international medical tourism in india

Medical Tourism In India: A Comprehensive Guide

Looking for top-notch medical treatments and a chance to explore a vibrant culture? Look no further than India, the ultimate destination for medical tourism. In our comprehensive guide, we will take you through all the ins and outs of this booming industry in India. From the world-class healthcare facilities to the diverse range of wellness options, we’ll uncover why India has become a sought-after hub for those seeking quality medical care coupled with an enriching cultural experience. So pack your bags and join us on this journey to discover the wonders of medical tourism in India.

Table of Contents

Overview of Medical Tourism in India

India has emerged as a top destination for medical tourism, attracting patients from all around the world seeking high-quality healthcare at affordable costs. With its state-of-the-art medical facilities, well-trained professionals, and a wide range of treatment options, India offers a comprehensive healthcare experience. From cardiac surgeries to orthopedic procedures, cosmetic surgeries to wellness treatments, India has become renowned for its expertise in various medical specialties.

India’s Emergence as a Top Medical Tourism Destination

Over the years, India has gained recognition as one of the leading hubs for medical tourism. The country offers advanced medical treatments at a fraction of the cost compared to Western countries. This has led to an increasing number of international patients traveling to India for their medical needs. The availability of world-class healthcare infrastructure, highly skilled doctors, and the use of cutting-edge technology has contributed to India’s growing reputation as a medical tourism hotspot.

Reasons Why People Choose Medical Tourism in India

There are several reasons why people choose medical tourism in India. Firstly, the affordability factor plays a significant role. Medical treatments in India are generally much cheaper compared to Western countries, making it an attractive option for patients looking to save on costs without compromising on quality. Secondly, India’s healthcare facilities are renowned for their high standards and state-of-the-art equipment. Patients can expect world-class treatment and care from experienced medical professionals. Lastly, India offers a diverse range of treatment options, making it a preferred choice for various medical specialties.

Major Cities and Hospitals for Medical Tourism in India

India’s major cities have established themselves as prominent destinations for medical tourism. Delhi, the capital city, is home to numerous renowned hospitals and healthcare facilities that cater to a vast array of medical needs. Mumbai, known as the financial capital, boasts of internationally acclaimed hospitals offering top-notch medical services. Bangalore, the IT hub of India, is also a popular choice due to its advanced healthcare infrastructure. Chennai and Kolkata are also worth mentioning for their well-established hospitals that provide world-class treatments.

Types of Medical Treatments Available in India

India offers a wide range of medical treatments across various specialties. Cardiology and cardiovascular surgeries are highly sought-after in India, with hospitals performing complex procedures with excellent success rates. Orthopedics and joint replacements are also prominent areas of expertise, with skilled surgeons providing advanced treatments. Cosmetic and plastic surgeries are another popular choice due to the affordability factor and the availability of skilled professionals. Additionally, India is known for its traditional healing practices, such as Ayurveda and wellness treatments, that attract those seeking holistic approaches to health.

Advantages of Medical Tourism in India

Affordability of medical treatments in india.

One of the primary advantages of medical tourism in India is the affordability factor. The cost of healthcare in India is significantly lower compared to Western countries, making it an attractive option for patients looking for cost-effective solutions without compromising on quality. Patients can often save up to 70% on medical treatments by choosing to undergo procedures in India. These savings can be utilized for other expenses, such as travel, accommodation, and post-treatment care.

High-Quality Healthcare Facilities and Infrastructure

India boasts world-class healthcare facilities and infrastructure that meet international standards. Renowned hospitals in India are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and cutting-edge technology, ensuring that patients receive the best medical care possible. The healthcare sector in India continuously invests in upgrading infrastructure and adopting innovative practices, ensuring that patients have access to top-notch healthcare services.

Well-Trained and Experienced Medical Professionals

India is home to highly skilled and experienced medical professionals who have received training from prestigious institutions both within the country and abroad. Indian doctors and surgeons are known for their expertise, precision, and success rates in various medical procedures. Many doctors practicing in India have international exposure, further enhancing the quality of medical care offered.

Short Waiting Periods for Treatments

One of the significant advantages of medical tourism in India is the minimal waiting periods for treatments. In Western countries, patients often have to wait for extended periods to undergo certain medical procedures. However, in India, patients can experience shorter waiting times, allowing them to receive timely medical attention. This quick turnaround time is beneficial, especially for patients in need of urgent treatment or seeking relief from prolonged medical conditions.

Popular Destinations for Medical Tourism in India

India’s major cities serve as popular destinations for medical tourism due to their excellent healthcare infrastructure and expertise. Here are some key cities for medical tourism in India:

Delhi, the capital city, hosts numerous prestigious hospitals and medical centers. Renowned institutions such as All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Apollo Hospitals offer a wide range of treatments and attract patients from all over the world.

Mumbai, the financial capital, is home to advanced healthcare facilities that provide cutting-edge treatments. Hospitals like Jaslok Hospital and Lilavati Hospital are known for their expertise in various medical specialties.

Bangalore, known as India’s Silicon Valley, has become a preferred choice for medical tourism due to its world-class hospitals and skilled medical professionals. Manipal Hospital and Fortis Hospital are among the renowned healthcare providers in the city.

Chennai is known for its advanced healthcare infrastructure and expertise in various medical fields. Apollo Hospitals, Sankara Nethralaya, and Fortis Malar Hospital are some of the leading hospitals in Chennai providing top-notch medical services.

Kolkata, the cultural capital, has several reputable hospitals that offer a wide range of medical treatments. Hospitals like Apollo Gleneagles Hospital and Fortis Hospital provide comprehensive healthcare services to both domestic and international patients.

Key Medical Specialties in India

India excels in various medical specialties, attracting patients from around the world seeking advanced treatment options. Here are some key medical specialties in India:

Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgeries

India is renowned for its expertise in cardiac care and cardiovascular surgeries. Hospitals like AIIMS, Apollo Hospitals, and Fortis Escorts Heart Institute are known for their exceptional success rates in complex cardiac procedures.

Orthopedics and Joint Replacements

Orthopedic treatments and joint replacements are highly sought-after in India. Skilled orthopedic surgeons in hospitals such as Max Super Specialty Hospital and Narayana Health perform advanced procedures, providing relief to patients suffering from joint-related conditions.

Cosmetic and Plastic Surgeries

India is emerging as a popular destination for cosmetic and plastic surgeries, as it offers high-quality procedures at affordable prices. Skilled surgeons in hospitals like Apollo Cosmetic Clinic and Fortis Hospitals specialize in various cosmetic procedures, including rhinoplasty, liposuction, and breast augmentation.

Ayurveda and Wellness Treatments

India is world-renowned for its ancient healing system, Ayurveda. Many patients seeking holistic wellness and rejuvenation experiences choose India for Ayurvedic treatments. Wellness centers and hospitals like Kairali Ayurvedic Healing Village and Soukya International Holistic Health Center provide authentic Ayurvedic treatments and therapies.

Patient Experience and Care

India’s medical tourism industry places great emphasis on providing a seamless and comfortable experience for international patients. From pre-arrival planning to post-treatment follow-up, patients receive comprehensive care throughout their medical journey. Here are some aspects of patient experience and care:

Pre-Arrival Planning and Assistance

Medical tourism facilitators and hospitals in India assist patients with pre-arrival planning, including medical visa applications, scheduling appointments, and coordinating treatment plans. They serve as a point of contact, ensuring that all necessary arrangements are made for a smooth and hassle-free experience.

Accommodation and Transportation Arrangements

Medical tourists in India are provided with various accommodation options catering to different budgets and preferences. Many hospitals have tie-ups with nearby hotels, ensuring that patients have a comfortable stay during their treatment period. Additionally, transportation arrangements, including airport transfers and commuting to and from hospitals, are also taken care of by service providers.

Language and Translation Support

India acknowledges the diversity of its patient base and understands the importance of effective communication. Hospitals and medical tourism providers offer language assistance and translation services to overcome any language barriers that patients may face. This ensures clear communication between medical professionals and patients, minimizing any potential misunderstandings.

Post-Treatment Follow-Up and Care

After the completion of medical procedures, patients require post-treatment follow-up and care. Medical providers in India offer comprehensive post-treatment support, including consultations, medication management, and guidance on post-operative care. This ensures that patients have a smooth recovery process and receive the necessary guidance for long-term care.

Cost and Financial Considerations

One of the primary reasons patients opt for medical tourism in India is the significant cost savings compared to Western countries. Here are some important cost and financial considerations:

Comparison of Treatment Costs in India and Western Countries

Medical treatments in India are considerably cheaper compared to Western countries. Patients can save a substantial amount on their medical expenses by choosing to undergo procedures in India. Cost comparisons of specific treatments between India and Western countries can help patients make informed decisions regarding their healthcare.

Health Insurance Coverage and Reimbursement Options

Many international health insurance providers offer coverage for medical treatments in India. Patients are advised to check their insurance policies for details on coverage and reimbursement options. Medical tourism facilitators can assist in navigating insurance-related queries and providing guidance on reimbursement options.

Payment Methods and Currency Exchange

India accepts various modes of payment for medical treatments, including cash, credit cards, and wire transfers. Patients are advised to check with the hospital or medical tourism provider regarding accepted payment methods. Additionally, currency exchange services are available at airports and banks for patients who need to convert their currency to Indian Rupees.

Travel and Tourism in India

Medical tourists in India have the opportunity to explore the country’s rich cultural heritage and vibrant tourist attractions. Here are some details regarding travel and tourism in India:

Tourist Attractions and Cultural Experiences in India

India offers a myriad of tourist attractions, including historical monuments, UNESCO World Heritage sites, beautiful landscapes, and diverse cultural experiences. From the stunning Taj Mahal to the serene backwaters of Kerala, medical tourists can indulge in exploring India’s rich history and natural beauty.

Visa Requirements and Travel Arrangements

International patients visiting India for medical treatments are required to obtain a medical visa. The visa application process involves providing relevant medical documentation and an invitation letter from the hospital or medical tourism provider. Medical tourism facilitators can assist patients in the visa application process and provide guidance on any additional travel requirements.

Local Transportation and Tour Guides

India has a well-developed transportation network, offering various options for local travel during medical tourism visits. Taxis, app-based cab services, and public transportation are easily accessible in major cities. Additionally, hiring a tour guide can enhance the experience, providing insights into local culture, traditions, and places of interest.

Safety and Quality Assurance

India’s healthcare industry places great emphasis on safety and quality assurance to ensure the well-being of patients. Here are some aspects of safety and quality assurance:

Accreditation and Certification of Hospitals in India

Many hospitals in India are accredited by organizations such as the Joint Commission International (JCI) and the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH). These accreditations ensure that hospitals meet international standards of patient care, safety, and quality.

Patient Safety Standards and Procedures

Safety protocols and procedures are in place to ensure the well-being of patients. From infection control measures to stringent quality control systems, hospitals in India prioritize patient safety. Experienced medical professionals follow established guidelines and protocols to deliver safe and effective healthcare.

Tips for Choosing a Reliable Medical Tourism Provider

When choosing a medical tourism provider in India, it is essential to consider factors such as reputation, experience, and patient reviews. Researching the provider’s track record, affiliations with reputed hospitals, and the expertise of their medical professionals can help patients make informed decisions. Additionally, seeking recommendations from trusted sources or engaging with medical tourism facilitators can provide valuable insights into reliable service providers.

Cultural Sensitivity and Etiquette

Being culturally sensitive and observing proper etiquette is crucial when seeking medical treatment in a foreign country like India. Here are some aspects of cultural sensitivity and etiquette to keep in mind:

Understanding Indian Culture and Norms

India is a diverse country with varying cultural practices and norms. Familiarizing oneself with basic aspects of Indian culture, such as greetings, gestures, and dress codes, can help patients navigate social interactions smoothly. Respecting and embracing the local culture can contribute to a positive and enriching experience.

Etiquette for Interacting with Medical Professionals

Maintaining a respectful and courteous attitude when interacting with medical professionals is important. Addressing doctors and medical staff with the appropriate honorifics, asking relevant questions, and carefully following their instructions showcase an understanding of professional customs and foster a harmonious doctor-patient relationship.

Respecting Local Customs and Traditions

India is known for its rich traditions, customs, and religious practices. Being mindful of local customs and traditions, such as removing footwear before entering certain spaces or following appropriate dress codes in religious sites, showcases respect for the local culture. Adhering to these customs can foster positive interactions with locals and add to the overall experience.

Medical tourism in India offers a comprehensive healthcare experience, combining world-class treatments with a vibrant cultural immersion. With its affordable costs, high-quality healthcare facilities, well-trained professionals, and a diverse range of medical specialties, India has emerged as a top destination for patients seeking advanced medical treatments. The country’s major cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, and Kolkata, offer excellent healthcare infrastructure and expertise. From cardiac surgeries to cosmetic procedures and traditional healing practices, India caters to various medical needs. With a focus on patient experience and comprehensive care, medical tourists receive assistance in pre-arrival planning, accommodation arrangements, language support, and post-treatment follow-up. The affordability factor, along with the high quality of healthcare, makes India an attractive choice for medical tourism. As the industry continues to evolve and advancements are made, the future of medical tourism in India looks promising. Whether it is for a specific medical procedure or a wellness retreat, exploring medical tourism in India can provide an excellent healthcare experience coupled with a glimpse into the country’s rich culture and heritage.

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India to emerge as largest destination for medical tourism.

Danish Ahmed

CEO and co-founder Hospals Global

At the recently concluded Global Investment in Ayush Summit, India’s visionary Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked passionately about India becoming a medical tourism hub for the world, serving and saving millions of lives each year. With all the macro factors favouring deep investments into Indian Medical Tourism opportunity, he set the vision of Heal in India becoming one of the biggest brands of the decade.

India’s medical travel industry started gaining momentum at the beginning of the last decade, as more private hospitals started reaching out to neighbouring countries to serve their patients. Pioneers such as Dr Reddy of Apollo, Dr Shetty of Narayana Healthcare led by example in serving patients from neighbouring Bangladesh and then expanding their service to Nepal. They were followed by Fortis, Medanta and Dr Rela establishing deep inroads into CIS, Middle East and Africa. To complement the effort of these hospitals, an industry of Medical Travel Facilitators came into force, marketing these hospitals and setting up offices in these regions to market Indian Healthcare.

Today, almost 2 million patients visit India each year from these regions, generating $4 billion in annual forex each year. But the future is looking much brighter.

India’s health minister  Dr Mansukh Madaviya, under the guidance of Prime Minister Modi, has designated Medical Tourism as a champion sector giving it an unprecedented push. The government is pulling out all stops to make India the No.1 Destination for Medical Tourism in the world, tripling it to $12 billion within 4 years, creating a new industry that generates millions of jobs across states. Never before has any Indian government given the sector such a consistent and comprehensive focus. But the Modi government fully appreciates its potential as a forex earner, job generator and brand ambassador of India’s soft power. Today, there are thousands of politicians & government officials from Africa & Asia, who would owe to Indian healthcare for saving the life of a dear one. This is a valuable asset for us in the ever-changing geo-politics.

However, to become the No.1 medical travel destination a lot needs to change. Significant investment has already gone into making Indian hospitals at par with global excellence in equipment & talent. However, almost no effort has gone into building the ecosystem to attract international patients. Patients spend 80-85% of their time in guesthouses around the hospitals, and that is where they get a bad experience and high chance of infection. Such guesthouses need to be standardised and hospitality players need to build patient specific hotels near hospitals. 80-90% of the international patients come to India through a Medical Travel Facilitator who acts like a travel agent and health advisor to the patient. Significant investment is required in these companies who are marketing Indian healthcare across 70+ countries through their offices, digital marketing and regular events. Standardisation needs to be brought into this segment of service providers urgently.

Insurance is another very large opportunity. Indian insurers should actively pursue the opportunity for selling Indian health insurance to foreigners. This could potentially generate additional $9 billion in premium and patient inflow to India.

Another opportunity in cross border telemedicine. India has already become the call centre for the world given its advantage in skill and cost. It could similarly become the Telehealth center of the world, healing people in India and through India.

Our unique knowledge and position in traditional medicine of Ayurveda is another advantage that needs to be adequate marketed to the world. While we’re already well known for Yoga, patients still don’t know the therapeutic potential of Ayurveda in treating diseases such as kidney failure, infertility, eye disorders etc. Under the leadership of India’s current health minister, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, a unique blend of integrated medicine is getting created where patients benefit from standardised traditional and modern medicine treatments, across pre, during and post surgery.

These initiatives, under the governments’ guidance is sure to make India the No.1 destination for Medical Tourism, saving millions of lives, generating valuable jobs and over $13 billion in forex.

