New Delhi | August 7, 2025: The number of Bangladeshi nationals visiting India for medical treatment declined slightly in 2024, but they still accounted for the largest group of medical tourists, according to new data shared by the Indian government.
Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat told Parliament that 482,336 Bangladeshis entered India on medical visas in 2024 — a drop from 499,951 the previous year. These figures were compiled by India’s Bureau of Immigration and presented in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) this week.
Despite the decrease, Bangladesh remained the top source of medical tourists to India for the fifth consecutive year. The long-term trend shows steady growth:
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99,155 medical tourists from Bangladesh in 2020
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186,633 in 2021
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326,805 in 2022
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Peaking at 499,951 in 2023 before the slight dip in 2024
The reasons for the dip in 2024 weren’t specified, but observers have cited factors such as exchange rate fluctuations, stricter visa policies, and a rise in alternative regional healthcare destinations like Thailand, Singapore, or Turkey.
Bangladeshis Still Drive Overall Tourist Traffic
It’s not just medical tourism. Bangladesh continues to be the largest source of all foreign visitors to India.
In 2024, a total of 1.75 million Bangladeshi tourists (medical and non-medical combined) visited India, compared to 2.12 million in 2023. The drop mirrors a broader decline in South Asian travel to India, but Bangladeshi citizens still account for the lion’s share of foreign tourist arrivals.
For context, India recorded 131,856 foreign tourist arrivals for medical purposes between January and April 2025. That’s about 4.1% of total foreign tourist arrivals so far this year, showing that medical tourism remains a significant piece of India’s soft power and services economy.
India’s Growing Medical Tourism Sector
India has positioned itself as a global hub for affordable, high-quality healthcare. From cardiac surgeries and cancer treatments to fertility procedures and organ transplants, Indian hospitals attract thousands of international patients each year particularly from South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
Bangladeshi patients often travel to Indian cities like Chennai, Delhi, Vellore, Bangalore, and Kolkata for advanced diagnostics, surgical care, and specialised treatments that may be harder to access at home.
Despite the dip in 2024, stakeholders say demand is unlikely to shrink over the long term. “We’ve seen that Bangladeshi patients prefer Indian hospitals for their affordability, accessibility, and Bengali-speaking doctors,” said a senior official from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
Some hospitals are even opening dedicated helpdesks and visa assistance centres in Dhaka and Chittagong to streamline travel for patients and caregivers.