New Delhi, July 17, 2025 – In a landmark effort to elevate India’s position on the global healthcare map, the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI), in collaboration with KPMG in India, launched its flagship report titled “Heal in India: Catalysing Medical and Wellness Tourism for a Healthier Global Future.” The report outlines a transformative national strategy that integrates India’s clinical expertise with its centuries-old wellness traditions, aiming to make the country the world’s most trusted destination for medical value travel (MVT). This outlook was unveiled at the Heal in India 2025 Medical & Wellness Tourism Summit, organised by the FHRAI—the apex body representing India’s hospitality sector.
The launch took place during the summit in a power-packed inaugural session themed “Unlocking the Potential of Medical & Wellness Tourism”, bringing together thought leaders and policymakers across healthcare, wellness, tourism, and hospitality sectors. The day-long summit inaugurated by the Chief Guest and keynote speaker Shri Suman Billa, IAS, Additional Secretary and Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. While inaugurating Mr. Billa quoted that ”India should work together to make India a global movement putting all stakeholders on one platform and building trust.”. He further said that the tourism economy is reaching three trillion US dollars in coming years and for that, several areas need to be activated. He mentioned that medical and wellness tourism are strategic pillars to achieve this target. He strongly suggested that in coming years we will have to showcase not only our competence but also our care, compassion, and delivery. For us, growth is a given. Infact he foresighted that industry will certainly grow in the coming five years.
Mr. Billa also talks about the challenges which this industry is currently facing. The challenge for us is not only to grow the market size but to increase the impact that the sector’s growth can bring to the country — in terms of GDP, job creation, foreign exchange earnings, and most importantly, building trust. While focusing on this particular issues, he also highlighted that the foreigners who are travelling to India for healthcare and wellness should be given quality service and exceptional treatment so that they can have trust and confidence in Indian medical and wellness sector. Today, we have exceptional hospitals in Tier 1 cities that match the best in the world. So he suggested we need to take this exceptional services and excellence to smaller clusters and Tier 2 cities. This can only be done by integrating all the stakeholders — hotels, tour providers, hospitals — all of which need to be safe and secure.
Guest of honour Dr. Manoj Nesari, MD, (Ay), PhD, CMO (SAG), CGHS, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India highlighted the importance of Ayurveda and traditional medicine. He mentioned that India is very rich in traditional healing so India should make it brand and our government have taken plethora of initiatives to boost this sector as an alternate economy in recent years. He also stated that series of initiatives have been taken to further promote Yoga and Ayurveda as an healing and wellness alternative across the globe.
Session opened with a welcome address by Mr. K. Syama Raju, President, FHRAI, while addressing the session he said that “Heal in India is more than a healthcare initiative—it’s a nation-branding opportunity,” “As custodians of India’s hospitality and tourism landscape, we see this as a chance to integrate care with culture, comfort with credibility. The report release today marks a vital step towards positioning India as the world’s preferred destination for healing, recovery, and rejuvenation.”
Presenting the report, Mr. Someswara Koundinya, Director KPMG India (Sports & Tourism Practice) at KPMG India, called it a “call to action” and not just a reflection. “India must lead not just in treating illness, but in promoting long-term wellness. With the right policy support, digital tools, and global outreach, we have the opportunity to become the world’s healing capital,” he said. He highlighted the key aspects of the report and shared the position of India in global landscape.
The report marked that with global healthcare costs continuing to rise and long waiting periods in developed countries, India is emerging as a cost-effective alternative offering both modern surgeries and natural recovery options like Ayurveda, Yoga, and Panchakarma. The report further highlights that India already attracts over 2 million medical tourists every year, with patients coming from more than 75 countries, including Bangladesh, Iraq, the Maldives, Nigeria, and developed nations such as the United States, Canada, and the UK. In 2024 alone, over 463,000 medical visas were issued, showing a strong rebound in the sector post-Covid.
It also talks about the global landscape where India stands. India competes with Thailand, Turkey, South Korea, and Malaysia, but offers unique differentiation via holistic wellness integration and affordability. Digital health leaders like Estonia and Denmark are role models, but India’s scale and digital health ambitions (ABDM, AI in healthcare) give it strategic leverage.
Among the esteemed speakers was Prof. Minu Bajpai, Executive Director of the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences and Principal Director at Yashoda Medicity, who emphasized the importance of clinical excellence and capacity building. Dr. Blossom Kochhar, Chairperson of the Blossom Kochhar Group of Companies, highlighted India’s potential in wellness-driven beauty and integrative healing.
The session concluded with a vote of thanks by Mr. Rahool Macarius, Market Managing Director for Eurasia, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, who underlined the hospitality industry’s readiness to support and enhance India’s healing journey through culturally sensitive service excellence. Hence the summit envisioned that India’s healthcare diplomacy is undergoing a paradigm shift—from transactional care to transformational healing. The ‘Heal in India’ initiative signals India’s arrival as a global wellness superpower, offering integrated, trusted, and human-centric healthcare solutions for the world.
Key Highlights of the Knowledge Report
India’s Medical Tourism Market is set to surge from USD 18.2 billion in 2025 to USD 58.2 billion by 2035, at a CAGR of 12.3%.
India ranks 10th in the Medical Tourism Index and 7th in Wellness Tourism, attracting nearly 2 million international patients from 75 countries.
Medical visa issuance rose to 463,725 in 2024, with the majority of patients from Bangladesh, GCC nations, and Africa.
The global medical tourism market, pegged at USD 41.75 billion in 2024, and wellness tourism at USD 954.14 billion, are expected to double by 2030 and 2034, respectively.
Strategic Recommendations & National Roadmap
Launch National & State-Level Heal in India Missions with stakeholder coordination.
Create treatment-specific and wellness tourism clusters in states like Kerala (Ayurveda), Delhi NCR (advanced care), Maharashtra (multispecialty).
Strengthen capacity building: Train facilitators and providers on global standards and multilingual hospitality.
Develop Tier II/III Infrastructure: Enable PPP models and SEZ-style hubs to extend reach and access.
Global Branding Campaigns: Leverage embassies, expos, and digital platforms under the ‘Heal in India’ umbrella.
Incentivize investment: Tax exemptions, FDI, fast-track approvals, and health-tech innovation grants.
