Heal in India: Building a Global Future of Health with Indian Roots

India’s emergence as a leading healthcare destination has taken center stage in recent years. With world-class doctors, competitive costs, and a rich heritage of wellness practices, we have a unique advantage. Recognizing this, the Government of India launched the “Heal in India” campaign—a forward-thinking initiative that positions India as a global destination for medical value travel (MVT) and holistic healing.

This isn’t just about tourism. It’s a blueprint to unify modern medical science with traditional wellness, boost our health economy, and offer life-changing care to patients across the world.

Origin of the Term “Heal in India”

Following the success of national campaigns like Make in India, Digital India, and Incredible India, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare coined the term Heal in India to harness India's global appeal in healthcare and wellness.

The idea was simple: if people travel across continents for Indian doctors, surgeries, and Ayurveda, why not organize and scale it systematically?

Launched with the support of the Ministry of AYUSH, Ministry of Tourism, and Ministry of External Affairs, this initiative reflects a shared vision—to offer healing, the Indian way.

Broad Objectives of Heal in India

1. Position India as a global healthcare hub for advanced treatment and wellness.

2. Streamline international patient journeys through digitization and better infrastructure.

3. Bridge traditional and modern systems—offering integrated care via AYUSH and allopathy.

4. Generate employment and upskill the healthcare workforce.

5. Make India a dependable ally for countries with underdeveloped healthcare systems.
   
   

Current Status: Where Do We Stand Today?

India is already ranked among the top 5 global medical tourism destinations, receiving over 2 million patients annually from countries in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and even Europe and North America.

India is already a top five global medical tourism destination, attracting patients from:

• Africa (Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia)

• South Asia (Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives)

• The Middle East (Oman, Iraq, Yemen)

• CIS countries (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia)

• Even from developed countries like the USA and UK—for elective procedures.

However, the experience is not yet seamless.

Where We’re Still Lacking:

• Language & cultural barriers: Limited support for non-English-speaking patients.

• Uneven quality standards across small clinics and hospitals.

• Low awareness and readiness among small healthcare organizations to cater to foreign patients.

• Limited digital support for end-to-end facilitation (though the upcoming Heal in India portal aims to change this).

To overcome this, the Heal in India portal is being developed to serve as a single digital platform where international patients can:

• Search accredited hospitals

• Compare treatment costs

• Schedule appointments

• Access visa assistance

• Navigate treatment packages
  
  

The integration of Ayush Visa and Medical Attendant Visas further removes bureaucratic hurdles.

These gaps limit the campaign’s effectiveness, especially when compared with more organized medical tourism hubs like Thailand or Singapore.

Encouraging Smaller Healthcare Organizations to Step Up

One of the untapped opportunities in Heal in India lies in India’s vast network of small and mid-sized hospitals, clinics, and wellness centers. These facilities often have:

• Skilled practitioners

• Local trust and reputation

• More personalized patient care

Yet they hesitate to participate in international care due to:

• Lack of certifications

• No support structure for foreign patients

• Limited visibility in the global marketplace
  
  

This is where programs by QCI and Optimize-like consultancies come into play.

QCI & Accreditation: Strengthening India’s Healthcare Backbone

The Quality Council of India (QCI) is a pivotal national body that drives quality assurance across sectors, including healthcare. Under it:

• NABH (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers) ensures hospitals follow global patient safety and care standards.

• NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) ensures diagnostic labs maintain high-quality protocols.

• Ayushmark by QCI ensures quality in Ayurveda, Yoga, and other wellness systems.

For small and mid-sized facilities, getting accredited under NABH or NABL not only:

• Improves internal processes and outcomes, but also

• Builds international trust, enabling them to be listed on Heal in India’s national portal.

In fact, accreditation is a non-negotiable element if India wants to truly compete globally in medical value travel.

Looking Ahead: What Can Heal in India Become in 10–20 Years?

🌍 A Global Healthcare Powerhouse

With the right implementation, India could lead a $70 billion global medical tourism market, offering not just surgeries, but full recovery, rehabilitation, and rejuvenation.

🏥 Wellness Cities & MVT Zones

Cities like Kochi, Chennai, and Nagpur could transform into fully-integrated MVT zones, offering seamless, multilingual, and digitally facilitated medical and wellness services.

🧠 Global Healthcare Workforce

With migration and mobility on the rise, Indian doctors, nurses, and paramedics could be internationally recognized, enhancing India’s brand as a trusted health workforce supplier.

🤝 Health Diplomacy

India could play a key role in health equity, providing affordable care for patients from developing nations, and soft-power engagement with the world.

Benefits for the People of India

• New employment opportunities in hospitals, travel, hospitality, and support services.

• Higher global recognition for Indian healthcare workers.

• Improved quality of care across domestic institutions through standards and competition.

• Infrastructure growth even in smaller cities.
  
  

Benefits for International Patients

• Affordable, high-quality treatments—often 1/5th the cost of developed countries.

• No long waiting times for life-saving surgeries.

• Multispecialty expertise across oncology, orthopedics, fertility, cardiology, etc.

• Traditional Indian healing systems like Ayurveda and Yoga integrated into recovery plans.

• Access to India’s unique culture, heritage, and spiritual environment.
  
  

A Squirrel’s Path: Everyone Can Contribute

At Optimize, we believe even small steps create ripples. By helping small hospitals:

• Achieve NABH/NABL/ISO certifications

• Prepare for international patient care

• Develop multilingual and culturally aware teams

• Use digital tools for coordination
  
  

…we are preparing India’s wider healthcare ecosystem to rise with this movement.

Whether you're a 10-bed clinic or a 500-bed hospital—there is a place for you in Heal in India.

Conclusion: Heal the World, Start at Home

Heal in India is more than a policy. It’s a vision. One where Indian compassion, skill, and science serve the world with dignity and care.

To make it work, we need the entire healthcare ecosystem—big and small—to be ready.
We need standardization, certification, collaboration, and innovation.
We need hearts that heal, systems that work, and partnerships that grow.

Let’s not wait for the future. Let’s help build it—one healed life at a time.