growing inflow from Africa, Central Asia, and Latin America in addition to traditional South Asian and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets.
  • Example: Rising African patient traffic to Chennai and Hyderabad.
• Digital Health & Telemedicine Integration: India’s IT expertise allows remote consultations, second opinions, and follow-up care for international patients.
  • Opportunity to build trust and retain long-term patient relationships.
• Niche Segments Growth: Fertility treatments, cosmetic surgery, organ transplants, and geriatric care are expanding sectors within medical tourism.
  • India has specialist expertise at globally competitive prices.
• Regional Hub Development: Potential to develop tier-2 city hubs (e.g., Kochi, Jaipur, Nagpur) to diversify beyond metros.
  • Benefits from lower costs and reduced congestion while boosting regional economies.

Government Initiatives & Policies for Medical Tourism in India

• Heal in India Initiative (2022)
  • Launched jointly by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Ministry of Tourism (MoT).
  • Aims to position India as a global medical & wellness tourism hub.
  • Key Features: multilingual portal, treatment package standardisation, hospital empanelment, and marketing support in target countries.
• National Strategy & Roadmap for Medical and Wellness Tourism (2022)
  • Provides a five-year action plan focusing on infrastructure, accreditation, branding, skill development, and ease of travel.
  • Encourages integration of Ayush, Yoga, and wellness therapies with modern healthcare packages.
  • Identifies priority source markets (Africa, Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Middle East, South Asia).
• E-Medical Visa and E-Medical Attendant Visa
  • Part of the broader e-Visa scheme, which began in 2014 by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
  • Fast-track online visa for foreign patients and attendants, available to nationals of over 160 countries.
  • Special provisions for medical visa for organ transplant after additional approvals.
  • Ayush Visa (AY): Introduced in Aug 2023 for traditional medicine treatments (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy).
  • Medical visas issued: 5.97 lakh (2023), 4.64 lakh (2024, 22% decline due to Bangladesh visa restrictions).
• National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) (Quality Council of India)
  • Mandates quality standards for hospitals catering to international patients.
  • NABH accreditation recognised globally, enhancing credibility for medical tourism hospitals.
• Central Sector Scheme on Promotion of International Co-operation in AYUSH (Ministry of Ayush)
  • Promotes Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy services abroad.
  • Supports setting up Ayush Information Cells in Indian embassies and participation in international wellness expos.

State-Level Contributions

• Gujarat: Registers wellness retreats on the Tourism Department website.
  • Promotes through social media, wellness events, and Familiarisation (FAM) trips.
  • Health diplomacy: Showcases healthcare infrastructure globally, trains paramedical staff.
• Tamil Nadu:
  • Chennai: ‘Health capital of India’, attracts 25% of India’s medical tourists (15 lakh annually from 70 countries).
  • Organised Tamil Nadu Medical Tourism Summit in 2025.
  • Promotion of Chennai as a transplant & cardiac surgery hub.
• Delhi: Aims to become a medical tourism hub with ₹12,893 crore health budget (2025).
• Telangana: Hyderabad attracts over 1 lakh medical tourists annually from the Middle East, Africa, SAARC, CIS, Southeast Asia, and Europe.
  • Aarogya Mahila program: Screens women for critical health issues, enhancing healthcare appeal.
• Kerala: Wellness tourism policy integrating Ayurveda with the hospitality sector.

Challenges in Medical Tourism in India 

• Regulatory Gaps & Lack of Standardisation: No uniform national framework for pricing, accreditation, and service quality.
  • Only a fraction of Indian hospitals serving foreign patients are NABH or JCI accredited, causing trust issues.
• Limited Global Marketing & Branding: Heal in India campaign is in early stages; India’s visibility remains weaker than Thailand or Singapore.
  • In 2019, Thailand attracted 2.5 million medical tourists vs. India’s 0.7 million.
• Medical Visa & Procedural Delays: Cumbersome application and extension processes deter patients.
  • Absence of single-window clearance for medical and attendant visas.
• Infrastructure & Connectivity Constraints: Poor last-mile connectivity to wellness centres in smaller cities.
  • Limited direct international flights from Africa and Central Asia to secondary hubs.
• Post-Treatment Follow-up Gaps: Weak integration of telemedicine for international patient monitoring.
  • Discontinuity in care after patients return home reduces satisfaction and repeat visits.
• Language & Cultural Barriers: Shortage of trained interpreters for African, CIS, and Middle Eastern languages.
  • Cultural sensitivity training for healthcare staff is minimal, affecting patient comfort.
• Medical Malpractice & Ethical Concerns: Inadequate legal recourse for foreign patients in malpractice cases.
  • No fast-track dispute resolution system for cross-border medical grievances.
  • Organ commerce persists despite being illegal — e.g., Myanmar-based kidney donor racket in Delhi hospital (2023).
  • Professional ethics clash with market incentives; hospitals may ignore red flags to protect revenue.
• Trust Deficit in Organ Donation System: Scandals involving foreigners receiving deceased-donor organs ahead of Indian patients have reduced public willingness to donate.
  • Trust in deceased organ donation is critical, as campaigns are led at the highest political levels.

Way Forward for Medical Tourism in India

• Strengthen Regulatory Oversight: Establish a National Medical & Wellness Tourism Authority to set uniform pricing, accreditation, and ethical protocols.
  • Mandate NABH/JCI accreditation for all hospitals catering to foreign patients to standardise quality.
• Ethics & Transparency in Organ Transplants: Create a National Organ Transplant Registry linked with immigration and health systems to track foreign transplants.
  • Enforce accountability for doctors/hospitals in cases of forged paperwork or coercion, with penalties and licence suspension.
• Enhance Post-Treatment Follow-Up Mechanisms: Integrate telemedicine platforms for continued monitoring of international patients.
  • Partner with hospitals in patients’ home countries for coordinated follow-up care.
• Streamline Medical Visa Processes: Introduce fast-track e-medical visa with online verification of hospital booking and donor-recipient matching.
  • Provide longer validity visas for follow-up treatments, especially in transplant and cancer care.
• Boost Marketing & International Presence: Scale up the ‘Heal in India’ brand with multilingual websites, international roadshows, and strategic tie-ups with foreign insurance networks.
  • Focus on markets with limited healthcare infrastructure — Africa, CIS, Middle East — through government-to-government health pacts.
• Improve Infrastructure & Connectivity: Upgrade airports near medical hubs with medical tourism facilitation desks.
  • Provide direct international flight connectivity to tier-2 cities with emerging speciality hospitals.
• Language & Cultural Integration: Train healthcare workers in foreign languages (Arabic, Russian, Swahili, etc.).
  • Develop cultural orientation modules for hospital staff to improve patient trust and comfort.
• Public–Private Partnerships (PPPs) in Wellness & Traditional Medicine: Integrate Ayush & wellness tourism with medical tourism packages.
  • Offer co-developed international health packages blending modern surgery + Ayurveda rehabilitation.

Conclusion

Medical tourism in India, driven by cost-effective, high-quality healthcare and robust government initiatives like ‘Heal in India,’ is a significant economic and diplomatic asset, projected to reach $13.42 billion by 2026. However, addressing regulatory gaps, enhancing global branding, and improving infrastructure are critical to sustaining growth and competing with global leaders like Thailand and Singapore.

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