“Heal in India, Heal by India” Initiative of the Indian Government to Promote Medical Tourism in India

Medical tourism, also known as wellness tourism or health tourism, was first used by travel firms for people traveling abroad for medical treatment. Advancements in science and technology have made it possible for transcontinental health-care services. The health-care industry is becoming more globalized, and India has the potential to meet this demand for affordable, high-quality medical care. It is growing at an exponential rate and is becoming a significant contributor to the global expansion of service exports. The health-care industry has an immense potential to enhance economic growth and provide employment, but it is also crucial for “protecting the health and the wealth of the nation,” said Sangita Reddy, joint managing director of Apollo Hospitals, a chain of health-care facilities, and president of the federation of Indian chambers of commerce and industry. Health-care offers the opportunity to make medical services “more understandable, affordable, and accessible,” said Gaurav Agarwal, co-founder and chief technology officer at 1 mg, an online pharmacy firm. The availability of super specialty centers, the use of cutting-edge diagnostic technology, well-trained health-care professionals, and a good mix of allopathic and alternative medical systems make India a desirable location for travelers seeking medical care due to several factors. Indian health-care system provides treatment with the latest medical technologies meeting international quality standards at a very affordable and reduced cost.[1] Despite India’s diversity of languages, English is an official language and is widely spoken by most people and almost universally by medical professionals. In Noida, several hospitals have hired language translators to make patients from Balkan and African countries feel more comfortable while facilitating their treatment.[2] Doctors trained in Western countries and English-speaking health-care providers greatly minimize the language barriers for foreigners. The strength of India lies in the skills of its doctors and support staff, the caliber of its nurses, and the state-of-the-art infrastructure developed in recent years, some of which are still unavailable even in very developed economies. Smart and tech-savvy entrepreneurs have also played a significant role in promoting the business. According to Darpan Jain, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, even after being treated, patients have the option of either recuperating in the hospital or at paid accommodation nearby at reasonable costs with adequate facilities. Many hospitals also offer the option of continuing treatment through telemedicine. In 2022–2023, India’s medical tourism was estimated to be worth around $9 billion.[3] It is expected to reach $13 billion by the year 2026 and is well supported by the Indian government’s Heal in India, a Heal by India initiative. According to a 2019 report by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, most medical patients arrive in India from Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation region.[4] India also receives a significant number of medical patients from Australia, Canada, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.[4] More than 2 million patients visit India each year from more than 75 countries for medical consultation, investigations, and treatment, generating over $6 billion.[5] The Ministry of Tourism launched the “Incredible India” scheme in 2002 to promote tourism in the country. The following year, Jaswant Singh, the finance minister at the time, pushed the development of airport infrastructure to facilitate the entry and exit of medical tourists with the aim of developing India as a “Global Health Destination.” To encourage and ease the process, the Indian government expanded its e-tourism visa regime in February 2019. The maximum duration of stay under this visa is 6 months.[6] Since August 30, 2019, foreigners can receive any medical treatment in India, except for organ transplants, even without a medical visa. In August 2023, the Government of India’s Ministry of Home Affairs announced the creation of the Ayush Visa category for foreign nationals to promote travel healthcare in India. Tech-savvy companies are now stepping in to address this gap, offering online medical tourism services in India.[7] The government has removed visa restrictions on tourist visas that required a 2-month gap between consecutive visits for people from Gulf countries, which is likely to boost medical tourism. A visa-on-arrival scheme for tourists from select countries allows foreign nationals to stay in India for 30 days for medical reasons.[8] In 2016, citizens of Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Maldives, the Republic of Korea, and Nigeria availed the most medical visas.[9] Patients should be able to contact the immigration department at any point of entry to expedite the process. A large number of medical tourism companies are facilitating foreigners, especially patients from Arabic, Russian, and English-speaking countries. India provides high-quality healthcare, with 76% provided by the private sector. This is shifting from the hospital to the clinic, from the clinic to the home, and from home to telemedicine driven by the mobile phone. Bengaluru, Chandigarh Capital Region, Delhi National Capital Region including Gurugram and Faridabad, Jaipur, Kerala, Kolkata, and Mumbai are also important medical tourism hubs in India. Hisar medicity is an upcoming hub, which has been under planning and construction since 2021. The city of Chennai has come to be known as the health-care capital of India. Chennai has been coined “India’s health capital.”[10,11] Multi- and superspecialty hospitals across the city bring in an estimated 150 international patients every day.[10] Chennai attracts about 45% of health tourists from abroad arriving in the country and 30%–40% of domestic health tourists.[11] The factors behind the tourist inflow in the city include low costs, little to no waiting period, and facilities offered at the specialty hospitals in the city.[10] The city has an estimated 12,500 hospital beds, of which only half are used by the city’s population, with the rest being shared by patients from other states and foreigners.[12] Senior experienced vascular surgeons and dental surgeons have attracted vascular and dental care tourism in Chennai. Prestigious hotels frequently have good relationships with private medical facilities or other establishments catering to medical tourists. These medical tourism packages include every aspect, from initial assessment and treatment to the posttreatment phase and travel arrangements, including lodging, entertainment, and translation. In addition, some companies have launched medical conservation packages, such as Vedic company, which developed medical tourism packages for seniors health-care services in India at very attractive packages. In general, these medical services cater to four categories of medical tourists: Wellness tourism: Spas, stress relief, and rejuvenation centers Alternative systems of medicine: Ayurvedic and Siddha treatment for diseases such as arthritis and rheumatism Cosmetic surgery: Dental care, plastic surgery, breast enhancement, tummy reduction, and skin treatment Advanced and life-saving healthcare: Organ transplants, cardiovascular surgery, eye treatment, hip replacement, and in vitro fertilization. Hinduja National Hospital in Mumbai found that treatment costs in India start at around one-tenth of the price of comparable treatment in the United States or the United Kingdom.[13] The most popular treatments sought in India by medical tourists are alternative medicine, bone marrow transplant, cardiac bypass, eye surgery, aortic diseases, diabetic foot treatment, and joint replacement. India has more than 800 NABH-accredited hospitals that provide high-standard medical care on par with international standards. Private institutions and organizations, such as Max Healthcare, have consulted and treated up to 50,000 foreign patients in hospitals across the country. The promotion of medical tourism in India has helped private players capitalize on this market opportunity.[14] India’s health-care industry has become increasingly attractive for investors, driven by technology-led innovations. A government-led push for health-care providers to embrace electronic medical records is enabling artificial intelligence to extract insights from patient data to deliver better treatment. The availability of 5G and uninterrupted internet is making medical expertise accessible to underserved rural markets through telemedicine and teleconsulting programs delivered via mobile phones. The Indian government’s “Make in India” initiative encourages domestic manufacture of medical devices, helping lower the prices patients pay for products such as stents and implants, which were previously imported. At the same time, the policy environment and regulators in India need to accommodate technological interventions, such as the growth of online pharmacies with the requisite controls in place. Health-care innovation in India could serve as a global model for a shift from treating the sick to preventive care and wellness, given the size of its underserved populations. In conclusion, India has firmly established itself as a global leader in medical tourism, leveraging its high-quality health-care services, advanced medical technologies, and cost-effective treatments. The nation’s strategic initiatives, including the “Incredible India” campaign and various visa facilitation measures, have significantly bolstered its appeal to international patients. The convergence of well-trained health-care professionals, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and innovative technological interventions further enhances India’s competitive edge in the global health-care market. As the industry continues to grow, it not only promises substantial economic benefits and job creation but also sets a global benchmark for accessible, affordable, and high-quality medical care. With ongoing support from the government and private sector, India’s medical tourism sector is poised to reach new heights, continuing to attract patients from around the world and contributing to the overall advancement of global healthcare.

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