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WELLNESS TOURISM

• The potential of wellness systems, developed through centuries of wisdom of this ancient civilization would be fully tapped. This is being done by positioning India as a centre of Ayurveda, Yoga, Sidha, Naturopathy, etc. together with the spiritual philosophy that has been integral to the Indian way of life.  
• Ministry of Tourism has drafted guideline for wellness tourism. These guidelines address issues regarding making available quality publicity material, training and capacity building for the service providers, participation in international & domestic Wellness related events, etc.  
• Mushrooming of wellness centers in the country have given rise to the concern for quality service. The Guideline for Accreditation of wellness centers have been developed by National Board for Accreditation of Hospitals & Healthcare Services (NABH) in consultation with AYUSH and released during the workshop on wellness tourism organized by Ministry of Tourism on 15 Feb 2011.  
•   The Ministry of Tourism has also extended its Market Development Assistance (MDA) scheme to wellness tourism service providers including accredited wellness centers. Presently the wellness centers accredited by State Tourism Departments are also eligible for the MDA. After the accreditation guidelines of NABH is in place, all wellness centers seeking MDA would be asked to be as close to the accreditation guidelines of NABH as possible.  
• The initiative of accreditation of wellness centre by NABH and AYUSH has been greatly driven be the Ministry of Tourism as also consultation with the Wellness Tourism Service Providers, State Governments and other stakeholders. 

MEDICAL TOURISM

Medical tourism (also called medical travel, health tourism or global healthcare) is a term used to describe the rapidly-growing practice of travelling across international borders to seek healthcare services. Services typically sought by travelers include elective procedures as well as complex surgeries, etc.

India holds advantage as a medical tourism destination due to following factors:

• Most of the doctors and surgeons at Indian hospitals are trained or have worked at some of the medical institutions in the US, Europe, or other developed nations.  
• Most doctors and nurses are fluent in English.  
• Top -of-the-line medical and diagnostic equipment from global international conglomerates is available at many Indian hospitals.  
• Indian nurses are among the best in the world. Nearly 1000 recognized nurses-training centers in India, mostly attached to teaching hospitals, graduate nearly 10,000 nurses annually.  
• Even the most budget-conscious traveler can afford first-rate service and luxury amenities

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10 best cities for medical tourism in India

In recent times, cities for medical tourism in india have developed a good infrastructure and reputation. medical tourism in india has been growing by 30% each year., indian doctors are well respected and have a high reputation all over the world..

Some of the factors that contribute to this boom in the development of cities for medical tourism are the cost, quality, waiting time, etc. The cost of medical activities in India is around 10-20% of the cost in the US and 1/6th of the cost in European countries.

India presently has approximately 18% of the global medical tourism market. According to the Ministry of Tourism, medical tourism in India has the potential to cross the $ 9 bn-mark, which would be 20% of the global market share in 2020.

India is considered one of Asia’s leading medical tourism destinations. India has several advantages which include quality medical manpower, specialized medical professionals, medical infrastructure, state-of-the-art facilities, pharmaceutical development, cost competitiveness, and the increasing popularity of healing practices under the AYUSH umbrella – Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy.

Ayurveda is the ancient Hindu healing system of maintaining balance within the body, using yogic breathing and exercises. Siddha and Unani are also ancient healing systems of balance in the body and herbal-based treatments.

The Ministry of AYUSH is a government of India agency to develop an awareness of traditional healing systems estimates these ancient healing systems at above $2.4 billion.

The development of India as a medical tourism hub has seen an influx of patients from the Middle East, South Asian countries, Europe and Africa for treatments for multi-organ transplants, cardiac care, cosmetic surgeries, hip replacements, cancer surgeries, and treatment and gastrointestinal procedures. As per a FICCI report, over 500,000 foreign patients come annually for treatment to India.

A key factor, apart from cost completeness and the availability of world-class doctors and hospitals, is the Indian government’s policy on Medical and Medical Attendant Visa which allows multiple entry and long-term stay for medical care.

Taking this a step further is the Government mandating accreditation for wellness centers and Medical facilitators as well as giving approval for 75 new medical colleges in the country to boost the numbers of qualified doctors and nurses.

Here are some of the best cities for medical tourism in India.

It is one of the cheapest places to get world-class health care. Chennai medical tourism has been emerging due to its high standard of hospitals and reasonable cost. Because of its renowned doctors and exemplary health care facilities, this city attracts about 45% of health tourists from abroad and 40% of domestic health tourists.

Chennai is known for its reputed eye surgery, hip replacement, bone marrow transplant, cardiac bypass, and alternative medical treatments.

International and domestic visitors come to Mumbai due to its highly qualified doctors, medical staff, and great medical facilities. The city boasts highly rated treatment facilities and super-specialty hospitals and Research and Diagnostic hubs making it the fastest-growing destination for medical treatments.

A large number of people from India and worldwide travel to metropolitan cities like Mumbai for cancer treatment, cosmetic surgery, orthopedic, and weight-loss surgeries as well as and Ayurveda treatments. Healthcare centers in Mumbai ensure that such patients are treated well and receive the right treatment at the right time.

New Delhi is another great city in Mumbai offering cost-effective medical treatment. Being the capital of India, New Delhi has the reputation for being one of the best places to receive treatment for various health problems and illnesses. Delhi has several top-class private hospitals that offer special facilities for foreign and domestic patients including packages for general surgery – Heart Care, Neuro Surgeries, and Eye Surgery,

It has tie-ups with established hospitals in the city and provides one of the country’s best quality healthcare facilities and services.

Situated in Tamil Nadu, they have some of the world’s best surgeons. They also have a 24×7 Helpdesk that is always available to patients during their stay. Coimbatore provided some of the best medical facilities at cost-efficient prices.

They have tie-ups with many reputed hospitals in the city and provide various types of treatment options such as Allopathy, Siddha, Ayurveda, Unani, Homeopathy, Dentistry, ENT, Eyecare, Wellness, and many more.

Along with being one of the commercial cities in India, Ahmedabad aspires to be one of the best providers of healthcare in the country. Under the ‘Vibrant Gujarat’ project, medical tourism is given great priority and importance. Dental tourism is also big in Gujarat due to its economic cost. Hence, Ahmedabad is becoming a medical hub.

Medical tourism in Bangalore aims to provide patients with the best medical treatment facilities in India. People come to Bangalore worldwide to have a pleasant and comfortable treatment experience in India. This city provides cost-effective treatment packages designed by specialist doctors and highly qualified research teams.

Known for its Ayurveda treatments, Alleppey, which is located in Kerala is another place to visit for medical services. People come here to experience different treatments and massages of this eco-friendly and holistic health care system. Come here to rejuvenate and undergo a wide range of Ayurvedic treatments and services that will make you look and feel young and healthy.

Goa has always been a huge tourist destination for foreigners and Indians alike. People come here to unwind and have a good time. However, the medical tourism sector is also growing here. The chief minister of Goa, Pramod Sawant, has announced plans to expand medical tourism in the state.

It is one of the largest cities in India, having highly qualified physicians and doctors. Domestic private healthcare is significantly cheaper compared to various other western countries without compromising on the quality. The city also has fluent English-speaking staff as a result of which patients have no communication barriers.

Another city in Tamil Nadu known for its Medical Tourism is Vellore. This city is situated 145 km from Chennai and is equipped with world-class medical facilities and the latest testing facilities. It is famous for its allopathy, homeopathy, Ayurveda, Unani, and acupuncture. The government of Tamil Nadu has also been aggressively promoting medical tourism here.

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India is slowly but surely climbing its way to the top as a medical tourist destination, say experts

With india expecting to see about 7.3 million medical tourists in 2024, indian states are propping itself as a viable destination for international patients.

Businessman Golam Rabbani travelled over 1,987.7kms from Meghalaya to New Delhi to meet a Vascular Surgeon as his previous surgery in Guwahati (Assam) didn’t correct his medical condition. Explaining his decision to travel to a metropolitan, the 32-year-old tells us, “As Delhi is the capital, the medical services available are far better when compared to the remote place I hail from. Getting a specialised doctor is a distant dream as we still don’t even have basic things like proper roads and electricity."

And not just from within India, several patients make the overseas voyage to come to India to get healthcare services too. Recently, a patient (name undisclosed due to privacy) from Ghana, with a right femur fracture due to a road accident, went to Vadodara (Gujarat) to undergo surgery as he wasn't able to walk. Upon investigating, the doctors at Bhailal Amin General Hospital, Vadodara, found that he had a broken implant nail and an unhealed fracture.

‘India, a place for quality and quantity medical care’

With India ranking 10th in the world on the Medical Tourism Index (MTI) (from 2020-2021), these instances are the norm for Indian doctors and hospitals. Medical tourism can be explained as the journey that patients may undertake to receive affordable and quality medical care in another state or country, explains Dr Arup Kumar Das, Group Medical Director, Marengo Asia Hospital. This kind of travel has grown significantly in recent years and according to data by Crisil (credit rating agency), India will see 7.3 million medical tourists in 2024.

To keep up with these fantastical numbers and encourage more inbound patients, Indian states have been propping themselves as potential medical tourist destinations by developing their infrastructure and regulations. On June 22, Hyderabad Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said the state government is planning to set up a medical and health tourism hub, spread over 1,000 acres, in Telangana.

Pune is another emerging centre for this kind of tourism, with former Union Minister of State for Tourism Shripad Naik also agreeing with the notion earlier this year. “A city like Pune has adequate facilities to be developed as a medical tourism hub. People from different countries come to Pune for tourism and medical tourism. With the state-of-the-art facilities, Pune is growing and has come a way ahead in terms of medical tourism.”

Agreeing with this assessment, Dr Manisha Karmarkar, CEO of DPU Super Specialty Hospital, Pimpri, Pune, says, “Pune’s medical landscape has witnessed a tremendous evolution in the last decade, with a strong emphasis on building world-class healthcare infrastructure led by advanced technology. The city has emerged as one of the leading cities for organ donation in the state and country at large with a total count of 58 cadaver donations during 2023." Another factor for this city that is brimming with potential to become a viable tourist hub is the connectivity to Mumbai, which is the financial capital.

‘India makes for a great medical tourism spot’

As a country, India sees a lot of inbound visitors for a combination of healthy care services, explains Dr Sanjay Agarwala, Director Professional Services, Section Head - Orthopaedics & Traumatology, P. D. Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Mumbai. “The biggest reasons are high-quality affordable care as compared to their country, coupled with the latest technology and renowned specialists,” he adds. According to the Indian Medical Association, the majority of tourists who visit the country are looking to treat cardiology, oncology or orthopaedic issues knee or liver transplants.

Some are also looking for alternative therapy, which is why states like Kerala have created a niche for themselves as an ayurvedic centre, while Rishikesh and Mysuru are spots where people travel to learn and practise yoga.

According to Dr Piyush Ranjan, DM Gastroenterology, Senior consultant, Vice chairman, Department of Gastroenterology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, another reason for the growing trend of medical tourism in India is that there might be a “lack of expertise”, especially in lesser advanced economies. Other reasons include access to advanced treatments with shorter waiting times. The appeal of privacy, comprehensive care options, supportive government policies, and cultural considerations also play a significant role in driving medical tourism to many Indian states.

‘India is a place to get beauty and wellness services’

Along with highly qualified doctors and an extensive knowledge of medicine, Dr Meghna Mour, Founder and Aesthetic Dermatologist, Skuccii Supercliniq, Mumbai, believes it is India's higher number of doctors, who can cater to the large number of NRIs and international patients, that draws people, too. “The quality of medical treatments in our country has advanced that it is on par, and at times, exceeds that of many other countries. India provides affordable medical facilities at a much lesser cost as compared to its counterparts,” she says.

Ask Mour what are some of the most popular treatments that people visiting her clinic look for, she tells us, “We have patients who visit us for several non-invasive treatments that tackle issues like ageing, hair transplantation, Botox and fillers, weight loss and more.”

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Medical tourism in India – An overview of an emerging industry

India’s rich culture, heritage, and scenic beauty have long been major draws for tourists worldwide. However, in recent years, India has also emerged as a leading destination for medical tourism. Patients from all over the globe are now choosing India for medical treatment, attracted by the country’s world-class healthcare facilities and skilled medical professionals who offer a vast array of treatments and procedures, from organ transplants and cardiac surgeries to alternative therapies like Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy.

With significant advances in medical research and the adoption of modern technologies, India’s healthcare sector has undergone remarkable growth and development in recent years. As a result, India can now provide top-notch medical services and treatments at a fraction of the cost patients would pay in their home countries. This affordability, combined with the availability of highly skilled medical professionals and cutting-edge medical technologies, has made India an increasingly popular destination for patients seeking medical treatments worldwide. With a plethora of advanced medical facilities, Chennai has become the medical capital of India, attracting a large number of tourists seeking the best medical treatment in India. Booking a car rental in Chennai is the ideal way to discover the diverse healthcare amenities available in the city.

India’s ascent as a premier medical tourism destination has been remarkable. Still, certain hurdles impede its potential to become the world’s leading hub for medical travel, such as transportation infrastructure. This article will explore the factors that have contributed to India’s rise as a prominent destination for medical tourism, as well as the challenges that hinder its progress towards becoming the top medical tourism hub, particularly in terms of transportation.

The gradual rise of India as a medical tourism powerhouse

India’s emergence as a medical tourism powerhouse has been a gradual process that has been ongoing for several decades. However, in recent years, India has become a top destination for medical travellers seeking high-quality and affordable medical treatments. One of the critical factors driving India’s growth in medical tourism is its highly skilled and experienced medical professionals. India has a large pool of doctors and medical specialists renowned for their expertise in various medical fields, including cardiology, orthopaedics, neurology, and oncology.

Another important consideration is the economic advantage provided by Indian healthcare providers. Medical treatments in India can be a fraction of the cost in nations such as the United States, the United Kingdom, or Australia, making it an appealing alternative for patients looking for economical healthcare. According to the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), medical tourism in India was valued at around $3 billion in 2015 and is expected to rise at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15% to $8 billion by 2020. In 2017, an estimated 495,056 medical tourists visited India, with the bulk coming from Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and the Maldives.  

In February 2019, the Indian government extended its e-tourism VISA program to include medical visas to attract medical tourists to Chennai, India’s healthcare capital. This move aimed to simplify the application process and travel requirements for medical tourists. The medical visa allows for a maximum stay of six months. On August 30, 2019, foreigners were permitted to receive any medical treatment in India, except organ transplants, without requiring a medical visa.

Over 1.4 million medical tourists visited India in the past one year, making it one of the top destinations for medical tourism, said Union Minister of State for Tourism Shripad Naik. Today, about 2 million patients from these regions visit India annually, producing $4 billion in annual forex. However, the future is considerably brighter. 

Under the direction of Prime Minister Modi, India’s health minister, Dr Mansukh Madaviya, has declared Medical Tourism a champion sector, providing it with unprecedented support. The government is going all out to make India the world’s No. 1 destination for medical tourism, doubling it to $12 billion in four years and developing a new business that will employ millions of people across the country. To further boost the medical tourism industry in India, the government announced the AYUSH visa in April 2022. This visa is specifically for travellers seeking treatments under traditional Indian medical systems such as Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy. In addition, the government has also created a National Medical and Wellness Tourism Board to promote India as a medical tourism destination and establish policies and guidelines for the industry. 

By making additional investments in infrastructure, technology, and services and ensuring a hassle-free experience for international patients, the medical tourism sector in India could emerge as a significant source of foreign exchange earnings for the country. Moreover, this sector has the potential to be incorporated into a larger tourism ecosystem, resulting in substantial growth opportunities.

Popular medical procedures for tourists in India

India is famous for medical tourism due to its affordable medical treatments and state-of-the-art medical facilities. Some of the most popular treatments for medical tourism in India include:

Ayurveda, a holistic medicinal system that originated in India about 5000 years ago, has been the primary medicine used in the country for centuries. According to a report by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, around 1.62 million medical tourists visited India in 2017, many of which came for Ayurvedic treatments. It is estimated that around 20-30% of medical tourists who visit India come for Ayurveda treatments, which is increasing yearly. Kerala, the southernmost state of India, is known as the “birthplace of Ayurveda” and is one of the most popular destinations for Ayurveda tourism in India. Some of the most popular Ayurveda retreats in Kerala include Somatheeram Ayurveda Village in Kovalam, Kairali Ayurvedic Health Resort in Palakkad, Ayurveda Yoga Villa in Wayanad, and Kalari Kovilakom in Kollengode. The best way to visit these resorts is by booking a cab from Kochi . 

Apart from the metro cities, several destinations in India are known for ayurvedic treatments. Rishikesh and Haridwar, both located in Uttarakhand, are also known for their traditional ayurvedic centres. Varanasi, located in Uttar Pradesh, is another destination where people go for Ayurveda treatment. Even Goa, known for its beaches and nightlife, is home to several Ayurvedic centres that offer treatments for various health conditions. These destinations offer a perfect mix of traditional healing practices and scenic beauty, making them ideal for rejuvenating one’s mind and body.

In addition to Ayurveda treatments, many Ayurveda retreats in India offer a range of wellness programs, including yoga, meditation, and healthy food. Some of India’s most popular Ayurveda retreats include Ananda in the Himalayas, Ayurvedagram, and Kalari Kovilakom. These retreats offer a serene and rejuvenating environment for people to experience Ayurveda treatments and learn about the principles of holistic living.

Cardiac surgery

India has become a popular destination for cardiac surgery due to its advanced medical facilities and skilled doctors. According to a report by Medical Tourism Index, India ranks second in the world for cardiology and cardiac surgery after Thailand.

Orthopaedic surgery

India is famous for its advanced orthopaedic surgery procedures, including joint replacements and spinal surgeries. According to a report by the Medical Tourism Association, India is one of the top destinations for orthopaedic surgeries, with a cost savings of up to 90% compared to the US.

