In a significant step towards positioning India as a global hub for healthcare, the government is developing a comprehensive online portal for Medical Value Travel (MVT). The platform aims to streamline services and improve patient experience for international medical tourists visiting India.  The announcement was made by Prataprao Jadhav, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Ayush and Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, at the FICCI Medical Value Travel Conference held in New Delhi. 

“The new digital platform will serve as a one-stop ecosystem, integrating hospitals, medical facilitators, travel agents, hotels, interpreters, and post-care services,” said Minister Jadhav. “It will simplify the entire process for patients seeking care in India—from diagnosis to recovery.”  The platform is part of a broader strategy to extend medical value travel beyond metro cities to tier-2 and tier-3 locations, enabling wider access to quality care. The government also aims to strengthen partnerships with private players to offer end-to-end support services, including treatment coordination and travel logistics. 

Simplifying Regulations for Healthcare Growth During the event, Prof. Vinod K. Paul, Member, NITI Aayog, urged the industry to provide suggestions on reducing regulatory burdens for healthcare facilities.  “We are working on systematically reducing compliance hurdles for creating healthcare infrastructure in cities and towns, especially in smaller regions,” Dr. Paul said. He also emphasized the need for visa facilitation, calling it a "critical enabler" for the growth of MVT. 

Dr. Paul pointed out legal challenges in telemedicine, particularly regarding liability in cross-border consultations. “If I provide medical advice to a patient in Ethiopia or Finland, what is my legal standing? India should lead the global conversation on this,” he noted.  He also supported government-to-government healthcare agreements and called for an emphasis on international accreditation standards, which would build trust and reassure foreign patients about the quality of Indian healthcare.  A $14 Billion Opportunity India’s MVT sector is experiencing robust growth. Valued at $7.69 billion in 2024, it is projected to exceed $14.31 billion by 2029, currently accounting for 18% of the global MVT market, according to industry estimates. India also ranks 10th globally on the Medical Value Travel Index. 

To further boost India's position, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, advocated for a broader integration of India’s traditional medicine systems—Ayurveda, Unani, and others—into medical tourism.  “The Ayush sector alone is worth nearly $30 billion, with the entire ecosystem including services and products touching $55 billion,” Kotecha said. He proposed creating a ‘clinical medical travel circuit’, similar to tourism circuits, to promote holistic healing destinations.  Despite India ranking seventh globally in medical tourism, it stands at 20th in wellness tourism, Kotecha noted.

“The global medical travel industry is growing at 10.8% annually, and we need to ensure we’re not left behind.”  Visa and Data Security Concerns Mugdha Sinha, Director General, Ministry of Tourism, highlighted that medical tourists constitute around 6% of India’s total foreign tourist arrivals, with 644,000 traveling on e-medical and e-AYUSH visas from 20 countries.  “People from developed countries come to India for easy access to specialists, while those from developing nations come for affordability,” she said.  Sinha called for a revamp of the e-visa system, especially for AYUSH-related travel.

“Though medical visas are available for 174 countries, the application process on the AYUSH portal must become more efficient, secure, and user-friendly,” she stressed.  She also emphasized the need to leverage India's IT capabilities to develop an encrypted, multilingual digital platform that ensures data privacy and shields patients from cyber fraud and data misuse.  Industry Backs Holistic, Global Approach From the industry side, Dr. Upasana Arora, Chair of FICCI’s Medical Value Travel Committee and Managing Director of Yashoda Super Speciality Hospitals, underlined India’s unique blend of modern and traditional medicine. 

“India is known for holistic healing. We offer not only modern healthcare but also ancient systems like Ayurveda and Unani,” said Dr. Arora.  Echoing the shift in strategy, Dr. Raajiv Singhal, Co-Chair, FICCI MVT Committee and CEO of Marengo Asia Hospitals, said India's focus is no longer limited to attracting patients.  “We are now building clinical corridors with other countries to train, teach, and treat across borders. It’s a more collaborative and long-term model,” Dr. Singhal added.