The Voice of Healthcare (VOH), as the Official Media Partner for the AHCI 2026, concluded its comprehensive coverage of the two-day international healthcare summit organised by the FICCI. The event convened distinguished global policymakers, hospital leaders, Ayush and wellness specialists, digital health innovators, strategic facilitators, and international delegates for an in-depth exploration of Medical Value Travel (MVT), cross-border healthcare frameworks, integrative medicine, and India’s rising role as a global healthcare powerhouse.
The conference opened with a high-level inaugural ceremony where eminent leaders laid the foundation for the dialogues ahead. Shri Prataprao Jadhav, Hon’ble Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare and Ayush, set the tone by highlighting India’s commitment to accessible, inclusive and globally competitive healthcare, stated, “India is building a truly integrated healthcare model—where cutting-edge research and digital connectivity ensure continuity of care across borders, while our traditional systems under the Ministry of AYUSH complement modern medicine in an evidence-based manner. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are committed to creating resilient, inclusive, and future-ready health systems through global collaboration.” Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda, Hon’ble Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, in his virtual address, stressed the strategic importance of strengthening India’s quality ecosystem and global brand equity, said, “India is undertaking comprehensive reforms to build a resilient, high-quality, and globally aligned healthcare system. Medical value travel reflects our clinical excellence, transparent governance, and patient-centric approach, while strengthening international cooperation and people-to-people ties. We remain committed to positioning India as a trusted global healthcare partner.”
Senior voices including Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Dr. Upasana Arora reaffirmed the need for cohesive industry–government collaboration to harness India’s competitive strengths across modern medicine, Ayush and digital transformation. Dr. Raajiv Singhal contextualised the event by emphasising “India’s unmatched clinical talent, noting the global recognition of Indian doctors and the strength of the country’s training systems. With strong government backing under the Heal in India initiative—and recent policy support including the proposal to develop regional hubs—India is steadily positioning itself as a global leader in medical value travel.”
The inaugural session concluded with a Vote of Thanks delivered by Dr. Narottam Puri, FICCI MVT & Health Services; Principal Advisor, QCI; Advisor–Medical Operations, Fortis Healthcare Ltd.; and Board Member & Former Chairman of NABH, acknowledging the collective commitment of all stakeholders to advance India’s global healthcare mission, stated, “My heartfelt thanks to our esteemed ministers, the leadership of FICCI, the jury, partners, media, and every delegate who made this gathering possible. This platform thrives because of your commitment—so over the next three days, let’s not just participate, but collaborate, learn, and create impact that lasts well beyond this conclave.”
The first major deliberation was the BRICS Health Dialogue, a substantive discussion bringing together senior representatives from Russia, South Africa, Brazil, Nigeria, Iran and India. Moderated by Mr. Lalit Mistry of KPMG India, the session unfolded an expansive dialogue on regulatory realignment, harmonisation of clinical standards, streamlining of medical travel protocols, strengthening patient safety systems and fostering infrastructural readiness across BRICS nations. Speakers explored pathways to create a cohesive cross-border healthcare framework, enabling smoother patient mobility, unified digital documentation, interoperable quality systems and collaborative mechanisms for public health crises. This session stood out for its strategic depth and underscored the growing importance of BRICS as a global health bloc.
Concurrently, the CEOs Roundtable served as a closed-door strategy forum where the country’s leading hospital heads and senior government officials discussed India’s ambition to become the global MVT hub by 2030. The dialogue, moderated by Dr. Raajiv Singhal, addressed policy rationalisation, single-window facilitation for international patients, visa frameworks, international accreditation pathways, global competitiveness of Indian hospitals, and the need for sustained branding efforts across priority markets. Government leaders including Shri Lav Agarwal, Shri Rajib Sen, Dr. Anoopa Nair and Ms. Reena Ashis Dash engaged actively with industry CEOs to identify actionable reforms that would accelerate India’s ascent in the global medical travel economy. The session concluded with consensus on building a unified national roadmap that integrates government initiatives with private-sector capabilities.
The afternoon advanced into Plenary Session I, which examined India’s positioning as a Vishwaguru in Medical Value Travel. Moderated by Dr. Anupam Sibal, the discussion delved into India’s unmatched combination of clinical excellence, affordability, advanced tertiary care, integrated medicine, and internationally trusted healthcare brands, said, “India’s rapid economic growth has strengthened our healthcare ecosystem—with world-class infrastructure, advanced technology, strong clinical talent, and globally comparable outcomes at competitive costs. But our vision goes beyond treatment; we aim to build lasting partnerships, strengthen capacity across nations, and position India as a trusted, preferred destination for medical value travel.”
Senior leaders from DGFT, the Ministry of Tourism, Niti Aayog, Fortis Healthcare, Shalby Ltd., Kailash Healthcare and Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences analysed how policy consistency, global partnerships, standardised service delivery and investment in soft infrastructure could elevate India from being a preferred treatment destination to a global standard-setter in MVT. The conversation also addressed global market expansion, international patient expectations, and the evolving competitive landscape.
Plenary Session II followed with an extensive exploration of digital systems as the backbone of future-ready global healthcare. Chaired by Shri Madhukar Kumar Bhagat and moderated by EY’s Satyam Shivam Sundaram, the panel featured experts from DRG Path Labs, Metro Group of Hospitals, CK Birla Hospitals, Fortis Healthcare, Paras Health, Overseas Medical Care Assistance, The Medical Travel Company and Lilavati Hospital. They examined the increasing relevance of AI triage tools, interoperable health records, telemedicine solutions, secure data exchange, remote monitoring and digital MVT platforms. The discussion highlighted how digitalisation is enabling frictionless pre-arrival engagement, transparent treatment planning, better clinical handovers and structured post-treatment continuity for international patients.
Plenary Session III showcased powerful presentations on patient-centric care and international patient success stories from leading healthcare providers including Apollo Hospitals, Fortis, Artemis, Shalby, Marengo Asia, Yashoda, Paras Health and L H Hiranandani Hospital. Each presentation demonstrated India’s capability to provide culturally sensitive, technology-enabled and clinically excellent care to global patients. They highlighted real-world narratives showcasing multilingual care coordination, advanced multidisciplinary treatments, personalised rehabilitation pathways and seamless digital follow-up systems.
Day 1 culminated with the MVT Awards 2026, marking a distinguished close to the first day’s proceedings. Graced by Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister of Tourism and Culture, the awards celebrated institutions and facilitators that have made exceptional contributions to India’s MVT ecosystem. The ceremony honoured pioneers driving innovation, patient experience excellence, integrative care models, Ayush-based healing and global outreach initiatives. The presence of international delegations, policymakers and industry leaders amplified the ceremony’s stature and concluded Day 1 on an inspiring and celebratory note.
Day 2 opened with a compelling focus on Ayush and wellness. The plenary session, chaired by Professor Vd. Pradeep Kumar Prajapati of AIIA and moderated by Dr. Prem Jagyasi, offered deep insights into the expanding global demand for traditional and integrative medicine. Speakers from Jiva Ayurveda, Kairali Ayurvedic Group, Vaidyaratnam, Madhavbaug, Apollo AyurVAID and Jeena Sikho discussed the evolution of Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy as trusted global healing systems. The session also examined the strategic role of the Ayush Visa, Ayush Quality Mark and India’s push for internationally recognised Ayush standards in elevating India’s global healthcare positioning.
This was followed by a highly engaging workshop dedicated to exploring the role of Indian travel companies in Medical Value Travel. Led by HBG Medical Assistance and Artemis Hospitals, the discussions provided an in-depth view of MVT business models, high-potential geographies, commercial opportunities, emerging frameworks and the growing significance of medical travel as a leading global travel segment. The workshop highlighted how travel companies act as critical enablers in patient facilitation, market access, brand representation and end-to-end service coordination.
The conference advanced into the Strategic MoU Signing Ceremony, which formalised multiple collaborations across healthcare institutions, government bodies, Ayush organisations, international health alliances and ecosystem enablers. These MoUs aim to strengthen global partnerships, foster institutional research exchanges, enable capacity building, promote wellness and integrative care models and enhance India’s international healthcare footprint.
AHCI 2026 concluded on a strong and reflective note, recognising India’s readiness to lead the global healthcare transformation through world-class clinical capabilities, digital health innovation, Ayush leadership, strong industry–government cooperation, and a consistently expanding Medical Value Travel ecosystem. As the Official Media Partner, Voice of Healthcare reaffirmed its commitment to championing sectoral progress, enabling knowledge exchange, and promoting India’s healthcare excellence on global platforms.