Cosmetic surgery

India has a growing cosmetic surgery industry, with many people coming to the country for procedures such as liposuction, breast augmentation, and facelifts. According to a report by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, India ranked fourth in the world for cosmetic procedures in 2019, with over 1.6 million procedures performed.

Cancer treatment

India is home to some of the world’s leading cancer treatment facilities, offering advanced treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy. According to a report by the Medical Tourism Association, cancer treatments in India cost up to 60-90% less than in the US or Europe.

Dental care

India is a popular destination for dental treatments, with many people coming for procedures such as dental implants and root canals. According to a report by Patients Beyond Borders, India’s dental tourism market is expected to reach a value of USD 3.2 billion by 2022.

Fertility treatment

India’s thriving fertility treatment industry offers advanced treatments such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and surrogacy. According to a report by the Medical Tourism Association, fertility treatments in India cost up to 70-80% less than in the US or Europe.

Before travelling to India for medical treatments, it is important to do thorough research and consult with medical professionals to ensure a safe and successful experience. India’s medical tourism industry has grown significantly in recent years, and its reputation as a top destination for medical treatments is expected to continue to grow in the coming years.

One of the major challenges of medical tourism in India – Transportation

In India, transportation can be a significant challenge for domestic and international tourists, particularly regarding accessibility and reliability. In addition, poor infrastructure, inadequate public transport, and congested roads can make it difficult for patients to travel to and from hospitals, especially in cities. The lack of reliable transportation options can be a significant challenge for elderly and senior patients who may require special assistance and accommodations. For instance, they may need wheelchair-accessible vehicles, non-emergency medical transportation, or trained drivers who can help them navigate the complexities of medical treatment.

Moreover, medical tourism requires reliable and timely transportation for urgent medical care patients. Therefore, the lack of safe and efficient transportation options can be a significant deterrent for international patients seeking medical treatment in India and can impact the country’s potential to become a leading medical tourism destination.

To address these challenges, the Indian government and private sector must invest in improving transportation infrastructure and services. This includes developing more efficient public transport systems, building better roads and highways, and providing reliable and affordable transportation options to and from hospitals. Such initiatives can improve domestic tourism and make India a more attractive destination for medical tourism, boosting the country’s position as a global medical hub.

In addition to the challenges posed by poor transportation infrastructure, the issue of last-mile connectivity can also be a significant hurdle in making India the topmost medical tourism destination in the world. Patients seeking medical treatment in smaller cities or towns often need help finding reliable and affordable transportation options to reach their destination from the airport or railway station.

However, the advent of ride-hailing services like Savaari, a chauffeur-driven car rental company in India, has greatly improved the last-mile connectivity for patients travelling for medical treatment. Providing safe, reliable and affordable transportation options has helped make medical tourism more accessible and hassle-free for patients.

• Patients travelling for medical treatment require timely and efficient transportation. Car rental services can offer reliable pick-up and drop-off services, ensuring that patients arrive at their destination on time. This can be particularly important for patients who require urgent medical attention or are travelling long distances.
• Patients and their families may require a comfortable mode of transportation , especially during long journeys. Car rental services can offer comfortable and well-maintained vehicles, ensuring that patients and their families can comfortably travel. This can be particularly important for elderly patients who require extra care and comfort during transportation.
• Safety is paramount when it comes to medical tourism. Car rental services can offer safe and secure transportation options with experienced and licensed chauffeurs. Patients can be assured that they are in safe hands, with well-trained and knowledgeable drivers about the local roads and traffic.

Savaari Car Rentals, a chauffeur-driven car rental company in India, recognised the growing demand for transportation services during the COVID-19 pandemic and swiftly responded by expanding its services to all 2000+ cities and towns where it operates. Savaari streamlined its operations to ensure timely service and began offering doorstep cab service within 90 minutes of booking hospital visits and vaccination appointments in any of the 2000+ cities. During the pandemic, Savaari served over 25,000 customers with their medical emergencies, providing them with reliable and safe transportation. Additionally, the company offered a 15 per cent discount on bookings made for vehicles to vaccination centres or hospitals when the country was grappling with the COVID-19 outbreak.

Savaari’s driver Ramesh, who transferred patients to hospitals during the pandemic, said, “ It was a conscious decision on my part to assist as many people as I could as a driver during these times. The fact that I was able to do my part to help the community and the city was the only thing that kept me going through that difficult period. I also got the opportunity to assist a pregnant lady on her way to and from the hospital, which brought me joy as I was able to save two lives from the clutches of the pandemic. I keep reminding myself that in every patient I carry, I see a mother, a father, a sister, and a brother. ”

Cab services like Savaari in India can provide other value-added services , such as facilitating language translation, helping with paperwork and medical formalities, and offering customised tours for patients and their families. The services can be particularly beneficial for elderly patients who may require extra assistance during their medical trip. The company offers safe and reliable transportation services that meets the specific needs of elderly patients, including help with luggage, mobility aids, and other support services. By leveraging technology and innovative solutions, these services can significantly boost medical tourism in India and help the country emerge as a leading destination for medical treatment.

Top 5 medical tourism destinations in India

With state-of-the-art medical facilities and skilled healthcare professionals, India has become a hub for medical tourism. If you are considering medical tourism in India, here are the top five destinations that offer advanced medical facilities and skilled healthcare professionals.

• Chennai – Chennai, also known as the “health capital of India,” is a popular destination for medical tourism. The city is home to several world-class hospitals, including Apollo Hospitals and Fortis Malar Hospital, specialising in various medical treatments, including cardiology, oncology, and orthopaedics.
• Mumbai – Mumbai is another popular destination for medical tourism in India. The city has several renowned hospitals, such as Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre and Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Medical Research Institute, known for their expertise in specialities like neurology, cardiology, and oncology.
• Delhi – Delhi is India’s capital city and a central medical tourism hub. The city is home to some of the top hospitals in the country, including Max Super Specialty Hospital and Apollo Hospital, which offer world-class medical treatments in specialities like cardiology, neurology, and orthopaedics.
• Hyderabad – Hyderabad is rapidly emerging as a popular destination for medical tourism in India. The city has several world-class hospitals, such as Apollo Hospitals and Yashoda Hospitals, which specialise in medical treatments like cardiology, oncology, and neurology.
• Bangalore – Bangalore, also known as the “Silicon Valley of India,” is a popular destination for medical tourism. The city has several renowned hospitals, such as Manipal Hospital and Fortis Hospital, known for their expertise in medical treatments like cardiology, oncology, and neurology.

There are several destinations in India apart from the metro cities where people go for medical treatment. Kerala is famous for its Ayurvedic treatments and is also emerging as a medical tourism destination, with several hospitals offering world-class facilities. Ahmedabad in Gujarat is also becoming a popular destination for medical tourism, with hospitals such as Sterling Hospital and Apollo Hospitals offering specialized treatments. Other popular destinations for medical treatment in India include Jaipur in Rajasthan, Chandigarh in Punjab, and Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. These cities have well-established healthcare infrastructure and highly skilled doctors, making them a preferred destination for patients seeking quality medical care. The availability of affordable medical treatments and a peaceful environment also makes these cities a popular choice among domestic and international patients.

If India’s transportation infrastructure improves for medical tourism, it can lead to significant growth in the medical tourism industry. Improved transportation facilities will make it easier for medical tourists to access medical facilities and move around the country. This can result in increased patient inflow, better coordination between hospitals and hotels, and, ultimately, boost the country’s economy. Furthermore, it can enhance India’s reputation as a top medical tourism destination and attract even more patients from around the world. The most convenient way to travel to these medical destinations is to download our car rental app . Better transportation facilities can have a positive impact on the medical tourism industry and the country’s growth as a whole.

Medical tourism updates:

• Himachal Pradesh has vast potential for medical tourism: Health minister
• Kerala will be transformed into a global healthcare hub, says CM Vijayan
• Over 1.4 million medical tourists visited India in past one year, says Tourism Minister

Last Updated on January 17, 2024 by Swati Deol

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Framework for Promotion of Medical Tourism: A Case of India

• Published: 28 June 2021
• Volume 16 , pages 103–111, ( 2021 )

Cite this article

• Vinaytosh Mishra   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-6360-910X 1 &
• Mohita G. Sharma   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-3341-9663 1  

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Medical tourism is quickly growing in developing countries. The healthcare players have recognized it as a potential area for economic diversification. The major factors affecting medical tourism in a country are cost, quality, language, and ease of travel. The healthcare services in India cost significantly lower than in western countries and the middle east. That is one of the reasons behind India attracting customers from these countries. The government promotes India as a premier healthcare destination and has made policies to ease travel for medical tourism purposes. Quality has been one of the important criteria for the selection of healthcare providers even for price-conscious customers. This study uses the case of the eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh to investigate the reason behind the low penetration of medical tourism in the region. The study identifies factors affecting medical tourism in post-COVID times and maps them with enablers using a focus group discussion. The study further uses SERVQUAL, a multidimensional research instrument to measure service quality by capturing patient’s expectations and perceptions along five dimensions of service quality. The study contributes to the existing literature in two ways. It provides the framework for the promotion of medical tourism in a region. Second, it provides future directions for research in the area of medical tourism in the post-COVID world.

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Introduction

Medical tourism (MT) has been growing enormously in the past few decades. This has been especially favorable for many developing countries especially in Asia wherein there is travel between upper-income countries and lower- and middle-income countries for healthcare purposes (Behrmann & Smith, 2010 ). The drivers for this travel have been prohibitively expensive, inadequate, or unavailable in their high-income home countries and the services could include cosmetic, wellness, and dental treatments, and has been collectively called medical tourism (Connell, 2006 ; Turner, 2011 ). Especially governments and private-sector actors in Asia, Europe, and Latin America have begun to actively promote their countries, cities, and medical facilities as medical tourism destinations to boost and diversify their tourism and healthcare offerings (Wong & Musa, 2012 ). Various governments have also promoted their country as a medical tourism destination through policy interventions. In a recent study, the economic performance of medical tourism is analyzed vis-a-vis overall community satisfaction, health care satisfaction, and attitudes toward medical tourism through a combination of social exchange theory with spillover theory. This is shown in a study where for a particular region the residents’ perceptions of medical tourism’s impact on community wellbeing also affect willingness to pay higher taxes and support for medical tourism development (Suess et al., 2018 ).

If we focus on India, the main driver of the growth of medical tourism has been the highly trained medical fraternity who is adept in English (Crooks et al., 2011 ). India has over the years become the hub of medical tourism which is the confluence of the twin sectors of the tourism industry and health industry (Shanker, 2019 ). This falls under the category of service exports and has been instrumental in earning foreign exchange and huge employment opportunities for the country. Given the fact that the main objective of medical tourists is getting good quality medical treatment at a reasonable cost, the outward focus has to be on competitiveness and the inward focus has to be operational excellence to drive the cost down. In a previous study, Thailand, Singapore and India have been identified as the main players in medical tourism capturing 80% of Asia’s medical tourism market (Mary, 2014 ). A comprehensive definition of medical tourism competitiveness has been given by Ganguli and Ebrahim, ( 2017 ) which can be stated as: “the ability to strategically plan, set viable policy goals, establish effective multi-stakeholder partnerships, maintain an attractive environment; and ensure that all of these capabilities are harmonized to optimize the delivery of medical services that rank high on parameters of quality, innovativeness, affordability, and safety”.

The further reasons which make India an attractive medical tourism destination are ensuing (Bagga et al., 2020 ; Bies & Zacharia, 2007 ; de Arellano, 2007 ).

Demand: Emanating from the long waiting lists in the developed countries has resulted in patients moving to other healthcare destinations.

Affordability and cost: The low cost of medical treatments in India makes it an enticing healthcare destination. In India, costs for complicated surgical procedures are almost one-tenth of the cost as compared to the procedures in the developed countries.

Accessibility: Affordable and access to air routes from every part of the globe make India one of the favored medical tourism destinations. The country has a further favorable exchange rate which makes it an economically viable alternative. The government has even eased the visa rules for tourists visiting the country for medical tourism purposes.

Communication: Indian healthcare workforce is good at English communication. The advancement in telemedicine helps patients in getting follow-up care, rehabilitative care after major surgery. This even eliminates the need for a follow-up visit to the country.

India attracts patients in areas namely wellness tourism, alternative systems of medicine, cosmetic surgery, and advanced and lifesaving healthcare. Thus, the Medical Tourism structure can be broadly classified into the following four categories (Fig.  1 ).

Medical tourism structure in India

Medical tourism is not a simple process. It is a complex decision by an international traveler based on the attributes of the host country, facilities of healthcare professionals, reasonable cost, and the service quality of hospitality and tourism (Chuang et al., 2014 ; Fetscherin & Stephano, 2016 ; Olya & Nia, 2021 ). Some studies are exploring the development of the Medical Tourism Index (MTI) and four dimensions of MTI include country environment, tourism destination, medical tourism costs, and medical facility and services (Fetscherin & Stephano, 2016 ). In a detailed literature review and co-word citation analysis, Hoz-Correa et al. ( 2018 ) suggests that six themes dominate the research: (a) issues regarding ethical implications, trust, and accreditation; (b) health, wellness, spa tourism, and service quality; (c) health-related issues, medical treatments, and tourism; (d) “sensitive” practices in MT; (e) medical tourism destinations and marketing; and (f) globalization, policies and the effect on international patients.

Further, Ebrahim and Ganguli ( 2019 ) and Belladi et al. ( 2019 ) have done a strategic cross-country comparison and have elucidated that the extent of coordination among public and private MT stakeholders and a collaborative; administration efficiency of sectors such as medical, tourism, and economic sectors along with the development of medicine and related human capital contribute to enhancing the growth of the sector. In another cross-country study, exploring the hospital’s website across five dimensions: hospital information and facilities, admission and medical services, interactive online services, external activities, and technical items, it was observed that there were differences between Indian, Malaysian, and Thai hospital websites and suggesting that there was a need for hospital managers to improve their hospitals’ online presence and interactivity (Moghavvemi et al., 2017 ).

Cham et al. ( 2021 ) in their study of Chinese medical tourists to Malaysia have analyzed country-specific factors (country knowledge, safety and security, accessibility, and price reasonableness) and social factors (word-of-mouth and social media) to be significant predictors of the image of Malaysia as a medical tourism destination, which in turn, affect the perceived value and intention to revisit. Another study provides an extended diamond-based pyramid framework of regional competitiveness and can be adopted for the medical tourism sector in a country (Moirangthem & Nag, 2020 ). Ghosh and Mandal ( 2019 ) have cited in a study on India that treatment quality, medical service quality, medical tourism expenses, medical tourism infrastructure, destination appeal, destination culture, and ease of access increase the satisfaction and loyalty of medical tourists. Taking a stream from Hoz-Correa et al. ( 2018 ) of service quality, this study extends this inquiry into understanding the service quality dimensions for medical tourism, especially for India. The study highlights the importance of service quality in achieving operational excellence. The image of India is discolored due to the below-par performance of the health system during the COVID-19 pandemic and may impact the export competitiveness of medical tourism. It is imperative to assess the quality gap and take corrective measures to remain competitive.

The next section lists the objectives of this research followed by the methodology used in this study. Subsequent sections discuss the result and hence the conclusion for the study. In last but not least, the study lists the limitations of the research and the future agenda for the research.

Research Objectives

The objective of this research is threefold: (1) to use the extant literature to identify the factors affecting medical tourism, (2) to provide the framework for the development of medical tourism in a region using focus group discussion, and (3) to use the case of eastern Uttar Pradesh to analyze the service quality gap using established instrument SERVQUAL.

Methodology

The research reviews the extant literature to identify the factors affecting medical tourism in a region. The findings of the reviewed literature are listed in the introduction section of this paper. The first step included using the finding of the literature review and input from the focus group to propose a framework for the development of medical tourism in a region. The study in the second stage uses the SERVQUAL method to evaluate the case region on five dimensions of the service quality.

Services being distinguished by intangibility and consumed simultaneously, the quality of service is understood as the perception of value delivered (Lam et al., 2012 ). Nitecki and Hernon ( 2000 ) defined service quality in terms of “meeting or exceeding customer expectations, or as the difference between customer perception and expectations of service” (Wang & Shieh, 2006 ). SERVQUAL is a multidimensional research instrument designed to measure service quality by capturing respondents’ expectations and perceptions (Parasuraman et al., 2002 ). The instrument has been widely used to assess the quality of services in the industry such as retail, hospitality, and healthcare (Ajam et al., 2014 ; Saleh & Ryan, 1991 ; Zhao et al., 2002 ). Thus for quantitatively assessing it, it is taken as the difference between the customer’s perception of the service and his expectations in his mind. Perception is the comparison between expectations and actual performance. A positive indication of quality is when the performance is higher than expectations and vice versa.

Healthcare is a high involvement service with long-term engagement between the patient and service provider and SERVQUAL has been used to prioritize the dimensions and identify the gaps to be filled to enhance the competitiveness of the delivery process (Al-Neyadi et al., 2018 ; Traipathi & Siddiqui, 2018 ). The SERVQUAL model has five dimensions of service quality namely reliability, assurance, tangibles, empathy, and responsiveness (Fig.  2 ).

SERVQUAL model for service quality

The description of the five dimensions of service quality is listed in Table 1 (Butt et al., 2010 ; Parasuraman et al., 1988 ).

The researchers have used the established and time-tested SERVQUAL for assessing the service quality in the case of medical tourism (Chou et al., 2012 ; Guiry & Vequist, 2011 ; Qolipour et al., 2018 ).

The focus group used for objective one of the study is the healthcare professionals working in India. The size of the focus group is eight including the researchers as coordinators and passive members. A focus group larger than eight is difficult to manage (Fern, 1982 ). The focus group constituted four healthcare professionals, three doctors, and one healthcare researcher. Focus group discussion is frequently used as a qualitative approach to gain an in-depth understanding of the problem at hand (Nyumba et al. 2018 ). This method uses data from a purposely selected group of individuals rather than from a statistically representative sample of a broader population. Even though the application of this method in management research has been extensive, there are no critical assessments of the application of the technique. In addition, there are no readily available guidelines for researchers. This study uses the Delphi method to gain consensus on the framework. The Delphi method is well suited as a research instrument when there is incomplete knowledge about a problem or phenomenon (Skulmoski, 2007 ). The approach adopted for the Delhi Method is depicted in Fig.  3 (Cooper, 2019 ).

Delphi approach for focus group

The sample size for this exploratory study was taken as 31 and the sampling method was used as purposive sampling. The extant literature suggests that with purposive sampling a sample size of 30 for the exploratory study is adequate (Kowalska & Ostręga, 2020 ). The questionnaire was sent to 50 prospects out of which 31 responded, making the response rate 62%. The characteristics of the respondent are listed in Table 2 .

To summarize, the study first identifies the factors and enablers for medical tourism in the region then uses the focus group’s input to map it. The study then uses SERVQUAL for finding the quality gap. The summary of the research methodology used in the study is depicted in Fig. 4 .

Schematic diagram for the study

Results and Discussion

Based on the research, the study identifies four major factors affecting the penetration of medical tourism in the region. The focus group discussion helped us in identifying cost, quality, language, and ease of travel as the four most important factors affecting the penetration of medical tourism in a region. The study further interviewed the focus group members to identify enablers for these identified factors. Based on the input of the focus group, the study proposes a framework for increasing the penetration of medical tourism in the case region. The secondary research and focus group discussion suggested lean management, use of quality management systems, having National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) and External Quality Assurance Systems (EQAS), language and soft skills, and ease of travel and visa rules as some of the important enablers for achieving the four factors. Figure 5 summarizes the framework using enablers and factors to increase the medical tourism in the region.

Framework for increasing medical tourism

It can be seen that ease of Travel and Language are environmental factors and external to the control of business whereas Cost and Quality are within the control of the business. Cost and Quality are interlinked and emphasis on quality can reduce the cost of operations thereby achieving operational excellence. Further, as the extant literature and focus group, discussion suggested quality is one of the most important criteria for the selection of a healthcare destination. The study adopted the SERVQUAL model which is a recognized tool to understand the difference between expectations and the perception of the service quality on five dimensions’ reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and tangibles. The respondents were asked to give responses to 22 questions on a Likert scale of ten and the average of the score on the subdimensions was taken as a score for a dimension. Thus, the maximum possible score for any dimension is ten. The perception score ( P ) and expectation score ( E ) for the service quality is listed in Table 3 . The difference of P and E gives the gap between expectation and perception, the difference needs to be minimized to increase customer satisfaction (Gounaris et al., 2007 ).

Figure 6 depicts the perception, expectation of maximum value on five dimensions of the service quality. As the figure suggests the largest service gap is for reliability, followed by responsiveness and assurance. The minimum service gap is for the service dimension tangible but there is still a scope of improvement when we compare it with the maximum score possible.

Perception and expectation of service quality

The study also shows that maximum expectation is for dimension reliability, assurance followed by responsiveness and empathy. The gap between expectations and performance is large for Reliability and Assurance Dimensions. The reliability of the service can be enhanced by making the service more process-driven and adhering to management systems. The lesser the non-conformity is, the better the reliability. On the other hand, for ‘assurance’ the focus has to be on providing soft skill training to the personnel and attitude of service in the nurses and paramedical staff. It also depends on the work culture of the organization. The responsiveness of the service is ‘how quickly the problem gets resolved. For addressing this parameter, the capacity of the supporting staff has to be enhanced so that the time of response gets reduced. It is observed that the tangibles and empathy gap is less which is a good sign. The customers are satisfied with the infrastructure and feel that they are understood. Given the fact that the empathy gap is less and the assurance gap is high, an attempt to enhance communication can reduce the assurance gap also.

The increased cost of care in western countries and the middle east has forced patients to look towards the east. Medical tourism is quickly growing in developing countries like India. Recent process innovation and operational excellence in India make it possible to deliver healthcare at a fraction of the cost compared to the western countries. The average cost of open-heart surgery, as reported by Narayana Health, is less than $2000. The same procedure at a US research hospital typically costs more than $100,000. The factors making a destination a preferred medical tourism destination is cost, quality, language, and ease of travel. The extant literature suggests that quality is one of the most important criteria for the selection of a healthcare provider (Mishra et al., 2019 ). A website listing the healthcare tourism destination in India lists only a few healthcare providers from eastern Uttar Pradesh. With the availability of vaccines and mass vaccination in many countries, borders have started opening again. The governments should think about measured to promote medical tourism in post-COVID times. This compelled us to investigate the reason behind the low penetration of medical tourism in the region and what can be done.

Studies have used the SERVQUAL method for quality assessment of private healthcare providers (Butt et al., 2010 ; Pekkaya, 2019 ). There is evidence of recent use of the SERVQUAL method for quality assessment in healthcare in developing countries (AlOmari, 2020 ; Tripathi & Siddiqui, 2018 ). Qolipour et al. ( 2018 ) analyze the patient’s perspective on the quality of medical tourism in Iran. Although there are studies on the evaluation of service quality of medical tourism destinations, there is a lack of studies done on quality assessment of medical tourism as eastern India as the destination, and this study attempts to fill this gap. This study uses a mix of qualitative and quantitative approaches for the development of a framework for promoting medical tourism in the region. The study further uses the SERVQUAL model to find out the patient’s perception and expectation of healthcare services on five dimensions of service quality and identifies the area of improvement. The approach used in the study is simple and easy to follow and does not overwhelm a reader with excessive details. The study uses Radar Chart to visualize the quality gap related to five dimensions. The study will help healthcare providers and policymakers devise strategies for promoting medical tourism in a region. The finding of the study is also useful for healthcare administration to improve service quality in their organization to eventually attract patients from Gulf and Western Countries.

Limitations and Future Directions

The limitations of the study emanate from the model that has been adopted. Despite its strengths and widespread acceptance, SERVQUAL is sometimes disapproved of for its bounded lens and these criticisms are true for this study as well. The focus of the model is from an operations perspective, and so it fails to draw on established economic, statistical and psychological theory. The prime focus remains on service operations and delivery rather than the outcome. Some studies also reflect that the five dimensions of service quality used in the SERVQUAL are not universal (Buttle, 1996 ).

This study is exploratory and uses purposive sampling. A study having a larger sample size and probabilistic sampling will help generalize the finding to a larger population. The study can include samples from countries other than Mauritius, UAE and the US will make the study more inclusive. The majority of the respondents represent prospects from the age group 45–55. This may be one of the limitations of the study. A future study can empirically test the framework proposed in the study for the promotion of medical tourism in a region. Future studies can also include more service dimensions related to healthcare.

Key questions reflecting applicability in real life

What are factors affecting the penetration of medical tourism in a geographical region?

What are the enablers for these factors to attract medical tourists to the region?

What are the healthcare quality dimensions used in existing literature for medical tourism?

How to use the SERVQUAL method to identify and fill the service quality gaps?

Availability of Data and Material

Available on request.

Code Availability

Not applicable.

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Mishra, V., Sharma, M.G. Framework for Promotion of Medical Tourism: A Case of India. JGBC 16 (Suppl 1), 103–111 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42943-021-00027-7

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Healthcare Beyond Borders: The Rise of Medical Tourism in India

India’s emergence as a premier medical hub: reviving medical tourism post-covid.

The global healthcare landscape has witnessed a remarkable shift in recent years, with India gaining recognition for providing high-quality medical services at significantly lower costs to patients travelling worldwide. However, the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent travel bans severely impacted the influx of medical tourists into the country.

The Tourism Ministry reported a staggering negative growth rate of 79.4% in 2020. Despite this setback, the situation is gradually improving as efforts to combat the pandemic yield positive results. Market insights suggest a robust 19% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the demand for medical tourism in India by 2022.

What makes India an increasingly popular destination for medical treatment?

The country’s healthcare industry offers a unique blend of modern and traditional medicine, setting it apart from competitors. Firstly, India boasts world-class doctors and hospitals that provide treatments at a fraction of the cost compared to other nations. Secondly, India’s ancient systems of medicine, known as AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Panchakarma, Rejuvenation Therapy, etc.), are gaining immense popularity globally.

To further enhance the credibility of AYUSH products and promote India’s medical tourism sector, Prime Minister Modi recently announced plans to launch an AYUSH Mark. India’s medical services and facilities also adhere to standards set by reputable organizations such as WHO, the World Health Organization, and the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA).

Significant investments are required to enhance the healthcare industry’s infrastructure and equipment, making them more appealing to international patients. Proper infrastructure and standardization in the tourism industry, mainly guest house services, are crucial to ensure patients’ safety and minimize the risk of infections. Additionally, there is a vast opportunity to offer Indian health insurance to foreign patients, which has the potential to generate an additional $9 billion in patient inflow to India.

The government is leaving no stone unturned to maximize the potential of the medical tourism industry. The objective is to make India the number one destination for medical tourism, tripling its revenue to $13 billion within four years. To support this vision, the government has proposed an outlay of US$ 28.7 billion for health and well-being, a substantial increase of 137% compared to the previous year’s budget allocation.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has taken several measures to facilitate medical tourism:

• Special Medical Visas for healthcare purposes have been made available in 165 countries.
•  Establishing a feedback mechanism aims to gather testimonials from medical tourists visiting India, providing credible information and convenience.

The ‘Heal in India’ initiative seeks to position the country as a global medical and wellness tourism destination. This initiative will enable foreigners and those seeking medical assistance to access a comprehensive list of hospitals offering their desired treatments through a user-friendly online portal. It will be a one-stop shop, covering treatment package costs, visa applications, grievance redressals, and feedback. Additionally, the initiative aims to create a database of healthcare professionals which includes dedicated doctors, nurses, and pharmacists, allowing them to specify their interest in providing services abroad, thus facilitating India’s diversification of operations.

The Ministry of Tourism has also taken serious steps to promote medical tourism

The Marketing Development Assistance Scheme (MDA) provides financial support to approved tourism service providers, enhancing tourist facilities.

Publicity materials, including brochures and CDs, have been extensively used to promote medical and health tourism under the Ministry of Tourism’s “Incredible India Campaign.” The campaign has successfully showcased the benefits of yoga, Ayurveda, and wellness practices across print, electronic, internet, and outdoor media.

As the world emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic, the demand for healthcare services is expected to surge, presenting India with a tremendous opportunity to attract medical tourists from Europe, the Americas, and beyond.

With the government’s unwavering commitment to making India the hub of medical tourism and the rising demand, the country is poised to become the ultimate destination for all medical tourists. India’s leadership in saving millions of lives will drive job creation and generate over $13 billion in foreign exchange, firmly establishing its position as a global healthcare leader.

How UniMediks can help you?

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By leveraging our expertise and network, UniMediks strives to make affordable treatment in India accessible to foreign nationals. Our comprehensive support throughout the medical journey, combined with competitive pricing and quality assurance, enables patients to receive the care they need at affordable costs.

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A doctor’s guide on medical tourism in India

Medical tourism in india.

Medical tourism has flourished in India over the years. India ranked 10th in the 2020-2021 Medical Tourism Index. And the arrival of foreign tourists for medical purposes has increased from 1.83 lakh in 2020 to 3.04 lakh in 2022. These findings indicate enormous opportunities for doctors to benefit from medical tourism.

The way forward for medical professionals

For medical tourism to have a major impact, healthcare providers must make some investments. Build and maintain a social media profile, a website, and a blog. Collaborate with travel agencies, five-star hotels, and other hospitality service providers. Ensure comfort to international tourists in every aspect. You need to take care of their end-to-end requirements.

Investment in technology, security, and translators is essential to make Indian healthcare become world-class. Loans for doctors are customised financing solutions. You can use these solutions to make necessary investments and cash in on the booming medical tourism market.

Factors attracting medical tourist to India

Medical tourism in India is growing steadily each year. Chennai city is popular as the “Health capital of India”. The city attracts more than 40% of medical tourists due to the number of multi- and super-speciality hospitals. It is estimated that Chennai has approximately 150 international patients every day. The various factors that attract medical tourists to India are:

India provides high-quality healthcare at lower rates. The cost of treatment in India is one-tenth the cost of the same treatment in the US/UK. For example, a heart bypass surgery may cost approximately US$ 1,23,000 in the US, whereas in India, it costs roughly US$ 7,900 or less.

India has 43 JCI-accredited hospitals. The country has the infrastructure to provide high-quality treatment using the latest technologies and techniques.

3. Waiting time

In developed countries like the US, UK, and Canada, patients have to wait for major surgeries. India has no waiting time or very little waiting time for surgeries.

4. Language

Despite linguistic diversity, English is one of the official languages in India. Knowledge of English, a global language, makes communication easy with foreign patients.

The Government of India, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the Ministry of Tourism are focusing on making India a more prominent medical destination. For this purpose, a medical visa has been introduced, which allows a medical tourist to be in India for a specific period. A visa on arrival is granted for citizens from a few countries, letting them stay in India for 30 days.

How to attract medical tourists and the cost involved

The cost of hosting an international patient depends upon factors like the medical intervention needed, the hospital, the physician, and the duration of stay. Medical tourism is a competitive sector. You may take a few initiatives to attract medical tourists:

1. Invest in technology

Medical tourists get attracted to world-class healthcare facilities. You need to invest wisely in technology-enabled services and facilities as per global standards. Technology investments depend on the infrastructure and services that you plan to provide. For better accessibility to your services, you can create an app for using the services offered by your hospital or clinic.

2. Have a strong online presence

Online marketing is essential in medical tourism. You need to maintain a user-friendly and easy-to-understand website and blog. The cost of maintaining a CMS website is approximately Rs. 15,000 and a blog page will cost you approximately Rs. 500 per year for a domain name and hosting. You can answer queries with a live chat feature on your website. A live chat feature may cost you approximately Rs. 1,200 per month.

Be active on social media like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and others. You can invest in paid promotions to promote your web page on social media platforms like Facebook.

3. Collaborate

Medical tourism is a team effort. You need to invest in collaborating with hospitality partners, representatives of international health officials, and others.

Additional services to attract medical tourists

Apart from quality healthcare, you may need to provide additional services to medical tourists. These services can make their travel and stay comfortable. The extra services for medical tourists you can provide are:

1. Quotation assistance

The quotation is a primary concern for a medical tourist. Right from travel and accommodation to doctor appointments and post-treatment arrangements, the tourist has to prepare for all the costs. Physicians should make an approximate quotation as per the medical intervention and hospital stay required.

2. Visa assistance

Foreign nationals require a visa invitation letter to apply for a medical visa to India. Get necessary details such as the full name of the patient, passport number, and other details from the patient. Then, make arrangements for issuing the visa invitation letter to prospective foreign patients.

Medical tourism is a team effort. You need to invest in collaborating with hospitality partners, representatives of the international health offices, etc.

4. Accommodation service

Comfort is essential for medical tourists. Invest in it. You need to provide spacious accommodations to international patients. The room must have 24*7 room service, laundry service, internet, air conditioner, TV, and meals facility. Collaborate with a travel agency, five-star hotels, guest houses, and other external partners, to ensure comfort.

5. Interpretation service

The staff hired for international patients should be fluent in speaking English. You may need to hire translators for non-English speaking patients. The salary for translators can be around 4.2 lakh p.a.

6. Security service

You cannot compromise the safety of medical tourists. To ensure safety, you must make sufficient investments in hiring trained security personnel and using the latest security technologies.

Additional Read:  Indemnity Insurance  

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Released in July 2020 ‍ Medical Tourism Index 2020-2021

The one and only comprehensive analysis of the Medical Travel industry is back with its third edition, at a critical juncture in the history of healthcare. The Medical Tourism Index (MTI) ranks American perceptions of 46 international healthcare destinations, providing insight into how consumers view 41 criteria across three primary dimensions, including Destination Attractiveness, Safety, and Quality of Care.

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The Medical Tourism Index brings you its third edition. The MTI 2014-2015 assessed the attractiveness of 25 countries as medical tourism destinations. In 2016-2017, the MTI expanded to 41 destinations across five regions, doubling the size of the sampling. The 2020-2021 Medical Tourism Index comes at a time where the industry, and the entire world, has been changed forever by COVID-19. The 2020-20121 MTI addresses this very question.

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About the developers.

