Lok Sabha Question No. 4729 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-20
Subject: Promotion of Medical Value Tourism
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Appalanaidu Kalisetti, Shri Tangella Uday Srinivas

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4729 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20 TH MARCH, 2026

## PROMOTION OF MEDICALVALUE TOURISM

## 4729. SHRI TANGELLA UDAY SRINIVAS: SHRIAPPALANAIDUKALISETTI:

Will the Minister of HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has undertaken any initiatives for the promotion of Medical Value

Travel and Human Resource Mobility under the 'Heal in India, Heal by India' programme and if so, the details thereof including the funds allocated/released/utilised since its inception, year-wise and State-wise;

- (b) whether the Government maintains data on medical tourism and if so, the details thereof including the number of international patients visiting the country;
- (c) the details of patient inflows and revenue generated during the last five years, year-wise, country-wise and State/UT-wise along with the number of medical visas issued during the last five years, country-wise;
- (d) whether the Government has identified the top five States/UTs receiving the highest number of medical tourists during the said period and if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise;
- (e) whether the Government proposes to establish a unified digital platform providing information on hospitals, treatment costs and logistics for international patients and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) whether the Government proposes to establish State-level facilitation centres to assist international medical tourists and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SMT. ANUPRIYAPATEL)

- (a) to (f): The medical tourism sector incorporates initiatives of several Ministries/Departments/trade bodies along with private sector hospitals. The Central Government, primarily through Ministry of Tourism, promotes various tourism products of the country, including medical & Wellness tourism through various initiatives.

Further, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has intimated that they, through Missions/Posts abroad, actively promote India as a global hub for medical value tourism by conducting outreach sessions with local stakeholders and facilitating connections between reputed Indian hospital chains and counterparts overseas. These efforts enhance awareness of India's advanced, affordable medical services and strengthen patient inflow from partner countries. MEA also promotes India's traditional systems of medicine and wellness, including Ayurveda and Yoga, through cultural diplomacy initiatives, International Day of Yoga celebrations, and targeted engagements with foreign institutions. Missions abroad collaborate with AYUSH practitioners and stakeholders to highlight India's holistic healing ecosystem and expand its global reach. Besides, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) supports the medical tourism sector by undertaking stakeholder consultation and coordination activities among various Government Ministries/Departments as well as private players like NATHEALTH, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC), etc.

Additionally, SEPC, set up by Ministry of Commerce and Industry has been mandated to facilitate global business opportunities for India ' s services sector including promotion of Medical Value Tourism. SEPC is engaged in organising of Buyer Seller Meets (BSMs) and Reverse Buyer Seller Meets (RBSM), under Market Access Initiative (MAI) schemes, where foreign delegates (buyers) are hosted in India to meet with Indian hospitals and healthcare providers. SEPC organizes events like "Sanjeevani" and initiatives like Advantage Healthcare to showcase India's medical capabilities to international stakeholders. The Ministry of Tourism has also provided a link on its websites to the http://www.indiahealthcaretourism.com portal of SEPC.

Further, the Ministry of Tourism has intimated that as per information received from Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs, the details of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) for medical purpose in the past five years are as follows:

A. FTAs for Medical Purposes year-wise:

| Year    | FTAs for Medical Purposes   |
|---------|-----------------------------|
| 2021    | 3,23,748                    |
| 2022    | 4,74,798                    |
| 2023    | 6,59,356                    |
| 2024    | 6,44,387                    |
| 2025(P) | 5,02,845                    |

B. Top source countries for medical tourism:

| S. No.   | Country    | FTAs for Medical Purposes   | FTAs for Medical Purposes   | FTAs for Medical Purposes   | FTAs for Medical Purposes   | FTAs for Medical Purposes   |
|----------|------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
| S. No.   | Country    | 2021                        | 2022                        | 2023                        | 2024                        | 2025 (P)                    |
| 1        | Bangladesh | 1,86,633                    | 3,26,805                    | 4,99,951                    | 4,82,336                    | 3,23,144                    |
| 2        | Iraq       | 15,357                      | 30,701                      | 28,758                      | 32,008                      | 30,217                      |
| 3        | Somalia    | 3,847                       | 1,006                       | 15,947                      | 11,717                      | 11,309                      |
| 4        | Oman       | 7,610                       | 11,121                      | 13,397                      | 10,431                      | 9,674                       |
| 5        | Uzbekistan | 3,847                       | 6,768                       | 7,081                       | 8,921                       | 13,599                      |

(P): Provisional