India Medical‑Tourism Slips

India’s medical-tourism rebound has stalled, with foreign patient arrivals still below the country’s 2019 peak and falling again in 2025. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) Provisional Bureau of Immigration data cited by The Economic Times show 450,633 medical tourists arrived between January and November 2025. India logged 644,387 such arrivals in 2024 and a record 697,453 in 2019, before the pandemic. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) The Economic Times said hospital executives tied the slowdown to geopolitical friction with neighboring countries, visa delays and tougher competition from other Asian destinations. Bangladesh, Iraq, Yemen, Oman and Afghanistan have historically been major source markets for Indian hospitals. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) Medical tourism is the business of patients crossing borders for treatment, usually to cut costs, shorten waits or reach specialist hospitals. India has long sold itself on lower prices and large private hospital chains, but rivals are now competing on the same pitch. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) India’s own tourism data had pointed to a post-Covid recovery earlier: the government told Parliament in March 2025 that medical visits had risen to nearly 660,000 in 2023. The new 2025 provisional count suggests that recovery did not hold. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) Competitors are moving quickly. Pakistan formally launched its National Medical Tourism Initiative in April 2026 under the Special Investment Facilitation Council, saying it wants to position itself as a regional hub for affordable, high-quality care. (radio.gov.pk) Turkey is also pushing the sector harder. A widely cited April 18, 2026 report said Turkey is projected to host more than 2.5 million international medical tourists in 2026, underscoring how aggressively other destinations are marketing treatment abroad. (vitamagazine.com) Indian hospital leaders told The Economic Times the answer is not just lower prices but smoother visas, steadier regional ties and more confidence in complex care. Until those pieces improve, India’s biggest medical-tourism market may remain smaller than it was before Covid-19. (economictimes.indiatimes.com)