Renée-Marie Stephano

Renée-Marie Stephano is president and founder of the Medical Tourism Association® and editor-in-chief of Medical Tourism Magazine® and the Health and Wellness Destination Guide Series of books. Ms. Stephano has authored several books from “Developing International Patient Centers, Best Practices in Facilitation,” to “Medical Tourism for Insurers and Employers,” and the most recent, “Engaging Wellness ~ Corporate Wellness Programs that Work.” Her articles have been published in publications all over the world. Most recently she co-authored an article which was peer reviewed and published in Tourism Management Academic Journal. Ms. Stephano is an attorney and specializes in working with governments and hospitals to develop sustainable medical tourism/international patient programs and strategies. To that end she provides consultancy to organizations all over the world. She deals directly with ministers of health, tourism and economic development to establish public-private partnerships that support medical tourism and, at the same time, provide a benefit and return to the local community. Ms. Stephano has performed feasibility studies for cities, nations and hospitals worldwide in which she has relayed opportunities for international expansion, clinical development and affiliations and partnerships. She also consults governments in the development of sustainable medical tourism zones & free healthcare zones. Ms. Stephano is a keynote speaker at international conferences, has spoken at hundreds of events and is a featured source of reference on issues related to health, travel and tourism for media outlets around the world. She is the Executive Director of the International Healthcare Research Center, a 501c(3) organization dedicated to research in medical tourism, wellness travel and corporate wellness. IHRC is the publisher of the Medical Tourism Index (MTI). ‍

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Dr. Marc Fetscherin is an Associate Professor of Marketing at Rollins College (FL), United States. His expertise is in international marketing with a specialization on marketing strategy, marketing research and branding with a specific focus on global brand management, corporate branding, human brands, consumer brand relationships, and destination branding. Previously, he was a Fellow at Harvard University as well as a researcher at the University of California Berkeley. He taught or teaches MBA and executive MBA courses at various institutions worldwide such as East China University of Science and Technology (China), the Copenhagen Business School (Denmark), Jacobs University(Germany), the University of Lausanne, HEC (Switzerland) or the University of Fribourg (Switzerland). He won multiple teaching and research awards. He has extensive international experience and lived and traveled to over 30 destinations. He speaks 5 languages (German, English, French. Spanish, Russian). Previous his academic career he was a consultant for McKinsey & Company and CEO of a Swiss luxury company. He was also a member of the Federal Commission ofConsumer Affairs, an advisory body for the Swiss Government. He has published 3 books, multiple book chapters and journal articles. His articles have appeared in peer reviewed journals such as Harvard Business Review, Journal of Business Research, International Journal of Market Research, International Marketing Review, European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Marketing, Journal of Brand Management, Journal of Product and Brand Management, Management International Review, International Business Review, or Tourism Management among others. He is in the editorial board of the Journal of Brand Management and the Journal of Place Branding and Public Diplomacy. He is also an Expert for the Association of Place Branding and Public Diplomacy.

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An Assessment of Competitiveness of Medical Tourism Industry in India: A Case of Delhi NCR

Neha malhotra.

Ambedkar University, Delhi, India

Kartik Dave

Associated data.

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, upon reasonable request.

Code sharing is not applicable to this study as no new code was created or analysed in this study.

India has emerged as a prominent medical tourism hub, yet the dynamic forces in the regional and global landscape are creating a complex balance of opportunities and risks for the Indian stakeholders. The outbreak of Corona virus pandemic in 2019 has further complicated the market dynamics for the medical tourism industry. This study aims to analyse the key driving factors for the medical tourism industry in India and the issues that Indian stakeholders should address in crafting a winning strategy. A qualitative research design was adopted, and data were collected through semi structured in-depth interviews with practitioners and senior representatives of the hospital management. The study adopted abduction logic and analysed data by means of constant comparison method. The study presents the assessment of the medical tourism industry in India and the scope of opportunity for Indian players.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42943-022-00060-0.

Introduction

Catalysed by emerging technologies, varying economic and demographic trends and a new age of healthcare consumerism; the worldwide scenario of healthcare is rapidly evolving. Additionally, a growing ageing population, and a swelling burden of diseases is rising the demand and cost of medical services. This evolution in healthcare is driving cross-country and cross-industry convergence (Deloitte Global, 2021 ), resulting in an upsurge in the worldwide medical tourism market. As this trend towards the healthcare is enduring around the world, more and more countries are extending their health systems to access care, not just for their natives but also gaining strength as leading service providers for international patients. While much of the initial focus was on the developed world, the epicentre is now shifting towards the emerging countries. Governments of these developing countries are working towards prioritising their health systems; enhancing productivity, boosting avenues for innovation and entrepreneurship, generating employment opportunities, increasing foreign exchange earnings, and hence driving GDP growth (Rahman, 2019 ).

India has been having its own unprecedented progress in this sector. To counter the emergent health issues, the health system in India has metamorphosed rapidly since the 90 s and has become the focal point of development. With the presence of clinical and technical expertise, international standards and highly competitive prices; India has emerged as a leading contender in the medical tourism industry (Bagga et al., 2020 ). Yet the accelerating shift in the regional and global landscape is making it challenging for the stakeholders to balance opportunities with risks. The industry is showing ramification of rapid disruption and intensified competition. Service providers are facing new playing fields. Recognizing this change alone isn’t enough. Government and entrepreneurs need to become adept at dealing with disruption and adapt the operating models, in a holistic way, to mitigate the outcomes of the shifting paradigm. It is imperative to introspect and identify the capabilities and resources that stakeholders need to realise. This is critical to endure the sophistication and competence of the medical tourism industry in India.

The outbreak of Corona virus pandemic in 2019 has further complicated the market dynamics for the medical tourism industry. Uncertainty over travel restrictions, changing quarantine measures across the world and the overall unprecedentedness of the situation, have made the entire ecosystem of medical tourism industry more precarious. With cross-border travel restrictions and the need to redirect hospital resources to treat COVID-19 patients, healthcare providers have to manage a dual burden of economic and health crises (Stackpole et al., 2021 ). The challenges posed by this pandemic have further demonstrated how crucial it has become for medical tourism industry in India to review their competitive positioning, access deeper competencies and build resilience.

A review of extant literature indicates very little empirical research has been done to done to examine factors of competitiveness of a medical tourism destination (Abubakar & Ilkan, 2016 ; Heung et al., 2010 ; Thayarnsin & Douglas, 2016 ; Yeoh et al., 2013 ). Theoretical understanding around the phenomena requires further academic attention (Chuang et al., 2014 ), specifically with regards to the perspective of medical tourism providers (Taheri et al., 2021 ). Virani et al. ( 2020 ) have also directed our attention to the neglect of policy-relevant research on medical tourism. This study aims to address this gap. By considering the perspective of medical practitioners and senior representatives of hospital management, this study identifies and analyses the key factors driving success in medical tourism industry and the issues that Indian healthcare providers and policymakers should address in crafting a winning strategy. Taking Delhi NCR as the context, this outlook propounds insightful research into the existing state of medical tourism industry in India, explores the dimensions and factors that can help India shape an effective ecosystem for this sector and suggests considerations for an optimum future of medical tourism industry in India.

Literature Review

The literature review encompasses a succinct discussion on the medical tourism industry, its global trends and the current state of Asian and Indian medical tourism industry, along with the key dimensions of medical tourism as highlighted in the literature.

Medical Tourism

Globalisation is restructuring the industries worldwide. Medical tourism is one such manifestation of globalisation in the healthcare industry (Connell, 2013 ; Ganguli & Ebrahim, 2017 ). Broadly it refers to travelling internationally for healthcare. Since its rapid development in 1990s, medical tourism has received a major reflection from both academia and industry. Though the growing interest to study this industry is well evident, there is still no international consent on the definition or measure of this sector. The existing literature addresses the terms health tourism and medical tourism in a loose and disorganised manner. Terms frequently used, and often synonymously, in this regard are ‘ medical tourism ’, ‘health tourism’, ‘medical travel’, ‘health travel’ and ‘cross-border healthcare’. While some researchers have used “medical travel” and “health travel” synonymously (Gola, 2016 ) others refer to health tourism as a wider field with medical tourism as its subset (Carrera & Bridges, 2006 ; Smith & Puczko, 2009 ). In agreement with Smith and Puczko ( 2009 ), this study represents medical tourism distinctly from other subsets of health tourism. The word ‘medical’ here refers to illness, disorder or injuries. As put forth by Jagyasi ( 2008 ), medical tourism is “the set of activities in which a person travels often long distance or across the border, to avail medical services with direct or indirect engagement in leisure, business or other purposes”. Contrarily, health tourism is a wide-ranging phenomenon where travel can be undertaken for a variety of reasons from preventive and health-conductive treatment to rehabilitation and curative forms of travel (Dunets, et al., 2020 ). Other than medical tourism, health tourism encompasses other related fields like—wellness tourism (involving relaxation and exercises) and sports/adventure tourism (involving outdoor recreation) (Hall, 2011 ). Medical tourism itself has sub branches like ‘reproductive tourism’ and ‘dental tourism’. Another emerging term is “domestic tourism” which refers to the act of travelling within one’s own country for medical purposes (Hudson & Li, 2012 ; Reddy, 2010 ). This study focuses primarily on medical tourism and identifies this practice as travelling internationally to receive medical treatment.

Global Medical Tourism Trends

Lack of specific data, novelty of the concept, and the fragmented and unstructured nature of this industry makes it challenging to review this industry and give an estimate of its size (Chambers & McIntosh, 2008 ; de la Hoz-Correa et al., 2018 ). Prominent market research databases have reported global medical tourism market to be worth USD 104.7 billion in 2019, and have projected it to grow at a CAGR of 12.8%, to reach USD 273.7 billion by 2027 (Chhabra et al., 2021 ; Taheri et al., 2021 ).

Even though there is no fixed estimate of this industry, medical tourism is well-considered amongst the most dynamically growing industries today. Trade economists have documented a strong impact of this phenomenon on the global economy (Bookman & Bookman, 2007 ) especially the emerging countries of the world (Lee & Hung, 2010 ; Pafford, 2009 ). It not only adds to their foreign exchange, but also boosts investments in the medical and tourism sector streamlining their services (Ramirez de Arellano, 2007 ). Asia has been specifically considered as a hub for medical tourism (Connell, 2006 ). Countries like Singapore, India, Thailand, Brunei, Cuba, Hong Kong, Hungary, Israel, Jordan, Lithuania, Malaysia, the Philippines, and the United Arab Emirates have emerged as major providers for healthcare services to international patients (Heung, et al., 2010 ). Several other countries like Mexico, Turkey, Brazil, Costa Rica, Argentina and Bolivia are also working toward establishing themselves as major healthcare destinations (Singh, 2008 ).

The global demand and expenditure for healthcare services is on a rise due to factors such as growing and ageing populations, changing disease patterns and rapid transformations in costly digital technologies. With the rising disparity in healthcare costs, governments, corporations and individuals are looking at outsourcing healthcare facilities to emerging markets (Turner, 2007 ), especially those with advance and cost-effective healthcare facilities, and a proximity to developed countries. Medical tourism is also a viable and economical option for uninsured or underinsured patients. On the other hand, there is a substantial disparity in the quality of healthcare services. Patients from countries with limited government spending on healthcare and under developed private sector are forced to look at options beyond their borders. (KPMG, 2014 ).

Medical Tourism Industry in Asia

Last decade has seen Asia as an emerging leader of the medical tourism industry. This growth is fuelled by the availability of a variety of high quality and cost-effective medical procedures in Asia, improved connectivity and infrastructure and along with the presence of attractive locations to explore. The availability of advanced treatments in fields such as cardiology, neurology, orthopaedic, spine, ophthalmology along with aesthetics and alternative treatments like Ayurveda, Unani, Herbal and Yoga, makes Asia a sought-after destination. With private sector as the primary driver of medical tourism in this region, Asia has seen a faster growth of this industry vis-a-vis any other region globally. Many prominent healthcare providers in Asia are internationally accredited and have positioned themselves as distinguished service providers to patients from both within the region and far beyond. A market research on medical tourism industry anticipates the medical tourism market in Asia to cross USD 14 Billion by 2022 (iGATE Research, 2017 ). The research reports that Thailand, Singapore and India account for maximum proportion of international medical tourists in this region, followed by South Korea and Malaysia. Philippines and Taiwan are amongst other fast emerging markets in this sector. International patients contribute to a one-third or more of revenue in these private hospitals, and hence several private hospitals in this region are targeting this global world medical travellers’ market and have also gained a strong position for themselves in the industry (Mooter, 2017 ). An increased focus from government, foreign investment inflows and emerging startups are fueling up the competition not just between countries, but players as well. With the competition becoming stiffer, these countries and players are becoming more proactive in building their unique identifiers. Price is no longer the only factor of differentiation, countries are now looking at founding their proposition on parameters like diverse offerings, niche market, customized offering and even luxury (KPMG, 2014 ).

Medical Tourism Industry in India

Healthcare is amongst the largest and most complex sectors in India and is poised to touch USD 133.44 billion by 2020 (Outlook India, 2019 ). Healthcare in India is becoming one of biggest industries in terms of revenue generation and employment as well. Giving further impetus to this industry is the medical tourism sector which is bolstering the level of enhancements of care services in India. Table A1, as given in Supplementary Appendix file, states some basic facts related to the medical tourism industry in India. With its key differentiating factors of extremely competitive pricing, highly trained doctors, high quality care and availability of a range of treatments, India has realized the potential of medical tourism and positioned itself as one of the largest service providers in this region (Connell, 2013 ; KPMG, 2014 ; Medhekar et al., 2019 ). A study by KPMG India and Google, has pegged the medical travel industry in India at USD 4.8 Billion in 2017 (KPMG India & Google, 2018 ). The pre-Covid estimations expected the Indian medical tourism market to reach USD 13 billion by 2020 (KPMG India & Google, 2018 ). Despite the deliberative effects of Covid-19 on Travel and hospitality industry, the Indian medical tourism was estimated between USD 5–6 billion in 2021 (Financial Express, 2022 ). A right combination of cost efficiency and quality has driven the growth of this sector in India. Table A2, as given in supplementary appendix file, gives a comparative cost chart, for some common procedures, between India and other major medical tourism destination. Further the presence of a robust private sector, with international accreditations, has reinforced India’s standing. India offers a range of treatments from cardiology, neuro, paediatrics, ortho, ophthalmology, urology, gynaecology, general surgery, dental, cosmetics along with traditional healing options (Qadeer & Reddy, 2013 ). As per a report by Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, around 4,95,000 medical tourists travelled to India in 2017, with Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Iraq, Maldives being the top 5 source countries followed by Oman, Yemen, Uzbekistan, Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania (Ministry of Tourism, 2018 ). In the following years larger share of travel is expected from Africa and GEC countries (KPMG India & Google, 2018 ).Realizing the opportunity, Government of India has taken a few initiatives to promote and encourage the growth of medical travel to the country. These include Government of India’s health tourism policy; setting up a ‘National Medical & Wellness Tourism Promotion Board’ for regulatory, accreditation and marketing issues; accreditation of hospitals under the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals; dedicated website to promote medical and wellness tourism; promotions at international platforms such as World Travel Mart London, ITB Berlin, ATM, etc.; coverage under Ministry of Tourism's ‘Incredible India Campaign’; introducing separate category of medical visas—‘M Visas’; a proposal for setting up tourism circuits, along with a medical circuit which will connect modern medicine centres and Ayurveda; providing fiscal support and other benefits under Market Development Assistance Scheme (MDA); and lowering import duties on medical technology, equipment and machinery (KPMG, 2014 ; Medhekar et al., 2019 ; Ministry of Tourism, 2018 ).

Key Dimensions of Medical Tourism Industry

This section presents the factors, as highlighted in the literature, that impact the development of medical tourism in a region. Cost and quality are considered amongst the most important dimensions of medical tourism industry (Aziz et al., 2015 ; Bagga et al., 2020 ; Cortez, 2008 ). Affordability and service quality of hospitality and tourism have also been considered as important attributes for a medical tourism destination (Chuang et al., 2014 ; Fetscherin & Stephano, 2016 ; Olya & Nia, 2021 ).

Several studies, e.g. Ghosh and Mandal ( 2019 ) and Fetscherin and Stephano ( 2016 ), have highlighted the importance of the type of treatments offered, medical facilities, practitioner competence, service quality and standards of medical care offered by the service providers (Kamassi et al., 2020 ). Technological upgradation and medical innovation are other important factors linked to the success in this sector (Cortez, 2008 ; Velasco et al., 2013 ). Literature also points towards the importance of trust, credibility, perception and hence the need for certification, international standards and accreditation (Debata et al., 2015 ; Hall, 2011 ; Seow et al., 2017 ).

Beladi et al. ( 2019 ) and Ebrahim and Ganguli ( 2019 ) have explored the role of human resource development and administrative efficiency. Infrastructure and facilities with regards to accommodation, transportation, communication are other important dimensions recognized for medical tourism (Heung & Kucukusta, 2013 ; Kamassi et al., 2020 ).

Country specific factors and attributes such as country knowledge, culture, language, accessibility, safety and security, have also been analysed (Bagga et al., 2020 ; Cham et al., 2021 ; Olya & Nia, 2021 ). Crouch and Ritchie ( 2005 ) in their study have highlighted the importance of socio-cultural and political environment of the destination country. Tourism-specific factors of the destination country, such as weather, attractions, culture and exoticness, have also been considered while studying the attractiveness of a medical tourism destination (Fetscherin & Stephano, 2016 ; Lovelock et al., 2018 ).

