Symbiosis School of Economics

Research Proposal
Indian Medical Tourism Industry: A Pathway for the Healthy
Future of India

Pranjal Malu
SY C
14060221090
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Indian Medical Tourism Industry: A Pathway for the Healthy

Future of India
Introduction
‘Wellness’ is commonly used to mean a healthy balance of the body, mind and soul that results in a
complete state of well-being and good health. ‘Wellness Tourism’ can, thus can be termed as travel that
includes undergoing an active procedure of becoming mindful of and making choices in the direction of a
more positive and healthy existence. (Nattarajan, 2015) India, being a country that has been blessed with
the immense knowledge of Ayurveda and Unani, is gradually growing as a hub for medical rejuvenation
and attaining healthcare facilities. Traditional medical care such as yoga, Ayurveda, siddha, pranic healing,
naturopathy and homeopathy are gaining immense significance in the global healthcare market and
henceforth attracting foreigners to experience the miraculous and incredible treatments that these
traditional therapies have to offer. (Sharma, 2013)
Medical tourism (also called medical travel, health tourism or global healthcare) is a term used to define
the speedily- emerging routine of people to tour across international boundaries to seek out better healthcare
facilities. It can be described as endowment of 'cost effective' personal health care/ private medical care in
association with the travel industry for patients demanding clinical healthcare as well as added practises of
committed & professional medication. This process is being accelerated by the corporate sector engaged
in curative treatment along with the tourism industry – both private and public. (Bharti, Gupta, Pandey,
Kumar , & Hussain , 2015) Medical or health tourism has grown into a frequent manner of vacationing and
comprises an expansive spectrum of medical facilities. It is an amalgamation of relaxation, leisure,
recreation and complete healthcare. A Tourist who is arriving to indulge himself in a nourishing and healthy
ambiance, to learn the art of yoga and meditations or to rejuvenate oneself will be considered as a medical
tourist. It is not compulsory that they should come for any surgery or treatment to be considered as a
medical tourist. (Ravikumar) With emerging concerns of escalating medical expenses, aging population,
rising lifestyle related ailments, coupled with issues such as growing healthcare awareness amongst
individuals, medical tourism can assist in the reduction of the problem of diseases extensively and help
people obtain the timely and proper health care that they need.
The Indian medical tourism industry is presently at a flourishing platform and has an enormous potential
for future progress and advancement. Government backing, minimal cost, developed healthcare
infrastructure, and its rich cultural legacy, have brought the Indian medical tourism industry to newer and
higher statures. India has succeeded to match-up with the superior quality of healthcare services that are
being delivered in the established countries. The skilled and competent medical workforce, adoption of
advance technology and bettering healthcare infrastructure has prepared India to be an attractive destination
for the patients all over the world. On the whole, its progress as one of the world’s most cost-efficient
health tourism destination has assisted India to reach a competent position among the global leaders.
(Sharma, 2013) (Kaur, Sundar, Vaidya, & Bhargava, 2007)
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Literature Review

1. Medical Tourism: Will this Help India’s Health?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Year of Name of Objectives Significance Research Discussion Limitations/
Publication Researcher Design/ of results Future
Methodology Scope of
Research
N.D T The core For the The data in India The paper
Ravikumar objective researcher, this the concerned delivers a gives a very
of this particular paper id large narrow
research research paper collected number of definition of
article is to holds through doctors, the term
firstly to importance due primary as nurses and ‘Medical
understand to the fact that well as medical Tourism’.
what it provides an secondary specialists in Another
medical insight to the sources. the world. limitation of
tourism industry of The study The the study is
what is the medical conducted is supreme that, a much
scenario of tourism. It a qualitative asset that generalised
the same makes the as well as India feedback has
in India. It researcher quantitative possesses is been
also looks aware of the one. the ability to provided and
into the current state of A global produce thus this
reasons for affairs of study has such a great makes the
why India health and been amount of report a less
is turning medical conducted skilled reliable one.
into a tourism in and a workforce
budding India. It offers comparative who are
destination an analysis has ready
for understanding been carried to work
travellers to the out. even for a
from all researcher for Cost low pay.
across the comprehending comparisons In the world
world who the gaps and on some wide health
come here limitations and major health care market
to attain also proposing treatments India ranks
medical new solutions between fifth. A very
and to minimize India and crucial
therapeutic these particular USA has also factor for
amenities. gaps. been the
This completed. increasing
particular requirement
article also of medical
interprets health
the facilities is
challenges the changing
and the lifestyle of
future young
prospects individuals
that this that makes
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industry them prone

