New Delhi, Jan 22: India is rapidly emerging as one of the world’s fastest-growing destinations for Medical Value Travel (MVT), offering a blend of world-class medical infrastructure, skilled healthcare professionals and cost-effective treatment, complemented by traditional systems of medicine and holistic wellness practices. From advanced surgical procedures to long-term wellness therapies, India provides an integrated healthcare ecosystem that is increasingly attracting international patients seeking quality, affordability and trust. Globally benchmarked hospitals and renowned specialists are supported by the Ayush systems, which add a strong preventive and wellness dimension to the country’s medical tourism appeal.
Highlighting the global relevance of MVT, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said India views medical value travel and health workforce mobility as vital for a “healthy planet”, underlining the country’s long tradition of holistic and preventive healthcare through Yoga, Ayurveda and meditation. To strengthen global confidence and quality assurance, the Prime Minister launched the Ayush Quality Mark in December 2025 at the Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine, providing an internationally aligned assurance framework for Ayush products and services.
Union Minister of State (IC) for Ayush Prataprao Jadhav said India’s strength lies in its integrated healthcare approach, stressing that medical value travel is driven not just by affordability, but by trust, quality and outcomes. Ayush Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha added that standardisation, digital facilitation and international benchmarks are key to sustaining global growth.
Data points to strong momentum, with international patient arrivals rising from 1.83 lakh in 2020 to over 6.44 lakh in 2024, led in part by growing demand for Yoga, Ayurveda and wellness-based therapies.
Policy support, including 100% FDI in medical infrastructure, insurance coverage for Ayush treatments, adoption of global standards and the introduction of a dedicated Ayush Visa, has further strengthened India’s MVT ecosystem. With quality benchmarks, visa facilitation and capacity building converging, India’s medical value travel story is increasingly shifting from cost advantage to global trust in integrated, evidence-based healthcare.
