New Delhi: The Indian government unveiled a new category of visa, called the Ayush (AY) visa, specifically designed for foreign nationals seeking treatment under Indian systems of medicine. The Government notified everyone about this new introduction on 2 August. This visa aims to cater to those interested in Ayurveda, Yoga, and other traditional forms of therapeutic care and wellness.
Reports add that Ayush Visa aims to fulfil the need for introduction of a special visa scheme for foreigners. Referring to this, Union Minister of Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal added that this new initiative will help boost medical tourism in India, and will strengthen their endeavour of making Indian traditional medicine a global phenomenon.
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About Ayush Visa:
- It is specifically designed for foreign nationals looking to receive medical treatment in India through traditional Indian systems of medicine.
- This visa aims to cater to those interested in Ayurveda, Yoga, and other traditional forms of therapeutic care and wellness.
- A new chapter, 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 have been made in various chapters of the Visa Manual, 2019.
- The introduction of the Ayush Visa category is part of the country’s roadmap for the Heal in India initiative.
- Heal in India initiative: It seeks to provide “integrated and holistic treatment” to the world in India and enhance patient mobility for access to world-class, affordable, and quality healthcare services”.
What is AYUSH?
AYUSH, which stands for Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Naturopathy, Siddha, and Homoeopathy, is an acronym devised in 2003 to change the name of the Department of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy (ISM & H).
ISM & H was created in March 1995 under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. On November 9, 2014, the government elevated AYUSH to a separate ministry. The word AYUSH is derived from a Sanskrit phrase “ayusmanbhava” meaning long life.
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India’s Medical Tourism
According to data by the Ministry of Tourism, India witnessed 186,644 Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) for medical purposes in 2020, accounting for 7% of the total FTAs. The industry is expected to reach Rs 2,670.37 billion by 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 34.92% during the 2023 – 2027.
The reason why India has become a preferred choice for medical facilities is due to its cost-effective healthcare services, quality diagnostic equipment and trained doctors, with many of them fluent in English. The country is home to 1000 recognized nurses-training centres with 10,000 nurses graduating annually.
Reportedly, India earned an estimated 1,35,193 crore, 1,54,146 crore, and 1,77,874 crore in foreign exchange in 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively from medical value travel (MVT).
Global Wellness economy
As per the report of ‘The Global Wellness Economy: Looking beyond COVID’ by the Global Wellness Institute (GWI), the Global Wellness economy will likely grow at 9.9% annually. This gives an estimate that Ayush-based healthcare and wellness economy will likely grow to $70 billion by 2025, marked by a tremendous growth in Medical Value Travel.To enhance Medical Value Travel in Ayurveda and other traditional forms of medicine further, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoM) was also signed recently with India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), Ministry of Tourism, GoI.
