Union Minister for Ayush, Prataprao Jadhav, on Friday announced its plan to soon launch an online portal designed to enhance India’s appeal as a global healthcare destination for Medical Value Travel (MVT).
“We are taking significant steps to provide a seamless and enhanced patient experience for international travellers seeking medical treatment in India,” said the Minister at the FICCI’s Medical Value Travel Conference held here in Delhi.
Currently, medical tourism constitutes approximately 6% of total foreign tourist arrivals, with over 644,000 visitors utilizing e-medical and e-AYUSH visas from 20 different countries.
Jadhav also emphasised on creating a comprehensive digital ecosystem that integrates hospitals, facilitators, travel agents, hotels, translators, and other support services and added that, “this portal will consolidate key stakeholders on a unified platform, streamlining all facets of medical travel.”
The government’s strategy not only aims to consolidate healthcare services in metropolitan areas but also extends its reach to tier-2 and tier-3 regions across the country. By fostering collaboration with private sector partners, the initiative seeks to improve end-to-end services, including treatment coordination, travel arrangements, and post-treatment care, he pointed out.
At the conference, Prof. Vinod K Paul, member of NITI Aayog, emphasised the necessity of reducing compliance burdens for healthcare facilities. “We are systematically assessing how to simplify the creation of facilities in cities and towns,” he remarked, urging stakeholders to contribute to this essential process.
Paul also underscored the importance of visa facilitation as a critical enabler for medical travelers. “Transparency and trust-building are vital,” he stated, and called for India to take the lead in addressing legal challenges in telemedicine, affirming the country’s position as a telemedicine superpower.
At the same time, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary of the Union Ministry of Ayush, highlighted the potential for expanding medical value travel to include India’s traditional medicine systems such as Ayurveda and Unani. “The AYUSH sector, alongside MVT, currently represents nearly $30 billion, with the entire healthcare sector valued at $55 billion,” he noted, citing recent studies.
Mugdha Sinha, Director General of the Ministry of Tourism, revealed that medical tourism constitutes approximately 6% of total foreign tourist arrivals, with over 644,000 visitors utilizing e-medical and e-AYUSH visas from 20 different countries. She called for a significant overhaul of the e-visa system to ensure a seamless, efficient application process for medical travelers.
Emphasizing the need for leveraging India’s IT expertise, Sinha stressed on the need for creating a more encrypted, integrated, and multilingual platform that will protect patient data and address privacy concerns.”
Dr. Upasana Arora, Chair of FICCI’s Medical Value Travel Committee and Managing Director of Yashoda Super Speciality Hospitals, remarked, “India is renowned for its holistic approach to healthcare, combining modern scientific practices with traditional healing systems” while Dr. Raajiv Singhal, Co-Chair of the FICCI MVT Committee and Managing Director & CEO of Marengo Asia Hospitals, added, “We are evolving beyond patient acquisition to foster international partnerships and clinical corridors that focus on teaching, training, and treating patients from around the world.”
As per various reports, India’s MVT market, which reached USD7.69 billion in 2024, is expected to exceed USD 14.31 billion by 2029. The country currently holds an 18% share of the global MVT market and ranks tenth in the Medical Value Travel Index.
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