“A new chapter i.e. chapter 11A – Ayush Visa has been incorporated after Chapter 11 – Medical visa of the Visa Manual, which deals with treatment under the Indian systems of medicine and accordingly necessary amendments has been made in various chapters of the Visa Manual, 2019,” the ministry of Ayush said.

Union minister of Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal said, “The creation of new category of Ayush (AY) visa for foreign nationals seeking treatment under Ayush systems/Indian systems of medicine is a significant step. It will boost Medical Value Travel in India.“

“This initiative will strengthen our endeavor to accomplish our Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for making Indian traditional medicine a global phenomenon. I also want to compliment Union home minister Amit Shah for his efforts in creating a special Ayush Visa category,” he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a creation of a special Ayush Visa category for facilitating foreign nationals’ travel to India seeking Ayush therapy, at Global Ayush Investment and Innovation Summit (GAIIS) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, in April 2022.

Introduction of Ayush Visa category is part of India’s roadmap for the Heal in India initiative of the government, which aims to promote India as a medical value travel destination. Ministry of Ayush and the ministry of Health & Family Welfare are working together to develop a one stop Heal in India portal to promote India as a Medical tourism destination of the world.

Medical tourism has seen significant growth in India in recent years. According to the report ‘The Global Wellness Economy: Looking beyond COVID’ by the Global Wellness Institute (GWI), the Global Wellness economy will grow at 9.9% annually. Ayush based healthcare & Wellness economy is estimated to grow to $70 billion by 2025.

The Ayush ministry has been working on many fronts to promote Ayush system of treatment both in the country and the world. Recently, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), ministry of tourism was signed to work together for the promotion of Medical Value Travel in Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine.

Updated: 02 Aug 2023, 05:55 PM IST