NEW DELHI — In a major push to establish India as the ultimate global sanctuary for health and wellness, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal has unveiled a transformative five-point action plan aimed at supercharging India’s medical value tourism ecosystem.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of Sanjeevani 2026 during the Bharat Health Global Expo 2026 in New Delhi, Goyal set an ambitious target: scaling up India’s medical tourism from 3.5 million patients over the last seven years to 10 million annual international patients.
Highlighting India’s top-tier clinical excellence and healthcare costs that run 60% to 80% lower than Western nations, the Minister emphasized that the country is uniquely positioned to become a seamless gateway for international health and wellness.
The 5-Point Blueprint to Transform Healthcare Tourism
To achieve this massive expansion while maintaining world-class quality standards, Minister Goyal outlined five critical focus areas:
- Global-Standard Workforce: Prioritizing intensive training and certification for medical caregivers to build a skilled, internationally recognized workforce.
- Transparent “Heal in India” Gateway: Aggressively onboarding hospitals to the Heal in India digital portal, requiring them to publish completely honest, transparent treatment packages to build trust.
- Seamless Digital Integration: Calling upon health-tech and insurance providers to develop unified platforms that ensure hassle-free patient journeys, rapid reimbursements, and widespread cashless payments.
- Zero-Tolerance Quality Control: Promoting global exhibitions and establishing international hospital tie-ups, with a strict mandate that only National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH)-accredited and verified hospitals will be allowed to host overseas patients.
- Expanding Beyond Metro Cities: Urging state governments to upgrade wellness infrastructure in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, ensuring that high-quality, specialized care is globally visible and accessible across all regions of India.
Dignity and Equality in Care
Minister Goyal sent a clear message to the healthcare industry regarding ethics and hospitality, asserting a policy of zero tolerance for unethical practices.
“Every single patient—whether domestic or foreign—deserves equal, top-tier treatment delivered with absolute dignity,” Goyal stated.
By combining India’s ancient heritage of wellness with a cutting-edge, corruption-free healthcare network, Goyal is positioning the nation to transition from the “pharmacy of the world” into the undisputed healthcare hub of the world.
