Symbolic picture.
Patients around the world are now looking for reliable health destinations, not just hospitals, for treatment. In this race, India is rapidly emerging as a global center for both treatment and wellness. The combination of modern medicine, experienced doctors and traditional systems like Ayurveda-Yoga has placed India in the ranks of those select countries where treatment is considered to be the solution to complete health and not just to the disease.
In view of this increasing global demand, the Government of India has taken many important steps related to AYUSH Visa, AYUSH Quality Mark and international standards to strengthen medical value travel. These initiatives aim to establish India as a trusted global destination for both treatment and wellness. According to the government, after these policy decisions, the number of foreign patients coming to India for treatment has increased rapidly, in which the role of Ayurveda, Yoga and wellness therapy is becoming increasingly important.
India is no longer just a destination for low-cost treatment, but is becoming a global hub for quality, trust and holistic health care. India is today one of the fastest growing destinations in the world in the field of Medical Value Travel (MVT), where state-of-the-art hospitals, experts meeting international standards and traditional AYUSH systems are available together. Due to government policies, visa reforms and quality standards, India’s healthcare model is now attracting global patients as an integrated treatment + wellness framework.
From operations to wellness, a single ecosystem
Modern medical facilities like complex surgeries, organ transplantation and cancer treatment are available in India. Along with this, traditional systems like Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy and Homeopathy emphasize prevention, recovery and long-term health. This integrated healthcare model makes India different from other medical tourism destinations.
Prime Minister’s Vision: Beyond treatment, holistic health
In the One Earth One Health Advantage Healthcare India 2023 program, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had described medical value travel as important for global health and said that India has been the bearer of the tradition of holistic and preventive health for centuries. He described yoga and meditation as the gift of ancient India to the modern world, while highlighting Ayurveda as a complete system of physical and mental health. According to the Prime Minister, the world today is struggling with stress and lifestyle diseases and India’s traditional health systems provide solutions to these problems.
Ayush Quality Mark: International seal of trust
Ayush Quality Mark was launched on 19 December 2025, strengthening India’s medical value travel strategy. This initiative provides an internationally aligned quality assurance framework for AYUSH products and services, thereby enhancing trust and transparency among foreign patients. The launch took place during the World Health Organization’s second global traditional medicine summit.
Government’s focus: trust, quality and results
According to the Ministry of AYUSH, Medical Value Travel is not limited to cheap treatment only. India’s real strength lies in trust, quality and treatment outcomes, where AYUSH systems are complementing modern medicine and meeting global demand.
Statistics speak: increasing confidence towards India
According to government data, the number of international patients coming to India in 2020 was 1.82 lakh, which increased to 6.44 lakh in 2024. The share of Yoga, Ayurveda and wellness based treatments in this growth has continuously increased.
Easy journey with Ayush Visa and insurance coverage
Ayush Visa was started on 27 July 2023 for the convenience of foreign patients. This visa is for foreign nationals and their assistants undergoing treatment under AYUSH systems. With this, now about 27 insurance companies are covering AYUSH treatments. In the direction of standardization, the adoption of ISO 22525 by the Bureau of Indian Standards is also being considered an important step for Medical Value Travel.
Public-Private Model and Global Outreach
100 percent foreign investment (FDI), incentives for medical service exports and international promotional campaigns have made India’s healthcare ecosystem globally competitive. From the AYUSH summits held in Mumbai (2024) and Chennai (2025) to WHO global forums, India has projected its traditional medical systems as a global health brand.
The journey from cost to trust
With the confluence of policy support, visa facilities, insurance coverage and quality standards, India’s medical value travel story is no longer just about affordable treatment. This model is now moving towards trust, quality and holistic healthcare solutions, establishing India as a trusted and long-term healthcare destination for the world.