New Delhi: More than 1.3 lakh foreign tourists visited India for medical purposes till April, the Centre informed the Parliament on Thursday. 

In a written reply, Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat underlined the steps undertaken to improve India’s rank in global wellness tourism markets.

“The total number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) for medical purposes in India during 2025 (up to April) is 1,31,856,” Shekhawat said.

“This constitutes approximately 4.1 per cent of the total FTAs during this period,” he added.

He informed that the number of FTAs for medical purposes has been increasing in the past five years, with most of them coming from Bangladesh, Iraq, Somalia, Oman, and Uzbekistan.

“From 1.8 lakh in 2020, the number of FTAs for medical purposes rose to 6.4 lakh in 2024,” Shekhawat said. However, it took a dip in 2024 compared to 2023. The number of foreign tourists in 2023 stood at 6.5 lakh.

“The ecosystem for medical tourism includes a host of service providers, facilitators, hospitals, commercial agencies such as hotels and airlines, regulatory agencies, and government,” the Minister stated.

Earlier this year, the Union Budget announced a ‘Heal in India’ campaign in partnership with the private sector to boost medical tourism in the country.

“The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare takes appropriate measures for building capacity through Public Private Partnership for promoting ‘Heal in India’, including hospitals, public associations, and trade bodies, etc,” Shekhawat said.

Further, to facilitate the visit of foreign nationals to come to India for medical treatment, the government has extended the e-medical visa/e-medical attendant visa facility to nationals of 171 countries.

Visa procedures have also been simplified for patients seeking treatment in India to enhance the country’s medical tourism sector.

Medical Tourism in India is estimated to be around $9 billion. On the Global Medical Tourism Index, India stands at number 10.

The country has seen significant growth in medical tourism in the past year, especially due to the rise of the AYUSH system (Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy).

In 2023, the government implemented medical visa provisions to facilitate the entry of international tourists seeking health and wellness treatments in the country.

It has led to significant growth in medical tourism, resulting in about 123 regular Ayush visas and 221 e-Ayush visas issued to foreigners seeking treatment in India, between July 2023 and December 2024, according to the Ministry.

(IANS)