At the 8th edition of Advantage Health Care – India 2026, organized by FICCI, Mr. Jagat Prakash Nadda, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, highlighted India’s ongoing healthcare transformation under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He stated that India has undertaken comprehensive reforms to build a resilient, high-quality, and globally aligned healthcare system. Furthermore, he emphasized that the government continues to strengthen the ecosystem supporting medical value travel by improving coordination across ministries, regulatory authorities, accreditation agencies, and state governments.
Medical Value Travel as a Tool of Diplomacy
While addressing the gathering, Mr. Nadda underscored that medical travel serves as an important instrument of diplomacy and cooperation. He noted that India views medical value travel as a channel that builds confidence and strengthens people-to-people ties between nations.
Additionally, he explained that medical value travel represents a vital dimension of India’s global healthcare engagement. According to him, it reflects India’s clinical excellence, adherence to international benchmarks, transparent governance frameworks, and unwavering commitment to patient-centric care. He further stressed that India’s highly skilled medical professionals and modern infrastructure offer advanced treatments across specialties such as cardiology, oncology, organ transplantation, orthopedics, and neurosciences.
Global Collaboration and Integrated Healthcare Vision
Echoing similar sentiments, Mr. Prataprao Jadhav, Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare and Minister of State for Ayush (I/C), Government of India, emphasized the increasingly collaborative nature of healthcare. He stated that healthcare no longer remains confined within national boundaries; instead, it evolves through collaboration, technology, knowledge exchange, and shared responsibility.
Moreover, he highlighted that India’s healthcare ecosystem has transformed into a dynamic and integrated system. It now combines advanced clinical capabilities, digital health innovation, strong pharmaceutical capacity, and a growing institutional network committed to global engagement.
Importantly, Mr. Jadhav also underscored the value of integrating traditional systems with modern medicine. He remarked that this integrated model reflects India’s broader vision—one that balances innovation with tradition and treatment with prevention.
India’s Evolving Global Positioning
Dr. Upasana Arora, Chairperson of the Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC), noted that India has moved beyond being known solely for affordability. Today, she said, India stands recognized for high technology, clinical excellence, and holistic healing. She added that the country has significantly improved patient comfort, connectivity, and seamless facilitation. As a result, India now positions itself not merely as a cost-effective destination but as a trusted and comprehensive healthcare partner for the world.
Similarly, Dr. Raajiv Singhal, Chair of the FICCI Medical Value Travel Committee and Founding Member, Managing Director & Group CEO of Marengo Asia Healthcare, explained that the sector has evolved from “medical tourism” to “medical value travel.” He emphasized that healthcare delivery must rest on a strong foundation of trust and transparency to sustain long-term growth.
Further strengthening this perspective, Dr. Anupam Sibal, Co-Chair of the FICCI MVT Committee and Group Medical Director at Apollo Hospitals, stated that India uniquely combines the best of Western medicine with Eastern wisdom. With this integrated approach, he expressed confidence that India will emerge as the preferred destination for medical value travel over the next five years.
Dr. Narottam Puri, Advisor – FICCI MVT & Health Services; Principal Advisor – QCI; Advisor – Medical Operations, Fortis Healthcare Ltd.; and former Chairman – NABH, delivered the Vote of Thanks.
Exhibition and MVT Awards 2026
As per the press release, the session concluded with the official inauguration of the exhibition, which showcased India’s comprehensive healthcare capabilities. The exhibition featured leading hospitals, diagnostics providers, advanced medical technologies, pharmaceutical strengths, wellness centres, and allied healthcare services.
Looking ahead, the Medical Value Travel (MVT) Awards 2026 will be announced during the three-day AHCI 2026 event. The awards will recognize excellence, innovation, and leadership across hospitals, facilitators, AYUSH institutions, wellness providers, and policymakers contributing to India’s growing stature as a global medical value travel hub. Mr. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of Tourism and Culture, Government of India, will address the awards ceremony.
Strengthening India’s Global Healthcare Leadership
Overall, Advantage Healthcare India 2026 aims to foster patient mobility, promote knowledge exchange, encourage skill development, and build institutional partnerships. At the same time, it seeks to strengthen regulatory coordination and global collaboration in medical value travel.
Through this platform, India reinforces its commitment to delivering high-quality, technology-driven, and holistic healthcare solutions. Consequently, the country continues to position itself as a trusted and reliable partner in building a resilient, inclusive, and future-ready global healthcare ecosystem.