Medical tourism destination marketing, destination branding and tourism destination image have also been considered important with respect to the development of medical tourism in any region (Hoz-Correa & Muñoz-Leiva, 2019 ).

Studies have also observed public and private coordination and collaboration of the medical tourism stakeholders, to enhance the development of medical tourism sector (Beladi et al., 2019 ; Ebrahim & Ganguli, 2019 ). Government support and a favourable policy framework have been considered as important factors for this industry (Hall, 2011 ; Wang, 2012 ). Snyder et al. ( 2015 ) and Omay and Cengiz ( 2013 ) have specifically advocated the need for a regulatory framework and policy intervention to improve the efficiency coordination, uniformity and standardisation in this sector and promote the medical tourism industry (Momeni et al., 2018 ).

Methodology

Considering the emerging nature of this industry, qualitative approach was exercised to truly analyse the value proposition of India as a medical tourism destination. A qualitative framework encourages both theoretical and applied knowledge and aids in the development of novel and alternate theories (Bygrave, 1989 ; Creswell, 2013 ). Case study method was adopted to classify and analyse the dimensions that can position India as a prominent healthcare service provider for overseas patients. Merriam ( 2002 ) describes case study as a comprehensive description and examination of a phenomenon or a social unit of study. The case being studied becomes the boundary of the research, and by focussing on a single context this approach seeks to offer an extensive enquiry and meaning of the phenomenon under study (Creswell, 2007 ; Miles & Huberman, 1994 ; Yin, 2011 ). For the present research, context was bounded geographically and the problem at hand was thoroughly explored in the Delhi-NCR region. As also suggested by Stake ( 1995 ), a holistic analysis of medical tourism industry in Delhi NCR allowed for an instrumental way to investigate the phenomenon at a broader level in India.

The Case Study Context: Delhi NCR

This study was conducted in Delhi NCR, i.e. National Capital Region of India. It includes Delhi, officially the NCT, National Capital Territory in India and several other regions neighbouring it; Gurugram, NOIDA and Faridabad being the prominent ones. Delhi NCR has witnessed an unprecedented growth in both, the healthcare infrastructure and as well as services in this last decade. The presence of corporate majors like Fortis, Max, Apollo; high-end hospitals like Medanta, Artemis; day care surgery centres and specialised centres, such as for IVF, eye care, birthing centres; has enabled Delhi NCR to emerge as a healthcare hub (Kachhap, 2012 ). Increased activity from the new corporate players have also spurred the existing older players like BLK, Gangaram and Moolchand to revive and widen their portfolio. These healthcare brands are consistently working towards building a strong medical tourism sector. With its robust medical infrastructure, advanced medical specialities, competitive pricing and highly trained doctors, Delhi NCR is amongst the most prominent healthcare destinations in India for international patients. These hospitals provide valuable services to medical tourists, ranging from special wards and lounges for international patients and their companions, translator services, international cuisines, accommodation services and the like. Moreover, its connectivity, location and rich cultural heritage and presence of international standards of hospitality make Delhi NCR a prime tourist destination. These factors make Delhi NCR an important context for exploring the medical tourism industry in India as a whole.

Data Collection

The qualitative approach and exploratory nature of this study maintains that the researcher becomes an agency for data collection. This enables the researcher to get close to the social phenomenon being studied and enable a deeper understanding of the social reality (Bryman, 1988 ; Marshall & Rossman, 1995 ). This also gives researcher the flexibility to delve into the issues that emerge during the study. The qualitative data for this study was collected by the researchers through semi structured in-depth interviews with senior practitioners, and senior members of hospital management. Conducting interviews allowed the researchers to apprehend wide-ranging perspectives and experiences of respondents with regards to medical tourism.

Potential participants for interviews were identified through purposive sampling, to ensure appropriateness, purpose and rich information. Participants were selected from multi-speciality hospitals, offering healthcare services to medical tourists, and through ongoing referrals from interview participants. Table A3, as given in supplementary appendix file, gives a brief profile of the respondents of this study. As a wide-ranging guideline for qualitative design, the study did not look for an increasing number of cases but aimed to collect an extensive detail from each case under study (Creswell, 2007 ). For this research the number of participant cases to be studied was not predetermined. Instead, taking reference from Maykut and Morehouse ( 1994 ), as the study progressed and data was analysed, additional cases required were determined by the extent to which each additional case would contribute to the understanding of the research problem. Data collection was concluded when it was realised that the emerging issues and themes were getting “saturated” and no new data was being found (Creswell, 2007 ; Glaser & Strauss, 1967 ; Strauss & Corbin, 1990 , 1998 ). For this study data saturation occurred within 20 samples. Having a smaller sample size allowed the research to spend an extensive time with each case and encouraged that the understanding, of Delhi-NCR’s competitiveness as a medical tourism destination, which emerged was representative of the practitioners’ perspective (Shaw, 1999 ).

The interviews were conducted in the respondents’ hospitals. The interviews lasted for about 45 min. These were conducted face to face, were audio recorded, after checking with the participants, and later transcribed verbatim. Vital areas of concern were recognised after a thorough literature review on medical tourism and an appraisal of the dimensions of competitiveness of a medical tourism destination, identified by (Malhotra & Dave, 2022 ). These served as the guide for conducting interviews.

Data Analysis

Data was analysed by means of constant comparison method as outlined by Glaser and Strauss ( 1967 ), Strauss and Corbin ( 1990 , 1998 ) and Creswell ( 2007 ). Accordingly, data collection and data analysis were done simultaneously. This allowed the researcher to make necessary adjustment to the research process, such as, sample selection, and testing the emerging themes or concepts with subsequent data (Merriam, 2002 ). This study has adopted the ‘abduction’ logic for data analysis. An abductive analysis approach emphasizes that instead of keeping all predefined theoretical concepts aside, a researcher should enter the field with a broad theoretical understanding and during the research process develop and build upon their theoretical repertoires (Timmermans & Tavory, 2012 ). As also proposed by Lichy et al. ( 2020 ), since the data set for this study was modest in size, coding was conducted manually.

The theoretical background referred to in this paper is a study, by the same authors, on the dimensions and drivers of medical tourism industry. (Malhotra & Dave, 2022 ) previously developed this paper based on a systematic review of empirical studies on the medical tourism industry globally. The purpose of the study was to identify and analyse the factors and dimensions that influence the competitiveness of a country as a medical tourism destination. Figure  1 outlines the dimensions identified by their study. These are structured around the domains of medical tourism opportunity and a country’s positioning, infrastructure and health human resource competence, care delivery, governance and regulatory framework.

Factors influencing a country’s medical tourism industry.

Source: Malhotra & Dave ( 2022 )

This study uses the extant structure to systemize its findings from research work in Delhi NCR that pursues an understanding on how the value proposition of medical tourism industry can be redefined here. This helps us explore the wider relevance of the proposed dimensions in the study by (Malhotra & Dave, 2022 ) and its implications in a specific context. By analysing the experiences of the practitioners from Delhi NCR, the study has able been able to identify an additional dimension that impact a medical tourism destinations’ competitiveness. This dimension is the role of medical facilitators and it has been included in the existing domain of Refined Delivery. Taken together, this has helped to emerge a more comprehensive range of dimensions that are relevant for the development of an advanced medical tourism destination.

This section organises the fieldwork findings around the dimensions outlined in the (Malhotra & Dave, 2022 ) study to identify any contrast and facilitate discussion on Delhi-NCR’s proposition as a medical tourism destination. These dimensions are: assessing a country’s competence as a medical tourism destination, successful positioning and government as a facilitator. While each of these dimensions have been considered independently, for analytical purpose, the apparent correlation between these three domains should be acknowledged. Along with this the discussion also includes respondents’ views on the opportunity assessment of medical tourism for India, its benefits and social implications.

Assessing Medical Tourism as an Opportunity

The ambiguity in the size or figures of the medical tourism market, as highlighted in the literature review, was also reported in the fieldwork of this study. Participants emphasised the concern regarding lack of data on the volume of value of this industry or the market shares. Almost all respondents saw medical tourism as an opportunity for India. They reflected that the market is increasing on a year-to-year basis and that there is a huge potential for the coming 5 to 10 years as well. The major reasons reported for India’s exponential growth in this segment is its clinical expertise, major cost competitiveness over other countries, conducive and friendly environment.

“Reason for the growth is that India has the advantage of being clinically excellent. Technology if not the best is at par with most other countries, our clinicians are trained abroad and they are returning back to practice in India. So clinical excellence has built up” (Respondent 9) “Indian hospitals are clinically sound, environment is conducive, we have a price point advantage over many other countries, then we speak a language that is understood, or getting people who speak their language is easier and cost effective” (Respondent 11)

Some of the respondents also highlighted the evolution in the medical tourism industry, with destination countries getting matured and looking to invest in their own healthcare infrastructure, new medical tourist hubs coming up and a growing impetus of value driven services.

“Very soon you’ll see, facilities there will be developed, clinicians from here will go and train their people. They will still carry back procedures, which cannot be done there, because of the environment, or which require critical post-op care.” (Respondent 14)

Assessing a Country’s Competence as a Medical Tourist Destination

A well-crafted strategy can lay the foundation for a competitive destination for medical tourism and creating an environment of holistic care for medical tourists. The study shows a consensus on the competence of India and specifically Delhi NCR as a healthcare provider.

Healthcare Infrastructure

In the last decade, Delhi NCR has seen the emergence of a robust private healthcare system. Most respondents agreed that Delhi-NCR’s healthcare infrastructure, if not superior, is at par with most other destinations. And that it is one of prominent drivers of medical tourism industry here.

“In purely technical terms of medical infrastructure, I think we are at par with both Singapore and Thailand, or any other country for that matters, where they have an edge over us?? I think it’s in terms of their overall infrastructure…their ethos of cleanliness for example. It takes us an effort to do that, whereas in a place like Singapore it’s given, so that’s the challenge for us Indians” (Respondent 9)

Refined Delivery

Respondents indicate a lack of streamlined and standardised care delivery. This includes not just healthcare services, but service touch points of travel, tourism, airport and hospitality. While Delhi NCR has an appeal over factors such as accommodation, cultural adaptability, language interpreters and general conduciveness, it still has a long way to go.

“Facilities and infrastructure in hospitals are no less than anywhere else, but I think the degree of professionalism can improve a lot. Our systems and processes are not as smooth as how they should be... like the whole process starts when a patient needs medical care in a certain country, so he gets in touch with a local hospital or agent in the source country who in turn gets in tough with the hospital here, that interface could be smoother.” (Respondent 11) “It’s not about their lack of trust on India’s healthcare system, its generally the perception of India as a country and safety of their travel. Say for e.g., patient addressal mechanism could be stronger.” (Respondent 6)

The ‘role of medical facilitators’ was not highlighted in (Malhotra & Dave, 2022 ) original framework. The research work in this study in the Delhi-NCR region, however, raised a number of critical systems impacts and policy implications regarding the role of medical facilitators or middlemen in the Indian medical tourism market. Participants demonstrated a consistent view regarding the prominent role of the facilitators in the medical value chain, in channelizing the international patients towards a particular country and subsequently a healthcare service provider. There was also a prevalent concern regarding the lack of transparency and regulation in the way these middlemen operate, quality of service delivered, corruption or any unethical practices, and most of all a lack of credibility. Participants expressed an apprehension on the way these facilitators impact the quality of care delivery or the overall experience of overseas patients.

“There are these middlemen, also known as facilitators, they form a very important but also the weakest link in this chain. There is no accountability, no regulation… all this can severely impact the service delivery and in turn our name, our credibility goes down” (Respondent 8)

Quality Driven by Standardized Protocols

Most respondents have recognised the importance of accreditation. Issue of safety and quality is a primary concern for the medical tourists. Delhi-NCR hospitals are accredited with both Indian standard of—National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) and more importantly Joint Commission International (JCI).

“NABH is a recent Indian government initiative to get some sort of quality standardisation in the healthcare industry, it’s not as stringent as JCI, but at least some initiation has been done.” (Respondent 4) “We had our first international accreditation done in 2006 and now second one around 2011–12. The Indian NABH is comparable, but it’s fairly new and not recognised well in international market. Say JCI is well recognised internationally, so we have to get that done if we want to get recognition in the international healthcare industry. Though sometime one is not able to justify the cost incurred on these international accreditations, but still they are very important.” (Respondent 15)

Enhanced Healthcare Human Resource Development

Though Delhi-NCR’s hospitals are clinically competent, lack of skill at the paramedic level was felt by several; respondents. Most respondents reflected the need for superior training programmes for paramedics, and not just in specialities but also in general category and front staff. Only then will service quality standards be met. Respondents expressed the problem of lack of retention of trained paramedics and healthcare workforce.

“Areas of improvement for us would be paramedics. We don’t have training institutes; we need to have a much more vibrant infrastructure for skilling people. Skill development is not there. One excuse given here is the numbers we deal with makes it impossible to work on trainings…” (Respondent 8) “Doctors travel to enhance their skills, where is the exposure for paramedics? On the job training is never enough to improve their service standards.” (Respondent 2)

Coordination and Collaboration for a Superior Care Delivery

Most respondents highlighted a lack of coordination or participation at an industry level. Though several forums like FICCI, CII and the like have been recognised to have some level of representation, however these collaborations and partnerships are still at an early stage. An important reason highlighted was the clash of opinions between players. The industry is still at a fragmented state, where each hospital is strategizing to increase its share in the pie.

Successful Positioning

Most respondents spoke about the individual efforts and strategies, at the group hospital level. Each corporate is trying to position in the international market, in its own capacity. There are some efforts by the government as well in this regard.

“Yes, these corporate groups and other private players are strategizing for capturing medical tourism market, it is a big agenda for them.” (Respondent 5 )

By far, Delhi NCR has been able to position itself as a clinically competent and a cost-effective player. It also scores over other players in terms of its cultural adaptability and soft service skills. Indian doctors are considered more approachable.

“On the price that we are charging, the service that we are giving is very good. We have a patient from Canada, he tells us that our service quality, the kind of attention we give is far better than what they get in west. Because, here we give personal attention, people talk to you, they are ready to go out of their way to help you…” (Respondent 3)

Government as a Facilitator

There was a mixed opinion regarding the role of government as a facilitator. A majority of the respondents felt that government should stay out of the medical tourism sector and the system. They strongly felt that any kind of intervention or regulation by the government would hamper the growth of this industry in India.

“Thankfully govt doesn’t interfere, else the business would go down. As in case of many other sectors... the fact that govt has stayed away from this business like in case of IT sector, has helped the business to come to a certain level... the moment govt steps in, and starts the process of licencing, permits, accreditation. the whole system will come down… let this run as a free market interaction, cause that will bring the best quality at the lowest price… leave the market to its business...” (Respondent 7)

The other opinion recognises the government’s efforts in a positive state. They feel the government has stepped in whenever it needs to, for visa facilitation, rationalisation of visa costs as the like. Initiatives from government and regulatory bodies are required to make the system cleaner and more transparent.

“Regulation is like a double edge sword, it helps you in certain things, it harms you in certain ways. So as long as the regulations are crafted carefully, taking in to the considerations the infrastructure of the institutions…” (Respondent 15)

Social Implications and Benefits of Medical Tourism

The widely shared outlook demonstrated the positive impact of medical tourism on a country’s healthcare and tourism industry. Participants expressed a consistent vision of an overall upgradation of both healthcare and basic infrastructure in the country as a result of the fast-growing competition in the medical tourism market. The participants typically did not express a concern on the social implication of medical tourism industry on the domestic healthcare industry of India, however suggested a holistic outlook to the entire proposition.

“We should not ague on how encouraging medical tourism in India can have a negative impact in our own healthcare burden... If you see we have come a long way, our healthcare system, our medical expertise, technology, has progressed immensely… competition is good for any industry.” (Respondent 12) “If we talk about the impact of medical tourism on Indian healthcare industry, I should say it’s been a positive one… this proposition has added value, credibility and given us a global visibility. One can see a long-term benefit to the domestic industry, not just healthcare but other sectors as well, tourism, logistics, hospitality… Our overall standards of service and hospitality is increasing.” (Respondent 12)

Research aimed at exploring the sources of competitiveness, in a particular industry, for firms competing in international or regional markets (e.g., Momaya, 2019 ; Moon et al., 2015 ; Thompson et al., 2013 ) have emphasised the role of abilities, proprietary knowledge, innovation capability, sustainable business and economic model, technological innovation, pace of internationalisation, quality, business excellence and human resources. Based on our research and taking these factors into consideration, India’s capability as a medical tourism destination is assessed below and gap areas identified. Table ​ Table1 1 provides a synthesis of the growth drivers for India’s medical tourism industry and the opportunity scope.

Medical tourism industry in India—growth drives and opportunity scope.

Source: Compiled by author

With increasing significance of quality and outcomes of the service (Mishra & Sharma, 2021 ), ‘value’ has become the watchword for the healthcare industry. The term to be used here is then medical ‘value’ travel. The addressable market is huge and several countries are strategizing to tap into this opportunity. India’s needs to build a value proposition around the right combinations of cost and quality efficiency.

Clinical expertise and cost are primarily the two important drivers of medical tourism market in India (Ebrahim & Ganguli, 2019 ). It has an edge over other countries with respect to its cost competitiveness. With several prominent super speciality brand names, Delhi NCR has become a hub for medical tourism. The emergence of a robust private sector has significantly enhanced the quality and standards of healthcare. With the presence of clinical and technical expertise, and international standards, Delhi’s credibility as a medical destination is on a rise. Delhi also scores high on the parameters like cultural adaptability and soft skills. The surge in emerging unconventional formats of healthcare delivery and technological revolutions are further fuelling the growth of this industry in India.

Delhi’s holistic appeal as a medical travel destination is hampered by a significantly poor perception on factors such as safety, travel infrastructure, tourism experience and streamlined systems. There have been few initiatives from the government, however much work needs to be done. Regulatory initiatives are specifically required in the areas of transparent accreditation to prevent false claims and substandard care deliveries. Most of all there needs to be a streamlined effort to bring the industry together and work on common grounds of promotion, streamlined systems and travel infrastructure. The medical facilitators play a prominent role in the medical tourism value chain. However, there is an urgent need to define and regularise their position. The channel needs to be streamlined to promote transparency in the process and curtail any unethical and unfair practice that can impact the service outcome and in turn the overall credibility.

Delhi NCR, being the capital and focal point of major developments in the country, has significant scope for improvements in airport and travel infrastructure. As in case of the hospitality industry, service delivery standards need to get streamlined in healthcare industry as well. This would mean investing in training and retaining of paramedics, not just with specialities, but general nurses and staff well.

Industry to focus on brand building initiatives, driven by digital marketing solutions and user specific marketing campaigns. Industry can leverage from collaborative efforts of the stakeholders and public private partnerships to extend potentials of enhancing expertise, efficiency and investment. Most of all it is critical to focus on factors like safety, pollution, drinking water quality, sanitation and corruption to promote a strong positive image of the country that can positively impact medical tourism industry.

As the market is getting matured, industry dynamics are changing. ‘Value’ and ‘Sustainability’ have become the operative words around the world. India and specifically Delhi NCR can look at streamlining the medical value chain by adding and generating value at each touch point, both for India and the source country. With countries which are ready to step up their healthcare facilities, India can explore the option of ‘reverse medical travel’, where in Indian doctors can help set up facilities in the source countries and train their health resources. The complicated and serious procedures will still have to refered back to India, due to the nature of procedure or the critical post-op are required. Such initiatives have already started taking place, but at a minuscule scale. Indian healthcare system needs to take a giant leap towards leveraging the unconventional operating models and technological revolutions, building an ecosystem that encourages and supports innovation. Tapping the international market in a big way will further power this growth.

Limitations and Avenues for Future Research

Case study research has an inherent limitation of generalisability. This research is limited to redefining the value proposition of the medical tourism industry in the Delhi-NCR region only. However, to get an overall perspective of India as a destination, such a study needs to get extended to other major medical tourism hubs as well, such as Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai. Also, this study is limited to the surgical aspect of the medical tourism market. Further research could also focus on another growing segment of wellness tourism. Domestic tourism is also an important but a relatively unexplored area. Other micro-niche areas can be super-specialities such as cardiac, ortho, dental, or reproductive services. Facilitators for an important but a very weak link in the medical travel value chain. Further research could focus to either remove or to strengthen this link.

India’s evolution, as amongst the world’s most preferred medical tourist destinations, is expected to sustain a steady growth. This growth is driven by five major factors: cost competitiveness, medical expertise, quality of healthcare services, robust private sector and cultural adaptability. Even as these factors propel India forward, there are some major gaps to bridge. The most pressing concerns in front of the Indian medical tourism industry are paucity of an amenable policy framework, inadequate tourism and logistic infrastructure, unstandardized service quality standards, and India’s poor perception on macroeconomic factors such as corruption, environment quality, safety. To successfully build a future of envisioned growth, India must place a premium on a collaborative effort from all the stakeholders, to address these issues; a commitment to innovation and sustained inclusive growth.

As for the healthcare systems around the world, COVID-19 pandemic has shaken the foundations of Indian healthcare industry as well. With business and health restrictions, medical tourism industry also suffered the initial setback (Ayittey, 2020 ). Government, tourism companies and healthcare providers are struggling to remodel their business to adjust to current realities, withstand the pandemic and accelerate recovery. As the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic is not clear, the future remains uncertain. This pandemic and uncertainty around it have further intensified the need for the industry players to direct their focus on realignment and revaluation of their business models and work towards enhancing resilience and agility.

The purpose of this research is to analyse the factors that are crucial for India to identify, create and finally deliver a distinctive value proposition as medical tourism destination. Following a literature review and a qualitative study with Delhi NCR as a case, this research advances the medical tourism body of knowledge. The paper discusses the research process and the methodology adopted for the study in detail. Finally, the report analyses India’s, and specifically Delhi-NCR’s, competence as a medical tourist destination and synthesises the key growth drivers and opportunities for this industry.

Key Questions Reflecting Applicability in Real Life

• What are the critical success factors in medical tourism industry?
• What are the dimensions and factors that can help India increase its competitiveness as a medical tourism destination?
• How can service providers ensure a steady growth of the medical tourism ecosystem, to ensure sustainability and competitiveness?
• What role can policy support play for the medical tourism ecosystem in India and its competitiveness?
• How has the Covid-19 Pandemic affected the medical tourism ecosystem? Which segment of the industry can rebound stronger in which cities?

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Acknowledgements

The authors extend their special thanks to all the respondents of this study, who despite their busy schedules and heavy engagements, took time to give us their insights and critical inputs to improve the quality of this research. Besides, the authors wish to acknowledge all the reviewers including the members on the Editorial Board of this journal, whose constructive critique helped in improving the quality of the paper to a great extent.

Biographies

has over 16 years of diverse experience in industry and academics. She has been working as a management consultant offering knowledge-based services to clients in the consumer and retail sector. Neha has also been associated with various universities and institutes as a visiting faculty in the area of marketing, management and retail. Her research interest lies in the area of Marketing, Retail, Luxury, Services, Consumer Behaviour, Education and Employability. Neha Malhotra is a doctoral scholar at Ambedkar University, Delhi. She has done MS in Consultancy Management from BITS Pilani and Postgraduation in Fashion Management Studies from NIFT Bangalore.

is a professor of Marketing and Retail Management area at Ambedkar University, Delhi. He brings in-rich experience of around 23 years in industry and academics. Prof Dave is also Dean of School of Business, Public Policy and Social Entrepreneurship (SBPPSE) at Ambedkar University. He has been serving as an expert for various academic endeavours like selection committees, board of studies, PhD examiner, speaker and trainer at various B-schools and universities. His research interest lies in Marketing, Management, Services, Branding, Luxury, Retailing, Customer Analysis, Internationalization in Higher Education, Management Education in India, Quality and Accreditation issues.

Author Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by NM and KD. The first draft of the manuscript was written by NM and all authors read and approved the final manuscript.

The authors declare that there was no funding from any agency or institution for conducting this study.

Data Availability

Code availability, declarations.

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest. The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Contributor Information

Neha Malhotra, Email: [email protected] .

Kartik Dave, Email: ni.ca.dua@kitrak .

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Our Response to COVID-19 →

Destination Spotlight

Strategy to increase brand value of indian hospitals in international markets.

Indian hospitals have been struggling to compete against international hospitals to attract patients at various forums, such as events, lectures, exhibitions and symposiums without the hoped for results. The medical tourism industry in India is still maturing due to various reasons that are well-known to the regular readers of this magazine. ‍

To accelerate this movement of international patients to Indian hospitals, I propose the following:

India has many hospitals and clinics (approximating to 22,000) that offer treatments in nearly every medical sector including cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery, joint replacement, orthopedic surgery, gastroenterology, ophthalmology, transplants and urology.

The various specialties include neurology, neurosurgery, oncology, ophthalmology, rheumatology, endocrinology, ENT, pediatrics, pediatric surgery, pediatric neurology, urology, nephrology, dermatology, dentistry, plastic surgery, gynecology, pulmonology, psychiatry, and general medicine and surgery.

Board certification from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and Japan are valuable assets that can be used to promote healthcare services in international markets, as well as cutting-edge technology and equipment.

Another marketing strategy used by service providers is to offer more value to differentiate from increasing competition and, thereby, create more convenience and efficiency for patients and stronger customer relationships.

Some of the non-medical care services include online arrangements, such as travel coordination, language interpreter/ translation, guest-houses or apartments for patients’ relatives adjacent to the hospital, hotel selection and reservations, sightseeing tours inside a city, medical transportation both on land and in air, and one-to-one nursing care. ‍

Some major healthcare service providers in India have expanded their businesses overseas by investing in and/or operating hospitals or medical centers. These clinics, diagnostic centers, pharmacies and hospital networks are also used for follow-up on patients who got treated in India. Thereby, the strategy is to be well- framed for the “specialty” in which the hospitals work to increase brand value.

Indian hospitals have an advantage among their competitors due to their high standards of medical treatments and services offered to patients at a very competitive price. India treats many complicated medical procedures at a cheaper cost compared to many developed countries.

However, in terms of infrastructure facilities, such as roads, sanitation, power backups, accommodations and public utility services, much more is needed for India to become a medical tourism destination. It is important and essential to introduce standards in pricing of procedures in Indian hospitals. This needs to be followed at least by market leaders to generate trust among medical tourists. ‍

The Internet is the primary means for disseminating information related to medical and non-medical care services offered by every healthcare service provider. It is the most cost-effective way to extend a product to targeted customers and, at the same time, help patients acquire correct and valuable information that allows them to make informed decisions.

Service providers use the internet to market available medical treatments and confirm patient confidence. Many aspects, like two-way communication; facility, treatment and service descriptions; quality assurance and other concierge procedures are also presented on the internet to attract patients into a medical traveling program.

Most of the healthcare service providers generally need the help of facilitators to promote their medical tourism efforts. These facilitators provide information and recommend patients and their related treatments to hospitals.

These people work as a center-point of contact for cooperation between patients and hospitals for screening cases and transferring all appropriate medical reports. In some cases, facilitators are responsible for advertising and marketing protocols related to assurance and reliability for healthcare service providers in potential countries. ‍

India has a large pool of doctors (approximately 600,000), nurses and paramedics with required specialization and expertise, and the advantage of speaking English.

Major healthcare service providers in India, particularly large private hospitals, need to participate in tourism marts, international medical fairs, medical tourism exhibitions, seminars, conferences and advertise in travel magazines in countries with support from the government.

In addition, other informative materials, such as corporate brochures, leaflets, multimedia and t-shirts with logos, can also be used to create awareness of the healthcare services available.

Hospitals need to build cooperation with local institutes, universities and medical schools in other countries and collaborate on education and training for doctors and nurses; conduct surgical camps, establish telemedicine, information and satellite centres and outreach activities overseas; work in conjunction with United Nations projects, and CSR activities with Overseas NGOs; and exchange knowledge as well as promote alternative healthcare services.

Hospitals should also advertise to healthcare service providers about medical and non-medical services in both local and international media. News articles and videos related to quality standards of medical treatment, rare surgeries, unique techniques, technology and quality assurance/awards/accreditation need to be available online and to the international media. These activities create awareness of the medical treatments available as well as build a positive image of high-quality and international standards of medical care in India. ‍

The next strategy Indian hospitals may use to attract international patients to their low-cost treatments is to offer access to well-trained medical specialists who are qualified from established institutes overseas including the United States, United Kingdom, France, Japan, and Germany.

In the international arena, specialized and qualified doctors and staff can provide a competitive advantage to hospitals. There is also a lack of training in international marketing for staff otherwise well-versed in healthcare industry operations. This sector needs skilled manpower with immense knowledge to explore international markets for Indian hospitals.

However, a shortage of doctors and trained medical staff is also a major concern in Indian medical tourism. Furthermore, patient culture is also misunderstood and considered a challenge to medical tourism in India as well. ‍

Patients seeking medical treatments are concerned with quality; defined by accreditation from a recognized international organization that audits medical quality. India has a large pool of doctors (approximately 600,000), nurses and paramedics with required specialization and expertise, and the advantage of speaking English.

The medical education system caters to the ever-increasing demand for the delivery of quality healthcare services across the country. The Joint Commission International (JCI) recognizes and accredits hospitals that meet or exceed those standards of medical facilities in the West.

‍ In India, large facilities including Fortis Hospital, Apollo Hospitals, Wockhardt Hospitals, Medanta Medicity, Max Hospital, Breach Candy Hospitals Lilavati Hospital, and Manipal Hospitals are equipped with cutting-edge technology as well as the infrastructure to offer spacious, luxury rooms and excellent amenities similar to those found at five-star hotels for patients and their relatives. This competitive advantage will help gain confidence and trust among international patients, making India a preferred choice among medical tourists. ‍

About the Author

Guru Prasad serves as senior The next strategy Indian hospitals may use to attract international patients to their low-cost treatments is manager in the international marketing department of Fortis Healthcare Limited, in New Delhi, where he has marketed products and services for the past 13 years.

He has spoken in many countries including Korea and Russia, among others, and is also responsible for organizing and executing health camps, lectures and joint surgeries between nations and the medical fraternity representing Fortis Hospital. He has researched and prepared a thesis on “Strategy to Increase the Brand Value of Indian Hospitals in International Market.”

Unveiling the Power of Social Media Marketing in Medical Tourism

Korea: turning the focus to an emerging global leader in medical tourism, exploring the surge of cosmetic tourism: trends and considerations in aesthetic procedures abroad, holistic healing: exploring integrative medicine and wellness retreats, meeting the surge: the growing demand for knee replacement surgeries and advances in the field, stem cells show promise for hair thickening, stem cell injection for back and neck pain, in pursuit of excellence: ceo spotlight with ms. artirat charukitpipat, south korea, a medical tourism leader pioneering the future of medicine  , continue reading, guide to choosing korea for medical travel, transforming healthcare through innovation: ceo spotlight interview with matthew a. love, featured reading, medical tourism magazine.

The Medical Tourism Magazine (MTM), known as the “voice” of the medical tourism industry, provides members and key industry experts with the opportunity to share important developments, initiatives, themes, topics and trends that make the medical tourism industry the booming market it is today.

Trends, Growth, and Opportunity Analysis of Medical Tourism in India

An In-depth Look at Demand for Medical Tourism in India by Dental and Cosmetic Treatment for 2024 to 2034

Quality Healthcare Infrastructure and World-class Facilities Drive the Growth of the Medical Tourism Industry in India

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India Medical Tourism Industry Outlook from 2024 to 2034

The medical tourism industry in India is estimated to be valued at US$ 10,362.9 million in 2024. It is projected to surpass US$ 50,670.5 million by 2034. The industry growth in India is expected to develop at a healthy 17.20% CAGR from 2024 to 2034.

Key Industry Drivers

In the post-pandemic era, individuals are increasingly becoming health-conscious. This has significantly pushed the demand for cost-effective and high-quality healthcare facilities, even if they have to travel abroad. Even before the pandemic hit the world, the trend of getting exclusive treatments done in developing countries had become a norm for the well-off population residing in developed economies. This has two advantages:

• Individuals get the benefit of first-class medical services, therapies, surgeons, etc. at nominal expenses
• They could also take advantage of India’s scenic beauty, rich cultural heritage, and diverse landscapes by combining their treatments with leisure activities

The medical tourism industry in India is also getting a lot of attention among European nations as it is known for offering a wide range of alternative therapies like Ayurveda and yoga. The government of India is also actively promoting these therapies on an international level, attracting more people to the country.

As per a cost comparison study by the American Medical Association, a knee replacement surgery somehow cost US$ 40,000 in the United States, US$ 10,000 in Thailand, and US$ 13,000 in Singapore. However, the same surgery, with better medical care and services, is very likely to cost around US$ 8,500 in India.

Compared to other developed and developing nations, the cost of living in India is also very reasonable. This makes the stay during prolonged treatments even more affordable. Better connectivity from all parts of the world to the Indian metropolitan is also contributing to the growth of the India medical tourism industry.

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Trends in the India Medical Tourism Industry

One of the key attractions for people traveling to India is the well-established wellness tourism industry in the different parts of the country. Alternative medical therapies, like Yoga, Ayurveda, naturopathy, meditation, Vipassana, etc., are also getting their undue recognition and appreciation from people worldwide.

The rise of destination management companies contributes to the growth of the India medical tourism industry. They assist in treatment planning, travel arrangements, visa assistance, language interpretation, and local support, enhancing the overall experience for medical tourists.

India, as a country, is also focusing on enhancing its medical infrastructure to cater to the demands of its population. This has significantly changed the face of India’s Medicare and healthcare sector in the past couple of decades.

The country now has 38 hospitals accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI) and a significant amount of hospitals accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH). This generates immense trust in the people looking forward to travel to India for their treatments.

Negative Perception and the Lack of Single Unified Body to Slow down the Industry Growth of Medical Tourism in India

The fact that India offers the most affordable medical services in the world also comes with a negative perception in the minds of the people that these services may be low-quality. This notion has dampened the growth of the medical tourism industry in India. Apart from this, India, in the last few decades, has always been the target of terrorist groups and organizations. This has created a sense of fear in the people looking forward to traveling to India.

