17-07-2025
Medical Tourism India: India Aims to Lead Global Medical Tourism by 2035, ETTravelWorld
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India has announced an ambitious plan to become the world's leading destination for medical and wellness tourism by 2035. The announcement was made at the Heal in India 2025 Summit with the launch of the flagship report by the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) and KPMG India , titled 'Heal in India: Catalysing Medical and Wellness Tourism for a Healthier Global Future'.The summit was inaugurated by Suman Billa, IAS, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, who emphasised the critical role of building trust, enhancing care delivery, and sustaining service quality in achieving this vision. Billa stressed the need to expand beyond traditional metro cities and encourage participation from stakeholders in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities to make healthcare more accessible for international already attracts more than two million medical tourists annually from over 75 countries. In 2024, over 463,000 medical visas were issued, reflecting the sector's growing global importance. With its high-quality treatment at competitive prices and strong traditional medicine systems, India is poised to expand its market from USD 18.2 billion in 2025 to USD 58.2 billion by Manoj Nesari, Adviser (Ayurveda), Ministry of Ayush, pointed to India's strengths in holistic healing through Ayurveda and Yoga , which could be key differentiators for global wellness seekers . FHRAI President K. Syama Raju described Heal in India as a 'national branding opportunity,' reinforcing the image of India as a destination not just for treatment, but for complete recovery and India's Someswara Koundinya, a co-author of the report, called the document a strategic call to action. He underlined the need for digital transformation, global outreach, multilingual capacity-building, and incentivising private investment to position India as a healthcare Heal in India mission envisions stronger collaboration across tourism, health, and policy sectors. With growing international demand and robust domestic capability, India is positioning itself not just as a centre of medical excellence, but as a global leader in healing and hospitality.
