Confederation of Indian Industry reported that 150,000 medical tourists came to India in 2005, based on feedback from the organization's member hospitals. The number grew to 200,000 by 2008. A separate study by ASSOCHAM reported that the year 2011 saw 850,000 medical tourists in India and projected that by 2015 this number would rise to 3,200,000.[8]
Most estimates claim treatment costs in India start at around a tenth of the price of comparable treatment in America or Britain.[9][10] The most popular treatments sought in India by medical tourists are alternative medicine, bone-marrow transplant, cardiac bypass, eye surgery and hip replacement. India is known in particular for heart surgery, hip resurfacing and other areas of advanced medicine.
Lower treatment cost does not necessarily mean lower healthcare standards. There are 18 JCI accredited hospitals in India.[11] However, for a patient travelling to India, it is important to find the optimal Doctor-Hospital