New Delhi [India], September 7 (ANI): India has the potential to emerge as a major global hub for medical value tourism, with the healthcare ecosystem capable of generating jobs, business opportunities and international goodwill, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said at the inauguration of Sanjeevani 2026 at the Bharat Health Global Expo in New Delhi.

Goyal said India's competitive advantage in healthcare extends beyond pharmaceuticals to hospitals, medical equipment, diagnostics, traditional medicine and a skilled pool of doctors, nurses and technicians. "The Indian medical value tourism has huge potential," he said, urging the sector not to miss the opportunity presented by rising healthcare costs, ageing populations, long waiting lists and shortages of tertiary care in several countries.

Highlighting India's cost advantage, Goyal said the country offers clinical excellence and advanced technologies while healthcare costs are "60 to 80 per cent lower than other parts of the world, particularly the developed world." He said this combination could strengthen India's position as an international destination for patients seeking quality and affordable treatment.

Goyal also set an ambitious growth target for the sector. He noted that 3.5 million patients had benefited from India's medical value tourism ecosystem over the past seven years and said the target should be to reach at least 10 million patients annually. "We have the ability, we have the capability, we have the right doctors, we have the right ecosystem," he said, while stressing that high standards, ethics and integrity would be critical to achieving that scale.

He called for healthcare providers to make the patient journey more seamless, including through transparent treatment packages, faster insurance reimbursements, cashless payments and wider use of tele-consultations. He also suggested creating a pool of interpreters to help international patients navigate language barriers.

Goyal said medical tourism should also expand beyond major metropolitan centres to tier-2 and tier-3 cities, supported by improving air and transport connectivity. He noted that India had increased the number of airports from 74 in 2014 to nearly 165-170, with a target of more than 200 airports.

"India becomes the gateway for international health and wellness services with the highest quality standards available anywhere in the world," Goyal said, underscoring the government's vision for India's healthcare sector. (ANI)