has in to all kinds
India. of ailments.
The ease of
travel to
India,
smaller
waiting
periods and
cost
efficient
facilities
provided
here pose as
important
factors that
boost the
industry of
medical
tourism.
Moreover,
the growth
of this
industry will
also offer as
a benefit for
numerous
other
associated
industries.

2. Health Tourism in India Growth and Opportunities

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Year of Name of Objectives Significance Research Discussion Limitations/
Publication Researcher Design/ of results Future
Methodology Scope of
Research
April 2007 Ms Jaspreet The The paper Data In India, The paper
Kaur, Mr. concerned offers a deep collected in complicated has only
Hari research insight into the this paper is surgical looked into
Sundar, G paper growth of the mostly from procedures the waiting
Deepti particularl medical secondary are being period and
Vaidya and y aims at tourism sources like done at minimal
Sheela studying industry, the research 1/10th the costs, no
Bhargava the factors that are papers, cost as attention has
potential influencing journals, compare been paid to
projections this growth, articles, with the study the
for India in the future videos, procedures infrastructure
the field of opportunities, newspapers in the and the
medical and the etc. World technology of
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tourism. possible Tourism developed services

Secondly, challenges. Indicators countries. provided. A
it tries to Also, in have been India offers very detailed
analyse the addition to used in order not just study has not
unique this, the paper to study the treatment been done, so
selling also gives the number of but spiritual this study
prospects researcher a international and mental will not be
that India benefit of tourists that healing as applicable in
possesses knowing about arrive in Asia well a big other states
that makes several and Pacific. draw for of the
it such an incentives foreign country.
attractive given by the patients is
destination government in also the
for order to boost very
medical up this minimal or
tourists industry. hardly any
from all waitlist as is
round the common in
world. It European or
looks into American
the factors hospitals.
that brings The Indian
medical Ministry of
tourists to Tourism has
India. A announced a
few states number of
and incentives to
corporate give a fillip
healthcare to the
providers sector. It has
that have identified 31
become villages
tourism across the
hubs and country to
are be
working to developed
enhance as tourism
this hubs.
industry
have also
been
studied.

3. Medical tourism: emerging challenges and future prospects

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Year of Name of Objectives Significance Research Discussion Limitations/
Publication Researcher Design/ of results Future
Methodolog Scope of
y Research
January Dr. The article The particular Research It has been This research
2013 Anupama focuses on study holds a methodology seen that study is
Sharma, investigati great in this study where essentially
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Assistant ng the significance is moderately internationa built on

