From the world’s highest mountains, to tropical coasts and desert there is a huge diversity to India’s landscape.India is one of the oldest civilizations in the world, Home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, the Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history With a population of one billion the country spans 3.28 million sq metres in space.India is a federal constitutional republic governed under a parliamentary system consisting of 29 states and 7 union territories of which New Delhi is the capital India is a pluralistic, multilingual, and a multi-ethnic society. It is also home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats,and offers a wide variety of tourist attractions of historical and cultural importance.
To help our patients and their attendants explore all this, we’ve tied up with leading travel operator Based on your preference we plan and design a holiday package that fits your budget.
There are four entry gateways in India and most flights arrive in the middle of the night. The major international airports are located at New Delhi and Mumbai (Bombay), but there are also arrivals to Kolkata (Calcutta) and Chennai (Madras), which are modern, clean and organised airports.
For getting around the country Indian Airlines (www.indian-airlines.nic.in) has a large domestic network, linking flights between Mumbai and Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore.
Rail travel in India is a safe and comfortable way to get around and see the country, and a far better option than bus. There are a number of different classes for travelling ranging from first class AC, which will get you a comfortable lockable cabin to sleeper class, which comprises a partition of around nine berths with ceiling fans.
Indian Railways is divided into regional zones, see www.indianrailway.com or visit the individual areas as follows:-
www.centralrailwayonline.com (centralrailway).
www.er.indianrailways.gov.in (eastern railway).
www.uttarrailway.com (northern railway).
www.sr.indianrailways.gov.in (southern railway).
For comprehensive information about India, please visit the following websites
• National portal of India. india.gov.in
• India maps and views. www.mapsofindia.com/india/india.html
• More information about incredible India. www.incredibleindia.org
‘India ranks among top 3 medical tourism destinations in Asia’
• MUMBAI: India is placed among the top three medical tourism destinations in Asia, mainly due to the low cost of treatment, quality healthcare infrastructure and availability of highly-skilled doctors, says a study.
• “Within Asia, India, Thailand and Singapore are the three countries that receive maximum medical tourists owing to low cost of treatment, quality healthcare infrastructure, and availability of highly-skilled doctors.
• “These three countries together accounted for about 60 per cent of the total Asian revenue in 2012,” the report Medical Value Travel in India by KPMG and FICCI said.
• The research was conducted in India and other Asian countries and interviewed public sector stakeholders and domestic company heads or
• CEOs of renowned hospitals between July and August 2014.
• Estimated at $ 78.6 billion as of 2012, the sector has emerged as one of the largest sectors in India and is poised to grow at an annual rate of 15 per cent to reach about $ 158.2 billion by 2017, it said.
• It pointed out that Asian countries have introduced various marketing strategies to attract medical tourists.
• In the past few years, Asia has taken the lead as one of the most preferred destination for medical value travel. Primary growth levers in this regard include low priced treatment options, availability of variety of treatments, improved infrastructure in terms of healthcare facilities and attractive locations for spending time after treatment.
• While Thailand positions itself as a dual purpose destination for both medical and economic holiday with an attractive location, Singapore promotes itself as a destination for fine quality in medical treatment.
India is known mostly for its cost-effective medical treatments along with high standards in cardiology, orthopaedics, nephrology, oncology and neuro surgery, it said.
• The country is also known for its alternative treatment options such as yoga and ayurveda, it said.
• The leading destinations of medical tourism in India are Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, New Delhi, Kerala,Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra, the report said.
• India receives medical tourists from across the globe, however, developing and underdeveloped countries form a major portion of the pie.
SAARC countries in particular, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka are a major source of medical tourists owing to the physical proximity and political co-operation agreements, it said.
• It further said that the private sector has been largely responsible for improvement in the Indian healthcare services.While India scores over other countries in certain parameters like affordable hotels, cultural adaptability, there is still a long way to go, the report said.
• To make India the most preferred destination for medical care there is a need to improve air connectivity, food options, cultural adaptability, language interpretors, affordable accommodation and less waiting time at airport, as these parameters help patients make a decision in choosing a destination for medical travel, it added.
Omanis opting for India as medical tourism destination
• DUBAI: India is fast becoming a favourite destination for Omanis seeking advanced medicare, with the number of visas being issued by India witnessing a significant rise.
• The number of visas issued to Omanis from January 1 to August this year has jumped to 61,000 which was only 3,400 in 2012, according to an official from Indian embassy in Muscat, the capital of Oman.
• “Number of visas in a day varies as at times, it touches 600 and manier times, we have even issued 350 visas”, official was quoted as saying by the Times of Oman.
• Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra and New Delhi are the top five destinations where Omanis visit for medical treatment.
• “Out of the lot, tourist visas top the numbers, followed by medical and business visas ,” the official said.
• Factors like proximity, direct air connectivity, and cultural connect have helped establish India as a preferred destination for patients from the region.
• India has emerged as one of the most sought after destinations for medical tourists across the globe owing to its high value proposition in terms of quality health care.
India’s medical tourism sector attracts patients from Gulf
• DUBAI: India’s medical tourism sector, set to generate USD 2 billion, has evinced growing interest from patients fromGulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries due to excellent treatment skills of Indian doctors and low cost.
• The Indian medical tourism industry is projected to reach USD 2 billion with an estimated 3,200,000 medical value travellers arriving in India by 2015 growing at an annual rate of 30 per cent, according to experts.
Recently, Dubai-based Emirates airlines teamed up with Apollo Hospitals, to connect international patients with quality healthcare services in India.
• “The proven Indian clinical competencies give India a huge competitive advantage. We have seen the number of patients visiting us from GCC region growing at a rapid pace. In the last few quarters we have seen a remarkable increase from UAE, Qatar and Oman,” said Dr. K. Hariprasad, CEO, Apollo Hospitals.
• “Comparing global prices for medical treatment, India leads in the race for providing quality healthcare services at affordable prices. A heart bypass surgery in India costs USD 6,500, while in the US it costs between USD 30,000 and USD 80,000. This is a huge, untapped market, not just for therapeutic medical tourism like Ayurveda, but also for curative treatment,” he said.
• GCC’s member states include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
• As part of the joint venture with Emirates Airlines, the patients and their attendants from 19 countries across Middle East and Africa can visit the hospital’s flagship locations in Chennai, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Kolkata,Ahmadabad and Bangalore to avail specially formulated fares for round-trip flights on Emirates.
• Chennai headquartered, Apollo Hospitals, has been accredited by Joint Commission International (JCI) USA.
Apollo Hospital, Chennai caters to the patients travelling from Middle East with various specialty services it is recognised for. The hospital’s Chennai unit performs the highest number of Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) cases with a very high success rate.