India's medical tourism gets booster shot from Bangladesh visitors

During the general elections, however, there has been a temporary lull in patients from Bangladesh as well as less visas were issued

India saw a dramatic increase in medical tourists from Bangladesh in 2023, with numbers soaring 48 per cent to 449,570 from 304,067 in 2022. This sharp rise contrasts with the comparatively low influx from other neighbouring countries like the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Myanmar.

Government data reviewed by Business Standard reveals that in 2023-24 India granted only 1,432 medical visas to Sri Lankans, an 11.7 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) decline. Myanmar citizens received 3,019 medical visas, a modest 4 per cent increase from the previous year. The figures for Pakistan remained notably low, with only 76 medical