India’s profile as a medical tourism destination has risen steadily in recent years, despite the setback caused by COVID-19, during which international tourist arrivals to India declined sharply. Patients from various countries have been coming to India, attracted by advanced medical facilities and clinical expertise available at lower costs.

Medical tourist traffic before the pandemic was close to 700,000 a year, and the influx of medical travellers is fast returning to that level. Medical-purpose arrivals reached 644,000 in 2024, compared with 659,000 in 2023. The latest available provisional figures estimate tourist arrivals to India for medical treatment at 507,244 in 2025. This figure is likely to be revised, as it is not final data.

India is aiming high in the field of medical tourism. Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal stated at a global health expo in New Delhi recently that the country has set an annual target of 10 million medical-value travellers.

He proposed a five-point plan to make India a global health destination: train certified caregivers; ensure transparent hospital packages through Heal in India; simplify insurance and telemedicine; strengthen global outreach through accredited hospitals; and upgrade healthcare and wellness centres in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities to expand jobs, infrastructure, and access.

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Industry estimates now value India’s medical tourism market at roughly $7.7–11 billion, with forecasts of $16–22........

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