Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J.P. Nadda has asserted that India is firmly establishing itself as a global healthcare hub, combining clinical excellence, technological innovation, cost-effectiveness, and scale to attract patients worldwide. Addressing a national health industry summit in New Delhi on January 23, 2026, Nadda outlined the factors propelling India’s rise: a vast pool of over 1 million trained allopathic doctors and millions of allied health professionals, world-class hospitals in both public (AIIMS network) and private sectors (Apollo, Fortis, Max, Medanta), and unmatched manufacturing capabilities in vaccines, generics, and biosimilars.

Nadda highlighted India’s dominance in vaccine production accounting for over 60% of global supply and its leadership in affordable generics and biosimilars, supplying more than 20% of the world’s generic medicines. The minister credited the Ayushman Bharat programme for transforming access to hospital care for over 55 crore beneficiaries and the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) for creating one of the largest digital health ecosystems globally, with more than 420 million ABHA digital health IDs issued and thousands of facilities now interconnected.

Medical tourism was a central theme. India now attracts patients from over 80 countries for complex treatments in oncology, cardiology, orthopaedics, organ transplants, neurosciences, and fertility care often at 10-30% of costs in developed markets. Nadda noted that cities like Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad have emerged as preferred destinations, supported by streamlined medical visas, dedicated international patient departments, and high-end infrastructure.

The minister also pointed to India’s growing role in digital health innovation, including AI-powered diagnostics, telemedicine (eSanjeevani), remote monitoring, and health data platforms many developed by Indian startups and scaled nationally. He emphasised that these advancements not only serve domestic needs but also position India to export healthcare services and digital solutions globally.

Nadda acknowledged challenges such as uneven rural access, workforce distribution, and the need for continued quality standardisation but expressed strong confidence in India’s trajectory. “India is not just treating its own people at scale we are now treating the world, and doing so with compassion, quality, and affordability,” he said.

The statement reflects growing international recognition of India’s healthcare ecosystem, reinforced by record medical tourism arrivals, global vaccine diplomacy, and increasing foreign investment in Indian hospitals, diagnostics, and digital health startups.