Competition from other Southeast Asian countries, like Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia, is also slowing down the India medical tourism industry. India’s healthcare industry also suffers from serious issues of hygiene and patient safety. Unlike other countries, there’s also a lack of a single unified body that works toward the betterment of the medical tourism industry in the country. All these factors are collectively contributing to the negative growth rate of the Indian medical tourism industry.

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Comparative View of Adjacent Industries

Two industries in the international marketplace, other than the India medical tourism industry, have the potential to have a plethora of opportunities in the coming decade. The growth factors and trends in the global medical tourism industry and global inbound medical tourism industry have been jotted down below. According to these numbers, it can be inferred that the inbound medical tourism industry is very likely to have a promising future in the coming decade.

India Medical Tourism Industry:

Inbound Medical Tourism Industry:

Medical Tourism Market:

Category-wise Insights

Millions of foreigners flock india for cardiovascular treatments.

Based on treatment type, the industry for Indian medical tourism is segmented into dental, cosmetic, and cardiovascular treatments. The cardiovascular segment is anticipated to hold a share of 40.20% of the overall India medical tourism industry.

The presence of top cardiologists in India makes it a hub for cardiovascular treatments. Additionally, the advanced health infrastructure present in some of the major centers with international accreditation adds to its appeal.

Hospitals like the Fortis Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre, Asian Heart Hospital, and Medanta Hospital are some of the key cardiovascular centers in Asia. They are pioneers in the field of cardiology and are also present in India. All these factors have contributed to the effective growth of India’s medical tourism industry in the past few years.

Spiritual and Historical Factors Make India a Popular Destination for Wellness Services

Based on the services, the wellness segment takes the maximum share of the India medical tourism industry. It is anticipated to hold an industry value of 61.50%.

In the last few years, it has also been observed that people have actively traveled to India in quest of alternative medicine such as yoga, massages, and meditation. Many destinations in India, like Rishikesh, also known as the Yoga capital of the world, Varanasi, Kullu, Manali, Goa, etc., are some of the prominent hubs for wellness tourism and alternative medicine practices. Their immense popularity in the Western world has significantly contributed to the growth of the wellness tourism industry in India.

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Competitive Landscape

The projected 17.20% CAGR for India’s medical tourism industry is a collective collaboration of numerous players, such as hospitals and healthcare providers, wellness centers, Ayurvedic resorts, destination management companies, tourism boards, etc. Apollo Hospitals, Fortis Healthcare, Max Healthcare, Medanta - The Medicity, Narayana Health, and Manipal Hospitals provide excellent healthcare facilities, especially when it comes to chronic diseases.

Ananda in the Himalayas, The Art of Living International Center, Somatheeram Ayurveda Village, Kairali Ayurvedic Group, Ayushakti Ayurved Pvt. Ltd., Osho International Meditation Resort are considered the pioneers of wellness centers in and around the world. These institutions are aided by insurance companies like ICICI Lombard General Insurance, Religare Health Insurance, and Paramount Health Services & Insurance TPA Pvt. Ltd. so that international patients can seek medical travel insurance coverage in India.

Recent Developments

• In July 2023, Ananda in the Himalayas launched two immersive wellness experiences in Maldives and Switzerland. The expert team traveled to educate and rejuvenate tourists in tranquil settings. The Energy Harmony retreat was held at The Nautilus in the Maldives from December 1st to 7th, while a unique workshop took place at Nira Alpina in St. Moritz, Switzerland, from September 13th to 17th.
• In August 2023, the Ministry of Home Affairs introduced the Ayush Visa for foreign travelers seeking medical treatment, wellness, and yoga in India. This initiative aimed to promote medical tourism and make Indian traditional medicine a global phenomenon.

Key Companies in the Industry

• Apollo Hospitals
• Fortis Healthcare
• Max Healthcare
• Medanta - The Medicity
• Narayana Health
• Manipal Hospitals
• Ananda in the Himalayas
• The Art of Living International Center
• Somatheeram Ayurveda Village
• Kairali Ayurvedic Group
• Ayushakti Ayurved Pvt. Ltd.
• Osho International Meditation Resort
• IndiCure Health Tours Pvt. Ltd.
• MedTourEasy
• India Medical Tourism
• Tour2India4Health Consultants Pvt. Ltd.

Key Coverage in the India Medical Tourism Industry Report

• Medical tourism destinations in India
• Trends in the Indian Medical Tourism Industry
• Health Tourism Services in India
• Available Opportunities in the Indian Medical Tourism
• Top Hospitals for Medical Tourism in India

Key Segments in the Global India Medical Tourism Industry

By treatment type:.

• Dental Treatment
• Cosmetic Treatment
• Cardiovascular Treatment
• Orthopedic Treatment
• Neurological Treatment
• Cancer Treatment
• Fertility Treatment

By Services:

• Wellness Services
• Therapeutic Services

By Tour Type:

• Independent Traveler Tour
• Group Package Traveler

By Consumer Orientation:

By age group:.

• 15-25 Years
• 26-35 Years
• 36-45 Years
• 46-55 Years
• 66-75 Years

By Booking Channel:

• Phone Booking
• Online Booking
• In-Person Booking

Frequently Asked Questions

How big is the medical tourism industry in india.

The medical tourism industry in India is expected to be worth US$ 10,362.9 million in 2024.

What is the Sales Forecast for India's Medical Tourism through 2034?

The medical tourism industry in India is expected to reach US$ 50,670.5 million by 2034.

At What Rate is the Medical Tourism Industry Growing in India?

The India medical tourism industry is developing at a CAGR of 17.20% from 2024 to 2034.

Who are the key Companies in India’s Medical Tourism Industry?

Apollo Hospitals, Fortis Healthcare, Max Healthcare, Medanta - The Medicity, Narayana Health, Manipal Hospitals, etc., are some of the key players in the industry.

What was the Overall Value of the India Medical Tourism Industry in 2023?

The valuation of the medical tourism industry in India was US$ 8,767.2 million in 2023.

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India ct scanners market forecast report to 2030: increasing medical tourism sees demand for ct scanners catering to international patients rise.

Indian CT Scanners Market

Dublin, July 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "India CT Scanners Market, By Region, Competition, Forecast and Opportunities, 2020-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. India's CT Scanners Market is valued at USD 223.55 Million in 2024 and is anticipated to project impressive growth in the forecast period with a CAGR of 4.43% through 2030.

The Indian CT Scanners Market is being propelled by several key factors. An increasing prevalence of chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disorders, and neurological conditions is driving the demand for advanced diagnostic imaging technologies like CT scanners. Rising healthcare expenditures, coupled with a growing emphasis on early disease detection and prevention, are spurring investments in medical infrastructure and diagnostic facilities across the country.

Technological advancements in CT scanner systems, such as multi-slice and high-resolution imaging capabilities, are enabling more accurate diagnoses and treatment planning, further fueling market growth. Government initiatives to improve healthcare access, expand insurance coverage, and promote medical tourism are contributing to the expansion of the India CT Scanners Market. Overall, these factors converge to create a favorable environment for market expansion, with increasing demand for CT scanners expected to drive sustained growth in the coming years.

Key Market Trends

I ncreasing Medical Tourism India's growing prominence as a medical tourism destination is driving the demand for advanced healthcare services, including diagnostic imaging with CT scanners. With its world-class healthcare infrastructure, skilled medical professionals, and cost-effective treatment options, India attracts a large number of international patients seeking medical care. Diagnostic imaging plays a crucial role in the medical tourism ecosystem, as patients often require comprehensive evaluations and imaging studies as part of their treatment plans. CT scanners offer high-quality imaging capabilities and rapid turnaround times, making them essential tools for medical tourism destinations.

Medical tourists often seek cutting-edge technologies and advanced treatment options not available in their home countries, further driving the demand for CT scanners in India. As medical tourism continues to grow, the demand for CT scanners catering to international patients is expected to rise, driving market growth in the segment. Rapid Urbanization and Healthcare Infrastructure Development The rapid urbanization and development of healthcare infrastructure in India are driving the adoption of CT scanners in urban and semi-urban areas. As cities expand, healthcare facilities are mushrooming to cater to the growing population and rising demand for medical services. Hospitals, diagnostic centers, and specialty clinics are investing in state-of-the-art imaging equipment, including CT scanners, to meet the diagnostic needs of their patients. Government initiatives such as Smart Cities Mission and National Urban Health Mission are focused on improving healthcare access and infrastructure in urban areas, further driving investments in medical imaging technology. The concentration of healthcare facilities and diagnostic centers in urban hubs creates a conducive environment for the adoption of advanced imaging technologies, fueling market growth in the CT scanners segment. Segmental Insights

Technology Insights Based on the Technology, the 16-slice CT scanners are currently dominating due to their balance between performance and cost-effectiveness. While higher slice machines offer superior image quality and faster scanning speeds, they often come with a higher price tag, making them less accessible to a broader range of healthcare facilities, especially in resource-constrained settings. The 16-slice CT scanners strike a crucial balance between diagnostic capabilities and affordability, making them the preferred choice for many hospitals, diagnostic centers, and clinics across India. These machines provide sufficient imaging resolution and coverage for a wide range of clinical applications, including routine diagnostic imaging, trauma evaluations, and interventional procedures, while offering a more favorable cost-to-performance ratio compared to higher slice machines. The versatility and reliability of 16-slice CT scanners make them well-suited for various healthcare settings, from urban tertiary care hospitals to rural primary health centers, catering to the diverse needs of patients and healthcare providers nationwide. While higher slice machines such as 64-slice, 128 & above slice scanners offer advanced imaging capabilities and are increasingly being adopted by larger healthcare facilities and academic institutions, the 16-slice CT scanners remain the cornerstone of diagnostic imaging in India, driving market demand and shaping the landscape of CT scanning technology. Application Insights Based on Application, cardiology emerges as the dominant domain driving market growth and technological advancements. CT scanners play a crucial role in cardiovascular imaging, offering non-invasive and rapid assessment of cardiac anatomy, function, and pathology. With the rising burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in India, including coronary artery disease, stroke, and heart failure, there is a growing demand for advanced imaging technologies to support early diagnosis, risk stratification, and treatment planning. CT coronary angiography (CTA) has emerged as a valuable tool for detecting coronary artery stenosis, assessing plaque burden, and guiding coronary interventions, offering high diagnostic accuracy and clinical utility. Cardiac CT imaging is increasingly being used for pre-procedural planning and post-procedural evaluation of structural heart interventions, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), and electrophysiological procedures. The integration of CT scanners with advanced cardiac imaging techniques such as myocardial perfusion imaging, cardiac calcium scoring, and functional assessment further enhances their diagnostic capabilities and clinical value in cardiology practice. Advancements in CT scanner technology, including high-resolution imaging, dual-source CT, and spectral imaging, enable comprehensive evaluation of cardiac morphology and function, driving the adoption of CT scanners in cardiology departments nationwide. While Oncology and Neurology also represent significant domains for CT imaging applications in India, the dominance of Cardiology in driving market demand underscores the critical role of CT scanners in cardiovascular care and the growing emphasis on preventive cardiology, early disease detection, and personalized treatment approaches in the Indian healthcare landscape. Regional Insights The Western region stands out as the dominant region propelling market growth and innovation. Comprising states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Goa, the Western region boasts a confluence of factors that contribute to its market dominance. It is home to several major metropolitan cities such as Mumbai, Pune, and Ahmedabad, which serve as pivotal hubs for healthcare infrastructure, research, and technological advancement. These urban centers house a dense network of hospitals, diagnostic centers, and specialty clinics equipped with state-of-the-art CT scanner facilities, catering to the diagnostic needs of a vast population base. The Western region's robust economic landscape, characterized by industrialization, trade, and commerce, generates significant demand for advanced healthcare services, including diagnostic imaging. As a result, healthcare providers in the Western region prioritize investments in medical technology, including CT scanners, to meet the growing demand for diagnostic services and maintain competitiveness in the healthcare market. The presence of leading medical institutions, academic centers, and research organizations in the Western region fosters collaboration, innovation, and knowledge exchange in the field of diagnostic imaging, driving advancements in CT scanner technology and clinical applications. While other regions such as North, South, and East also contribute to the India CT Scanners Market, the Western region's economic dynamism, healthcare infrastructure, and commitment to technological innovation position it as the primary driver of market growth and development in the country. Key Market Players

Wipro GE Healthcare

Siemens Healthcare

Philips India Limited

Erbis Engineering

Allengers Medical Systems

Carestream Health India

United Imaging Healthcare

Trivitron Healthcare

Medirays Imaging

Key Attributes:

Report Scope: In this report, the Indian CT Scanners Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below: India CT Scanners Market, By Technology:

128 & Above slice

less than 8 slices

India CT Scanners Market, By Modality:

India CT Scanners Market, By Device Architecture:

India CT Scanners Market, By Application:

India CT Scanners Market, By End User:

Diagnostic Centers

India CT Scanners Market, By Region:

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/uoslao

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Wednesday, 10 July 2024

Agenda - The Sunday magazine

• Cover Story
• Pioneer Exclusive

Organ Racket in National Capital busted

India’s emergence as a global medical tourism hub in recent times has been marred by several cases of organ theft, raising concerns among agencies and Ministries about blow to the country’s reputation. To combat this menace, the Centre recently issued advisories for international patients.

India’s growing popularity as a premier medical tourism destination is evident from the influx of approximately 2 million patients from 78 countries each year, seeking medical, wellness, and IVF treatment. This booming industry currently generates $6 billion annually which is projected to soar to $13 billion by 2026, bolstered by the Indian Government’s ambitious ‘Heal in India’ initiative, according the CII (Confederation of Indian Industry).

However, with no let-up in incidents of organ thefts, the health tourism industry faces a serious threat.

The latest being a major organ donation transplant racket running in Delhi-NCR region with links to Bangladesh busted by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police.

According to the Delhi Police on Tuesday, a total of seven people, including a Delhi-based doctor and the racket’s Bangladeshi kingpin, have been arrested. Acting on a tip-off, the Crime Branch had been working on the case for two months.

A majority of the donors and recipients are from Bangladesh brought to India on the basis of the fake documents for the surgeries.

Former National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) Head Dr Vimal Bhandari, while talking about the issue of such rackets, said the onus of cross-checking the documents of the patient and the donor to ensure that such incidents do not happen lies on the authorisation committee.

“An authorisation committee which has six to seven members including the medical superintendent as its chairman calls both the donor and the patient to cross- check all the documents. If any problem arises the matter is forwarded to the ministry,” he said, adding that the process happens on record.

“Thus the onus to make sure that such cases do not happen lies with the authorisation committee,” said the former chief of National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation.

Elaborating on the case, DCP Crime Branch Amit Goel said, “On June 16, secret and credible information was received from reliable sources about the members of a well organised crime syndicate, who are involved in illegal kidney transplants. The information was further developed and on June 16, on specific information, a raid was conducted by a team at Jasola Village.” He added that four accused persons, namely Rasel, the kingpin, Rokon, Sumon Miya, all natives of Bangladesh and Ratesh Pal, also hailing from Bangladesh were apprehended.

During interrogation, they confessed that they targeted the patients suffering from kidney disease hailing from Bangladesh by visiting the dialysis centres in Bangladesh. “They arranged the donor from Bangladesh, taking advantage of their poor financial background and exploiting them on the pretext of providing them a job in India,” Goel stated.

The accused used to confiscate their passports after they reached India. Thereafter, the accused prepared the forged documents of patients/donors to show the relationship between them as this is mandatory that only the close relative can be a donor.

“On the basis of forged documents, they got their preliminary medical examination conducted at hospitals and got their kidney transplant operation done,” the DCP said. It was also found that a Delhi-based doctor, namely, Dr. D. Vijya Rajkumari and her personal assistant Vikram Singh were involved in the racket.

“During investigation, it was found that one Vikram Singh, personal assistant of Dr. D. Vijya Rajkumari, used to assist in preparation of the patient files and was instrumental in getting the affidavit of patients and donors prepared. Vikram Singh used to take Rs 20,000 per patient from the accused,” he said.

The woman doctor, now working as a kidney transplant surgeon in a well-known hospital in southeast Delhi, was allegedly involved in the surgery of some people from Bangladesh between 2021 and 2023. She allegedly conducted the surgeries in a Noida-based private hospital where she was a visiting consultant.

An assistant of the doctor and four others, including three Bangladeshi nationals have been arrested. The arrests took place over the last two weeks.

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Union Minister Reviews Tourism Projects in Tripura

Union minister of state for tourism suresh gopi reviewed ongoing tourism projects in tripura. during his visit, he discussed future plans with state officials and will visit the unakoti archaeological site. the state's recent campaign features former cricket captain saurav ganguly as a brand ambassador for tourism..

Union Minister of State for Tourism Suresh Gopi on Tuesday reviewed the ongoing tourism-related projects in Tripura.

Gopi arrived in Tripura on Tuesday on a three-day visit.

He met Tripura's Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury and state Tourism Secretary U K Chakma to discuss the current and future tourism initiatives in the region.

Chowdhury informed reporters, saying, 'We had a detailed discussion with the MoS Suresh Gopi on the ongoing tourism-related projects and future plans for the state's tourism.'

The state of Tripura recently appointed former India cricket team captain Saurav Ganguly as a brand ambassador to promote tourism both nationally and internationally.

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