A Swiss patient's alleged four month waiting period for a kidney stone surgery prompted Pune-based entrepreneur Sudhir Mehta to highlight India's potential to become a global medical tourism hub. Mehta argued that India should expand its medical tourism market and actively target patients from Europe, UK and Canada as these countries have patients waiting for months for surgeries that Indian hospitals could do in days.
"That gap is a $16 billion opportunity we're ignoring," Mehta stated in a post on X, arguing that India needs a more efficient system to connect overseas patients with its hospitals. According to figures cited by the government, India's medical tourism market was estimated at $8.7 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $16.2 billion by 2030.
Switzerland. Full insurance. Kidney stone. Surgery date given for a relative :4 months. ???? In India, he'd be home and recovered in that time. That gap is a $16 billion opportunity we're ignoring. India's medical tourism today: ???? $8.7 bn market ???? 5 lakh foreign patients a year ???? Government target: 10 million We are at 5% of our own target. And who comes? Mostly Bangladesh, Iraq, Uzbekistan. Meanwhile Europe, the UK and Canada have patients waiting months for surgeries our hospitals do in days. Insured. Able to pay. Stuck in queues. We don't lack doctors. We don't lack hospitals. We lack a system that lets a Swiss insurer send a patient to Pune as easily as to Zurich. Fix four things: ✅ Tie up with foreign insurers and the NHS ✅ Publish hospital outcomes, audited, in English ✅ Medical visa in 72 hours ✅ Clear legal recourse for foreign patients India keeps chasing ten small opportunities. This is one big one, sitting right in front of us. Should medical value travel be India's #1 services bet after IT? ???? #HealInIndia #MedicalTourism
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— Dr. Sudhir Mehta (@sudhirmehtapune) November 10, 2026
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India's Medical Tourism Market
India received 5,07,244 foreign nationals specifically for treatment in 2025, according to Ministry of Tourism data produced in a government backgrounder released by the Press Information Bureau in May 2026.
The country's medical tourism industry has been attracting patients from mostly Bangladesh, Iraq and Uzbekistan among other countries. Bangladesh accounted for the largest number of medical arrivals, with 3,25,127 patients in 2025. It was followed by Iraq with 30,989 patients, Uzbekistan with 13,699 patients, Somalia with 11,506 patients, Turkmenistan with 10,231 patients, Oman with 9,738 patients and Kenya with 9,357 patients.
Mehta argued that India should look beyond its traditional medical tourism markets and focus on attracting people from developed healthcare economies. "We are at 5% of our own target. And who comes? Mostly Bangladesh, Iraq, Uzbekistan. Meanwhile Europe, the UK and Canada have patients waiting months for surgeries our hospitals do in days. Insured. Able to pay. Stuck in queues," he stated.
Why Europe, UK and Canada?
India already attracts a substantial number of medical tourists, but its existing patient base is concentrated in neighbouring and developing countries. Mehta believes that India should also target developed healthcare markets, where people may have health insurance but limited access to immediate appointments, long waiting periods for non-emergency procedures, high private healthcare costs, access to advanced medical facilities but limited availability of specialists and the financial capacity to pay for treatment abroad, subject to insurance approval.
Mehta's proposed strategy is to connect India's comparatively affordable hospitals with international patients who are willing and medically able to travel. "We don't lack doctors. We don't lack hospitals. We lack a system that lets a Swiss insurer send a patient to Pune as easily as to Zurich," he stated.
Four Reforms
Mehta proposed four changes to help the country expand its international patient base.
1. Tie-ups With Foreign Insurers And The NHS: Mehta called for Indian hospitals to establish partnerships with international insurance companies and the UK's National Health Service (NHS).Such arrangements could make it easier for overseas patients to receive treatment in India without having to navigate complicated reimbursement procedures.
However, insurance coverage for planned treatment abroad depends on individual policy terms and prior approvals. NHS-funded treatment in India would also require specific commissioning and funding arrangements.
2. Publish Audited Hospital Outcomes In English: The entrepreneur also called for hospitals to publish independently audited clinical outcomes in English. This would allow international patients, insurance companies and referring doctors to assess hospitals using measurable information about treatment quality and patient safety. Such disclosures could include surgical outcomes, complication rates, infection rates and readmission figures.
3. Medical Visas Within 72 Hours: Mehta proposed that India introduce a system to process medical visas within 72 hours. India already provides e-Medical Visa facilities to eligible foreign nationals from 172 countries. His proposal seeks to make the process faster and more predictable for patients who need to travel for planned procedures.
4. Clear Legal Recourse For Foreign Patients: Mehta also emphasised the need for clearly defined legal protections for international patients. He argued that overseas patients should have access to transparent grievance redressal mechanisms and clarity on their legal rights if complications, medical negligence or disputes arise during treatment.
Concluding his post, Mehta questioned whether medical value travel should become India's biggest services-sector opportunity after information technology, arguing that the country should focus on building a system that allows international patients to access its healthcare infrastructure more easily.
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