Professor potential for the descriptive, l tourist are secondary
Maharaja capability researcher to relatively journeying data which
Surajmal of Medical study if the investigative to India for possibly will
Institute Tourism amenities and partly economical not be
industry in provided by casual .For cures and reliable.
India and health centres this study greener Formulation
aims to in India are records pastures, of a research
study the satisfactory. It and evidence domestic study is a
cost- also helps to has been migration in time
effectivene analyse the gathered with India is a consuming
ss of identify the the help of consequenc activity.
Medical major thrust Books, e of Designing
remedies areas where Magazines, deprived and
in India. It tourism Newspapers, health Formatting of
also tries designers can Research infrastructur data is itself a
to examine pay broad Articles, e. In rural very difficult
the consideration Research areas and job.
responsibil to develop, Journals, E- small
ity of expand and Journals, towns. Core
Indian promote UNWTO explanation
Governme medical Report, for
nt in tourism from Report of multiplying
stimulating national and Ministry of significance
Medical international Tourism, of medical
Tourism approach Report of tourism in
and World Travel India is the
Medical and rate of
Tourist Tourism medical
inflow. Council and treatment
There has the website which is
also been www.health- relatively
an effort to tourism- 40% less,
inspect the india.com than offered
role of etc. by any other
Governme developed
nt in countries.
attracting This section
Pharmaceu of tourism
ticals is
Industries progressivel
to promote y acquiring
Medical substance
Tourism. and
attracting
quite a few
large
conglomerat
es,
such as
pharmaceuti
cals and
industrial
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companies,
and several
NRIs and
foreign
investors to
invest
money in
establishing
up super-
specialty
hospitals in
India.
Indian
Government
is launching
various
plans and
programmes
to advance
health
tourism and
attract
foreign and
private
investors to
invest in
hospitals
sector.

4. A Case of Medical Tourism in India

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Year of Name of Objectives Significance Research Discussion Limitations/
Publication Researcher Design/ of results Future
Methodolog Scope of
y Research
February Saurabh The core The A well India The
2015 Kumar objective significance of designed receives a questionnaire
Bharti, of the this study questionnaire large has been
Poonam research mainly lies in was given out number of distributed to
Gupta, study is to the fact that it to 131 its only a small
Bhawna identify will give an inbound internationa sample and
Pandey, the insight to the patients who l medical thus deducing
Amit strengths specific visited tourists inferences of
Kumar and and reasons for the Delhi/NCR from Gulf such a
Sajjid advantages arrival of for procuring countries, gigantic
Husain of medical medical high tech Nepal, industry from
1 tourists tourists in medical Bangladesh, such a
Dyal Singh coming to India. It would therapies in Bhutan sample would
Eve. India. also provide multi- Maldives, not be
College, An attempt the researcher speciality Mauritius possible and
University is also with the hospitals. and Sri also less
of Delhi. made to explanations of Patients Lanka. reliable. A
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pinpoint the factors that coming from Most of the very

the attract these 22 countries JCI qualitative
challenges tourists here. for more than accredited study has
faced by This paper is 15 types and other been done
them. essential for of medical hospitals of and thus the
the researcher processes India are impact of this
because it were faithfully sector cannot
would pose as questioned. attending be studies in
a base for the the patients an
primary study of explanatory
that the cardiology way.
researcher will and
conduct in the cardiovascu
due course of lar surgery,
time. orthopaedic
surgery,
organ
transplant
surgery,
Paediatric
Surgery,
Gynaecolog
y/
Obstetrics /
Surrogacy,
Psychiatry
and
Cosmetic
treatments.
Low-cost of
medical
care
services
make India
highly
appealing
for a
medical
tourist
destination.
Most
hospitals
are now
well
occupied
with
English
speaking
workforce.
Skilled and
experienced
experts are
functioning
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collectively
to serve the
global
medical
tourist with
their skills
of executing
complicated
surgeries
and other
medical
procedures.

5. Tourism Industry in India – With Special Reference to Health Care Tourism

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Year of Name of Objectives Significance Research Discussion Limitations/
Publication Researcher Design/ of results Future
Methodolog Scope of
y Research
February Dr. K. This The work in This work is For Indian No primary
2015 Natarajan investigati the research based on a healthcare research has
Assistant on aims to paper makes review of the associations been
Professor, look out the researcher literature, , the quality conducted
Business existing understand including of service is and thus the
Administrat scenario in why some published the major insights given
ion wing, health developing research, web advantage, by the author
Annamalai tourism countries like sites, in addition of this
University, industry in India are more newspapers, to the cost research
the world effective in and the travel benefit. paper are not
and promoting and tourism India is in a very reliable.
focusing medical magazines beneficial
the current tourism than that carry state to tap
condition others. It also medical the global
in India in helps the tourism prospects in
the field of researcher related the medical
health underline the information. tourism
tourism fact why India sector. The
and how has a government
the competitive ’s role is
governmen benefit over vital to the
t is other boost of this
encouragin countries. industry. It
g the should act
industry. as a catalyst
Also it of private
focuses investment
why in
foreign healthcare.
tourists are Tax
more incentives
appealed to the
towards service
India and suppliers,
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how Indian import duty

