Yoga and Ayurveda have moved beyond their traditional wellness identity and are increasingly becoming part of India’s global health and diplomatic strategy, with the Centre seeking to expand their footprint through medical tourism, international education, practitioner mobility and trade agreements.
The shift is particularly evident in India’s recent trade diplomacy. The India-Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), operationalised in June 2026, and the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) contain dedicated provisions on health-related services and traditional medicine. These include measures to ease licensing, develop standards and facilitate the mobility of AYUSH practitioners and Yoga instructors.
The India-European Union (EU) FTA, signed in January 2026, goes further, allowing AYUSH practitioners to use their Indian qualifications in EU countries where no regulatory framework exists and providing for AYUSH wellness centres and clinics.
The agreements represent an attempt to transform AYUSH from being a cultural export to a formalised health and services opportunity.
The India-Oman CEPA contains what the government describes as its first comprehensive commitment on traditional medicine across all modes of supply, while the India-New Zealand FTA has a dedicated ‘health and traditional medicine’ annex covering Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Homoeopathy.
The New Zealand agreement also provides structured mobility pathways, including a dedicated visa quota for AYUSH practitioners and Yoga instructors. The government said the agreement would institutionalise cooperation in education, training, standards development and wellness services.
Comment | The growing relevance of traditional medicine
Need to convert market access to demand
However, the diplomatic push also raises questions about how far formal recognition and market access will translate into actual international demand.
Experts point to the need for credible standards, evidence, regulation, practitioner quality and patient safety if AYUSH is to establish itself in increasingly regulated global healthcare markets.
Senior officials in the Ministry of Ayush said the Ayush visa, overseas training and exchange programmes were also helping expand the sector.
“Foreign medical arrivals rose from 1.83 lakh in 2020 to 6.44 lakh in 2024, as per our data. Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Germany, Russia, Malaysia, Mauritius and Saudi Arabia are among the important markets for AYUSH and Ayurveda treatment. The government does not publish a current consolidated country-wise ranking of AYUSH patients,” an official from the AYUSH Ministry said.
However, the figure of 6.44 lakh refers to overall foreign medical arrivals and not specifically AYUSH patients. The absence of consolidated data makes it difficult to assess AYUSH’s actual share of India’s medical-value-travel market.
The Ayush visa, introduced in 2023, is another component of the strategy. Between January 2023 and December 2025, a total of 3,375 foreign nationals travelled to India on Ayush visas or e-Ayush visas, while another 579 travelled on Ayush attendant visas or e-Ayush attendant visas. Earlier, the Ministry had reported that 1,646 Ayush visas had been issued to nationals of 75 countries between January 2024 and February 2025.
Education is also emerging as another channel of influence. Under the Ayush Fellowship Scheme, 260 students from 32 countries were studying AYUSH in Indian institutions.
The Ministry’s international cooperation programmes also support training, seminars, conferences and knowledge exchange, including Yoga teaching and education overseas.
