Why world is coming to India for medical treatment — and not just because it is cheaper

A hip replacement in Vadodara. A dental procedure in Chennai. An IVF treatment in Delhi. Every year, hundreds of thousands of patients travel to India not for its monuments or beaches, but for its medical care.What was once driven largely by patients from neighbouring countries seeking affordable treatment has evolved into a broader medical travel ecosystem.Industry estimates cited by the Economic Survey 2025–26 and the government project India's medical tourism market to grow from around $8.7 billion in 2025 to $16.2 billion by 2030. Over the same period, the global Medical Value Travel market is projected to expand from $115.6 billion in 2022 to$286.1 billion by 2030. Additionally, India's broader hospital and healthcare delivery market is expected to grow at 10–12 per cent annually, reaching nearly Rs 12 trillion by FY30, with private hospital chains projected to expand capacity from around 70,000 beds to more than 108,000 by 2030.India ranks 10th among the world's 46 medical tourism destinations, according to the Medical Tourism Index 2020–21.(function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})();Let’s dive deep into the medical world and see how much potential India offers to tourists.What is medical tourism?Medical tourism refers to patients travelling outside their home country to seek planned medical treatment. While lower treatment costs remain a major factor, patients also consider waiting times, access to specialists, quality of care, language support and post-treatment follow-up when choosing a destinationFor India, the demand spans a wide range of services, from cardiac surgery and joint replacements to cancer treatment, fertility care, organ transplants, dental treatment, cosmetic procedures and neurological interventions.Improvements in digital consultations and easier access to treatment information have also made it simpler for patients to compare hospitals and plan their care before travelling.Government focusThe Union Budget 2026–27 has proposed the development of five Regional Medical Hubs in partnership with state governments and the private sector. These hubs will combine medical, educational and research facilities, along with AYUSH centres and dedicated Medical Value Tourism facilitation centres.To further facilitate such travel, India offers e-Medical Visa and e-Medical Attendant Visa facilities, which have been extended to nationals of 172 countries, along with newer e-AYUSH Visa categories for those seeking traditional Indian systems of medicine. The government is also upgrading its Heal in India (Medical Value Travel) portal into a single platform for hospital discovery, treatment planning, bookings, payments and post-operative care, while airport concierge services have been proposed to assist international patients on arrival.Notably, according to government data, India has 69,364 hospitals; including 43,486 private and 25,778 public facilities, along with around 1.2 million registered doctors and more than 1,299 NABH-accredited hospitals as of 2026. Several hospitals are also accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI), with most located in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad.Why patients are choosing IndiaFor patients who make the journey, affordability is often only part of the story.India recorded 507,244 foreign arrivals for medical treatment in 2025, accounting for about 5.5 per cent of total foreign tourist arrivals that year; as compared to about 112,000 in 2009. Bangladesh was the largest source market with 3,25,127 arrivals, followed by Iraq (30,989), Uzbekistan (13,699), Somalia (11,506), Turkmenistan (10,231), Oman (9,738) and Kenya (9,357).People have given various reasons for choosing India.American traveller Charlie Evans, who sought treatment for seasonal flu and an ear complaint at a hospital in Rishikesh, said he was initially hesitant about seeking medical care in a foreign country. However, he described being greeted by English-speaking staff, facing almost no waiting time and receiving treatment using equipment comparable to what he had seen in the United States.Evans said his consultation, medication and treatment cost around $10–20, compared with an estimated $150 for a similar visit in the US. "I got better care in Rishikesh, faster and cheaper, than I've ever gotten at home," he said.Beyond the lower cost, Evans said what stood out was the professionalism of the medical staff. "The doctor who treated me could have easily been practising in the US," he said, adding that healthcare in India felt to him less like a profit-driven system and more focused on patient care.The experience reflects a broader trend, where patients increasingly weigh convenience and quality alongside costs.American content creator Kristen Fischer, who lives in India, has also praised the country's healthcare system. While she believes the US offers a better overall hospital experience, she said she prefers India's healthcare system because it is "simple, affordable, fast" and offers "quality treatment.""One thing I love about Indian healthcare is that you pay before treatment. Then after you leave the hospital you never have to pay or worry about anything else again," Fischer said, contrasting it with the US, where patients can receive bills "for months after" treatment. She also argued that India's upfront pricing makes costs more transparent, unlike in the US where insurance often shields patients from the true cost of treatment, contributing to higher healthcare expenses."The cost is clearly defined before treatment. This allows people to shop around for a good deal according to their budget," she said.Fischer, in her series of social media posts, has also highlighted the accessibility of healthcare in India, saying patients can often see a doctor the same day without an appointment, unlike in the US where consultations can take weeks. She has described Indian doctors as "way less rushed and more attentive to your needs" and recounted receiving treatment for a thumb injury at a Delhi hospital in about 45 minutes for just Rs 50.The cost advantage is evident even for routine procedures too. Sej, who lives in Utrecht in the Netherlands, said she schedules her dental appointments around her trips to India. "A 30-minute teeth cleaning costs around 185 euros near where I live. In Lucknow, I pay about Rs 3,000 for the same treatment," she said.Aditya Oza, CEO of CureMeAbroad, which connects international patients with accredited hospitals, said India is beginning to attract patients who once favoured destinations such as Turkey and Thailand.He cited a case where two people who had earlier travelled to Turkey for treatment but chose India for their latest procedure. "Patients who've already been through this once, who know what to look for, are increasingly landing on India specifically. The accreditation is there, the specialist experience is there, and the cost gap is often the widest of any destination," he said."What's changed is that patients now have a way to verify all of that upfront instead of guessing."Beyond affordabilityHospital executives believe India's competitiveness will increasingly depend on the overall patient experience rather than just costs.Dr Sonia Lal Gupta, joint managing director of Metro Group of Hospitals, said accreditation, transparent clinical