governmen reduction
t on medical
stimulates equipment,
the are some of
industry. the schemes
that can be
undertaken.

6. Medical Tourism in India

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Year of Name of Objectives Significance Research Discussion Limitations/
Publication Researcher Design/ of results Future
Methodolog Scope of
y Research
February Manzoor The crux A researcher Secondary Privatisatio No primary
2015 Ahmad of this would be data has been n in the study has
Khan research informed about used. No healthcare been
paper is to the basic idea sample or sector has conducted
know the of medical population led to the and no
basic idea tourism and has been used rise in statistical
of what the in this world class tools have
medical comparisons of particular healthcare been used. A
tourism is India and research. amenities in quantitative
and how is USA. This India. study has not
the would provide Advanceme been
scenario of as a base for nt in conducted.
medical the researcher software
tourism in for his primary industry has
India study also seen to
be
beneficial.
India offers
state of the
art and
cutting edge
technology.
Indian
consulate’s
and
embassies
in different
countries
provide
hassle free
medical
visas on
priority
basis.
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Summary
India is appearing as a leading destination for health and well-being and furthering a lot in the
direction of the social and economic progress of the society by boosting employment opportunities and an
increase in foreign exchange earnings of the host community. Today Indian hospitals are well equipped
with the modern technology and hospitals with extremely trained and experienced staff who can provide
timely and excellent medical treatment to patients. (Sharma, 2013)
Medical or health tourism is among the speediest booming industries in the world. The main forces
steering growth of this developing industry include the rising cost of healthcare and limiting scope of
insurance coverage in developed countries, increasing waiting time for treatments, and low cost of
treatments elsewhere. This industry has witnessed a steady growth in the recent years universally. As the
world population becomes more conscious of healthcare options and as quality healthcare upswings as a
priority in the minds of the majority, patients are certain to pursue cross border healthcare. India has
emerged as one of the most sought after destination for medical tourist across the globe owing to its high
value proposition in terms of quality healthcare, pool of specialists and availability of alternate treatment
options such as Ayurveda and yoga. (Bharti, Gupta, Pandey, Kumar , & Hussain , 2015) The growth of
medical tourism in India has not only generated value for the country but also led to the advancement of
medical science, development of medical infrastructure and retention of skilled manpower. The growth is
driven by a combination of rising income levels and changing lifestyles, development of diverse tourism
offerings, policy and regulatory support by the government. Growth in India’s medical tourism market will
be a boon for several associated industries, including the hospital industry, the medical equipment industry,
hotel, pharmaceutical and infrastructure will also rise. (Nattarajan, 2015) (Khan, 2015)

