**Executive Summary**
This document is the response to Unstarred Question No. 2515 in Lok Sabha, answered on December 15, 2025, concerning the promotion of medical and wellness tourism in India. The Minister of Tourism clarifies the role of the Ministry, the involvement of other organizations, and the extent of support provided to States/Union Territories. There are no specific action items with set deadlines mentioned in this document.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Development and Promotion:**
* Development and promotion of tourist destinations, including medical tourism, is undertaken by respective State Government/Union Territory (UT) Administrations.
* The Ministry promotes various tourism products, including medical & Wellness tourism, through initiatives.
* **Data and Branding:**
* The Ministry of Tourism does not maintain specific data on the economic contribution of India's medical and wellness tourism sector.
* There is no proposal to create a unified national brand promoting synergy between accredited super-speciality hospitals and traditional AYUSH-based wellness centres.
* **Accreditation and Information:**
* The National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) provides accreditation for hospitals, wellness centres, healthcare facilities, and Medical Value Travel Facilitators.
* The Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC) has developed a website (http://www.indiahealthcaretourism.com) offering information on accredited hospitals, wellness centers, and visa information.
* **Financial Assistance:**
* The Ministry of Tourism provides financial assistance to State Governments/UT Administrations for tourism infrastructure development through schemes like Swadesh Darshan, PRASHAD, and ‘Assistance to Central Agencies for Tourism Infrastructure Development.
**Impact Analysis**
**State Governments/UT Administrations**
* **Impact:** They are responsible for the development and promotion of medical and wellness tourism. They can receive financial assistance for tourism infrastructure development.
* **Action Required:** They need to submit proposals/detailed project reports to the Ministry of Tourism to receive central financial assistance according to the specified guidelines.
**Hospitals, Wellness Centres, Healthcare Providers, and Medical Value Travel Facilitators**
* **Impact:** Accreditation services are provided by NABH, allowing them to demonstrate compliance with recognized standards. The SEPC website provides a platform to promote their services.
* **Action Required:** Seek accreditation from NABH. Utilize the SEPC website to showcase their services and information.
**Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of AYUSH**
* **Impact:** There is government coordination to streamline regulatory norms, visa support, and international marketing for promoting medical and wellness tourism
* **Action Required:** Maintain coordination with the Ministry of Tourism to streamline regulatory norms and promotional efforts for medical and wellness tourism.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Tourism: The primary ministry responsible for promoting medical and wellness tourism in India.
AYUSH: Refers to traditional medicine systems like Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy, and the Ministry of AYUSH is involved in promoting AYUSH-based wellness tourism.
National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH): An organization providing accreditation for hospitals and healthcare facilities, relevant for promoting medical tourism.
Medical and Wellness Tourism: The main subject of the policy, aiming to assess and promote this sector in India.
Swadesh Darshan: A central sector scheme under the Ministry of Tourism focused on developing tourism infrastructure, mentioned in the context of financial assistance.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF TOURISM
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2515
ANSWERED ON 15.12.2025
PROMOTION OF MEDICAL AND WELLNESS TOURISM
2515. DR. C N MANJUNATH:
Will the Minister of TOURISM be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has assessed the current scale and
economic contribution of India’s medical and wellness tourism
sector;
(b) whether there is any framework to promote synergy between
accredited super-speciality hospitals and traditional AYUSH-
based wellness centres under a unified national brand, if so, the
details thereof;
(c) whether the Government is coordinating with the Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of AYUSH to
streamline regulatory norms, visa support and international
marketing for promoting medical and wellness tourism;
(d) whether the Government has any plan to develop dedicated
medical and wellness tourism hubs with integrated
infrastructure in key regions such as Bengaluru, Kochi,
Gurugram, Varanasi and Rishikesh; and
(e) if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)
(a) to (e): Development and promotion of tourist destinations and
products, including medical tourism is undertaken by the respective
State Government/Union Territory (UT) Administration. The Ministry
promotes various tourism products of the country, including medical &
Wellness tourism through various initiatives.The Ministry of Tourism does not maintain data on economic
contribution of India’s medical and wellness tourism sector.
There is no proposal in the Ministry of Tourism to create a unified
national brand to promote synergy between accredited super-speciality
hospitals and traditional AYUSH-based wellness centres. The National
Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH)
provides accreditation for hospitals, wellness centres, healthcare
facilities and empanelment for Medical Value Travel Facilitators.
The Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC) under the Ministry
of Commerce has developed a comprehensive website
viz., http://www.indiahealthcaretourism.com which provides
information on accredited hospitals and wellness centres, visa,
healthcare providers etc. The Ministry of Tourism has provided a link to
this portal on its official websites.
The Ministry of Tourism through its central sector schemes of
‘Swadesh Darshan, ‘Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage
Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) and ‘Assistance to Central Agencies for
Tourism Infrastructure Development ’extends financial assistance to
the State Governments/UT Administrations for tourism infrastructure
development in the country. The central financial assistance is being
extended according to guidelines and based on proposals/detailed
project reports received from the States and UT Governments.
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