outcomes and accountability remain important differentiators."What we haven't fully built yet is the trust and the experience around that care, and that is where the real opportunity lies," she said.She added that support should extend beyond the hospital stay, covering everything from the first enquiry and medical visa assistance to treatment, recovery and follow-up consultations after patients return home.Meanwhile, Dr Sharan Shivaraj Patil, founder and chairman of SPARSH Group of Hospitals, said providers are investing in dedicated international patient services to make treatment easier from the first inquiry through recovery. It includes pre-arrival teleconsultations, medical visa assistance, transparent treatment plans with cost estimates, airport transfers, accommodation support, language interpretation, culturally appropriate meals and post-treatment follow-up. "As the expectations of international patients continue to evolve, the focus remains on delivering world-class clinical outcomes complemented by personalised, culturally sensitive and compassionate care," he added.Meanwhile, UK content creator Reuben Charles, who is currently in Guwahati, said he was impressed by the convenience and professionalism of his healthcare experience in India after using an at-home medical service to get some blood tests. He said the healthcare professional who attended to him was knowledgeable, spoke fluent English and took the time to explain the procedure in detail."The service was great. It was very, very quick as well. It came right to my house," Charles said.He believes India's combination of quality, accessibility and convenience makes it an attractive destination for medical tourism, particularly for international patients who can afford private healthcareBritish traveller Jenny Mowbray, who spent five months in Kochi, also said India's healthcare system stood out for its speed, affordability and flexibility. Unable to easily access a second neurological opinion through the UK's public health system, she chose to undergo consultations and diagnostic tests in India."For me, the biggest attraction is the combination of accessibility, speed, quality, cost and choice," she said, highlighting the specialists' consult within a day, complete MRI scans and blood tests almost immediately and receiving results within hours.While describing her overall experience as "efficient, patient-centred and highly accessible," Mowbray said better access to verified information on hospitals, specialties and treatment costs could make India's medical tourism ecosystem even more attractive for international patients.Recounting her experience she said, " Before coming to India, I had already used healthcare services in Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Tunisia for a range of issues including my neurological concerns, gynaecological care and knee cartilage damage. During my five-month stay in Kochi, I wanted to have a mole checked and also revisit my neurological symptoms for peace of mind. "I was able to make appointments with both a dermatologist and a neurologist for the very next day.The dermatology consultation was extremely thorough," she added.Sharing another perspective, Jai Prakash, founder of Health Voyage Global, a medical tourism consultancy, said patients often come to India after struggling to get the right diagnosis. "Many patients believe they can receive the right diagnosis and treatment in India at a fraction of the cost they would pay elsewhere," he said. "Indian doctors are exposed to advanced medical equipment and global treatment protocols, allowing them to offer high-quality care with shorter treatment timelines and lower overall costs,” he added.Not every patient travels to India purely for lower costs or better hospitals. For some, crossing borders also offers privacy. A Delhi resident recounted how her neighbour had travelled alone to India from Nepal for IVF treatment because she faced social stigma and family pressure back home over fertility issues. Seeking treatment away from her community allowed her to undergo the procedure without the scrutiny and judgement.Areas for improvementDespite rising patient numbers, hospitals say access to care remains uneven across the country.Dr Bharat S Mody, chairman of Welcare Hospital in Vadodara, said India attracts a steady stream of patients from neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, as well as from Africa and parts of Central Asia. However, he believes the country has yet to realise its full potential in attracting patients from Europe, the US and other developed markets.Mody said international patients are drawn by India's competitive pricing and medical expertise, but most treatment remains concentrated in metro cities, even though tier-2 centres can offer comparable quality at lower costs.Apart from this, he emphasised the medical visa process remains another hurdle for overseas patients."Our experience has also been that the government portal which issues the medical visa is not user-friendly," he said, adding that it "frustrates a potential patient wanting to come to India for medical treatment."He cited the example of Marco Bellaro, an Italian living in Indonesia, who travelled to Vadodara for a total hip replacement after finding the hospital online. Although Bellaro initially had concerns about hygiene standards and hospital infrastructure, Mody said those were addressed during consultations. The surgery was successful, but the medical visa process proved cumbersome, reiterating that simpler visa procedures and stronger global branding could help India attract more overseas patientsDr Alok Khullar, Group CEO of RJ Corp Healthcare, also emphasised on simplifying medical visa procedures, increasing the number of internationally accredited hospitals, improving coordination between airports and hospitals, and expanding multilingual support remain key priorities."Greater transparency around treatment costs and clinical outcomes will further strengthen confidence among patients and their families," he said.Patients, too, gave suggestions to fill out gaps beyond treatment itself. Charlie Evans, the American traveller, said a dedicated website or app for international patients, featuring hospital rankings, verified patient reviews and guidance on where to seek treatment for specific conditions, would make it easier for foreigners to navigate India's healthcare system with confidence.Adarsh Yadav, founder of healthcare companion platform CARESY, also emphasised on holistic services and care, saying India already has the clinical expertise to compete globally but must also focus on the patient journey. "If we can combine this with a smoother and more reassuring patient experience, India can become an even stronger destination for medical travellers," he said.The next phase of growthIndia already has the ingredients - a large healthcare network, skilled medical professionals and a growing international patient base. As demand for cross-border healthcare grows globally, industry stakeholders believe India has the potential to attract even more.However, realising that opportunity, will require more than competitive treatment costs. The next phase of growth will depend on how effectively hospitals, governments, airlines, hotels, insurers and digital platforms work together to create a seamless patient journey.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.