India announces Ayush visa for foreign nationals for treatment under Indian systems of medicine

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New Delhi: India’s Union Home Ministry announced a new category of Ayush (AY) visa for foreign nationals coming for treatment to that country, to be treated with Ayush and other Indian systems of medicine.

According to Ayush Ministry, the visa fulfills the proposal for the introduction of a special visa scheme for foreigners visiting India for treatment under Indian systems of medicine like therapeutic care, wellness and Yoga.

A new 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, an Ayush Ministry release said, adding that necessary amendments have been made in various chapters of the visa manual, 2019.

Union Minister of Ayush and Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, said the creation of a new category of Ayush (AY) visa for foreign nationals is a significant step.

“It will boost Medical Value Travel in India. This initiative will strengthen our endeavour to accomplish Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for making Indian traditional medicine a global phenomenon. I also want to compliment Home Minister Amit Shah for his efforts in creating a special Ayush Visa category,” Minister Sonowal said.
Prime Minister Modi announced the creation of a special Ayush Visa category for facilitating foreign nationals’ travel to India seeking Ayush therapy, at Global Ayush Investment and Innovation Summit (GAIIS) in Gujarat’s Gandhi Nagar in April 2022.

The release said that the introduction of Ayush Visa category is part of India’s roadmap for the Heal in India initiative of the government, which is intended at promoting India as a medical value travel destination.

Ministry of Ayush and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare are working together to develop a one-stop Heal in India portal to promote India as a medical tourism destination of the world.

Medical Value Travel has seen significant growth in India in recent years. According to the report ‘The Global Wellness Economy: Looking beyond COVID’ by the Global Wellness Institute (GWI), the Global Wellness economy will grow at 9.9 per cent annually. Ayush- based healthcare and wellness economy is estimated to grow to USD 70 billion by 2025.

The Ministry of Ayush has been working on many fronts to promote the Ayush system of treatment nationally and globally. Recently, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with India Tourism Development Corporation for the promotion of medical value travel in Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine.