Union Budget Charts Roadmap to Make India Global Hub for Medical Value Tourism, Boost AYUSH Ecosystem

New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday unveiled a series of transformative measures in the Union Budget aimed at positioning India as a leading global destination for Medical Value Tourism (MVT) while significantly strengthening the country’s AYUSH ecosystem through quality enhancement, research expansion and employment generation.

A key highlight of the Budget is the proposal to establish five Regional Medical Hubs for Medical Value Tourism across the country in partnership with the private sector. These hubs will be developed with support from State governments and are envisioned as integrated healthcare ecosystems bringing together medical services, education and research under a single framework.

According to the Budget announcement, the proposed hubs will house AYUSH Centres, Medical Value Tourism Facilitation Centres, and state-of-the-art infrastructure for diagnostics, post-treatment care and rehabilitation. The initiative is expected to improve patient experience for both international and domestic visitors, while creating substantial employment opportunities for doctors, allied health professionals and healthcare support staff.

Highlighting India’s growing global influence in traditional medicine, the Finance Minister underscored that Yoga gained worldwide recognition after being taken to the United Nations by the Prime Minister, while Ayurveda witnessed renewed global acceptance in the post-COVID era. She noted that rising international demand for AYUSH products is directly benefitting farmers engaged in medicinal plant cultivation and youth involved in processing and value addition.

To further strengthen the AYUSH sector and meet expanding global demand, the Union Budget announced a series of targeted initiatives. These include the establishment of three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda to expand access to quality education, clinical services and advanced research. The Budget also proposes the upgradation of AYUSH pharmacies and Drug Testing Laboratories to ensure higher quality standards, certification and availability of skilled manpower.

In a move aimed at enhancing evidence-based research and global outreach, the Finance Minister announced the upgradation of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre at Jamnagar, which will serve as a global hub for research, training and awareness in traditional medicine systems.

Collectively, these measures reaffirm the Government’s commitment to integrating India’s traditional medical wisdom with modern healthcare frameworks, enhancing the country’s soft power, and establishing India as a trusted global destination for holistic, high-quality and evidence-based healthcare services.