Examine the role of regulatory transparency in positioning India as a global destination for medical and Ayush value travel.

India ranks 10th of 46 destinations on the Medical Tourism Index 2020–21, and over 5 lakh foreigners came for treatment in 2025 [1]. A patient choosing a country for treatment needs clear rules on price and quality before they can trust it. The Health Ministry's October 2026 advisory recognises this. It asks hospitals to display their rates, including package rates for Medical/Ayush Visa holders [2].

Role of transparency in building the "Heal in India" brand

• Price certainty: Rule 9(i) of the Clinical Establishments Rules, 2012 requires hospitals to display their rates in the local language and English [3]. Foreign patients can then check India's cost advantage before they travel.
• Fewer billing disputes: Displayed package rates help patients plan their spending and build trust [2]. Trust matters because patient experience shapes demand in source markets such as Bangladesh [1].
• Visible quality standards: NABH has accredited over 1,299 hospitals and is affiliated with ISQua. BIS has adopted ISO 22525 for medical wellness tourism [1].
• Predictable facilitation: e-Medical Visas are open to nationals of 172 countries, and the AYUSH Visa was introduced in 2023. The MVT portal and the rating of MVT facilitators also make the patient's journey more predictable [1].

Gaps that limit this role

• Advisory, not mandate: Health is a State subject, so the Centre can only urge States to act [2].
• Patchy coverage: The Central Act first applied to four States and the UTs. Other States must adopt it by resolution [4], so rules differ from State to State.
• Display is not a fair price: The Centre has still not fixed the "range of rates" under Rule 9(ii). In Veterans Forum v. UoI (2022), the Supreme Court held that fixing it is the Centre's duty and imposed ₹20,000 costs [3].
• Hidden add-ons: Rate boards often leave out charges for drugs, consumables and tests.

Way forward

• Notify rate ranges in bands by city type and hospital grade.
• Publish verified package rates for accredited hospitals on the MVT portal.
• Use the National Medical & Wellness Tourism Promotion Board to bring State rules into line [1].

Regulatory transparency turns India's cost and skill advantages into trust that foreign patients can rely on. Uniform price ranges, display rules and accreditation across States would let "Heal in India" compete on reliability as well as low cost. This would also advance SDG 3 and the vision of "One Earth, One Health" [1].