Need Assessment and Objectives of Primary Research

According to the secondary research that has been conducted, the researcher has intricately noticed
that even though the medical tourism industry is a booming one and would provide as a huge helping hand
in the development process of India, the government has not been able to provide the required amount of
funding and infrastructure. In India, very less is spent on medical tourism. It has been analysed that this
industry could provide as a boon for many other industries, but due the reduced amount of spending
undertaken for this sector, it is not able to progress at the required rate. The researcher feels that this
particular factor is the gap that is created and would be concentrating on this specific topic in the primary
research that he/she would conduct. The researcher intends to propose a handful of new course of actions
and schemes that could be undertaken in order to make hospitals and the government work towards the
development of this industry. Creative strategies would be given after conducting the primary research to
develop auxiliary industries so that they provide as support to the medical tourism industry. The objective
would be to analyse how the medical tourism and other related industries are linked and how the
simultaneous growth of all of them should be undertaken. Another objective would be to understand
consumer preferences. The idea behind this is to know what exactly medical tourists from abroad are
looking for and how can hospitals and health centres improve the quality of their services.
Putting it in a nutshell, the core idea would be to firstly analyse patient preference and how the
lacunas could be improved and secondly provide strategies for the simultaneous growth of medical tourism
industry and related industry.
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Research Methodology
 The data used for the primary report will be collected through a detailed survey. In broader terms,
questionnaires would be carefully designed in order to obtain information on the patient preferences
and complaints.
 Target population would be patients that take treatments in recognized private hospitals so that a clear
idea can be understood.
 The sample that will be used from the population will be a random sample. A random sample will
enable the researcher to crucially identify the complaints of medical tourists.
 The study would mainly pertain to the age group 20-50 years as this the age group that is most likely
to travel for healthcare facilities.
 The primary research will aim at bridging the gap between the complaints that foreign patients have
and the government schemes and policies that have been designed in a loose manner.
 The questionnaire will be a detailed one that would comprise of patient details and the reason for travel.
 The researcher will aim at getting responses for the reason of why these patients opted for India as their
travel destination and what do they feel is still lacking in the treatments and the overall medical industry
that they see in the current day.
 This particular primary study has been already backed with ample amount of secondary study and hence
this would provide the researcher a clear vision of the gaps that already exist.
 The study would be a qualitative as well as quantitative one aiming on analysing the lacunas that still
remain.
 The researcher will also interview a few medical practitioners as this would help him/her get a clearer
view of the particular topic. Interviewing a medical practitioner would help the researcher see different
side of the story and know to what extent this industry can be developed.
 This would also entail the researcher in understanding how auxiliary industries play a pivotal role in
the progress of the industry. And how can they be concurrently advanced.

Conclusion
Medical tourism in India offers a unique basket of services to an individual that will be difficult to
match in other countries. Medical tourism or travel for health comprises of two different segments. One
segment comprises of people who travel to other countries for rejuvenation purposes, and the other segment
comprises of people who travel for curative care that is not available in their countries. While the former
is a luxury segment, the latter is economy. Majority of the market that travels for curative care is extremely
price sensitive and hence it plays an important role in deciding their destination for medical assistance.
(Nattarajan, 2015) For Indian healthcare institutions, the quality of service is the biggest benefit, followed
by the cost advantage. India is in an advantageous position to acquire the global opportunities in the medical
tourism sector. There is also a need to develop supporting infrastructure such as transport services to
facilitate tourism in India. The tourism, health, information and communication departments need to work
in tandem for efficient patient care. The authorities are required to chalk out an effective marketing exercise
in branding the country as well as executing marketing strategies in expanding the medical and wellness
tourism market in the country. A nationwide promotion operation about ‘Brand India’ and its national
standards could also be advertised both domestically and internationally. (Nattarajan, 2015)
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References and Bibliography

Bharti, S., Gupta, P., Pandey, B., Kumar , A., & Hussain , S. (2015). A case for medical tourism in India. Indian
Streams Research Journal.

Kaur, J., Sundar, H. G., Vaidya, D., & Bhargava, S. (2007). Health Tourism in India Growth and Opportunities.
International Marketing Conference on Marketing & Society.

Khan, M. A. (2015). Medical Tourism in India. Indian Journal of Research.

Nattarajan, K. (2015). Tourism Industry in Inida - With special reference to healthcare tourism. IOSR-JBM.

Ravikumar, T. (n.d.). Medical Tourism: Will this Help India's Health?

Sharma, A. (2013). Medical Tourism : Emmerging Challenges and Future Prospects. International Journal of
Business and Management Invention.