India’s traditional health system, Ayurveda, is on the cusp of a major transformation, with projections indicating a significant increase in its contribution to the nation’s economy. This optimism was a central theme at the recent Kerala Health Tourism and Global Ayurveda Summit & Expo 2025, organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) at Adlux Convention Centre in Angamaly near Kochi.
Kerala is combining modern medicine and ayurveda to emerge as a global destination for medical value travel. Addressing the inaugural session of Kerala Health Tourism and Global Ayurveda Summit and Expo 2025 here on Thursday, industry experts called for leveraging Kerala’s strength in modern medicine and ayurveda to promote the state as the most cost-competitive and quality healthcare destination in South Asia.
Ayurveda Economy Set to Soar
Dr. Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary of the Ministry of Ayush, announced that the Indian Ayurveda economy is currently valued at an impressive $43 billion. Looking ahead, he projected that Ayurveda’s share of India’s GDP could increase from the current 1.1% to a remarkable 5% by 2047, marking a “transformative era” for traditional health systems. Highlighting the sector’s momentum, Kotecha revealed that investment proposals worth $1.2 billion are already in the pipeline.Kotecha commended Kerala’s pioneering leadership in Ayurveda and labeled the state as a model for the rest of the country. Union Minister of State for Ayush, Prataprao Jadhav, echoed these sentiments in a virtual address, highlighting Kerala’s excellence in both Ayurveda care and treatment infrastructure.
Both Kotecha and Union Minister of State for Ayush, Prataprao Jadhav, praised Kerala for its pioneering role, labeling the state as a model for the rest of the country due to its excellence in Ayurveda care and treatment infrastructure.
Kerala Taps into ₹100-Crore Monthly Medical Tourism Potential
The state’s medical value tourism is also showing exceptional promise. Speakers at the summit, stated that Kerala’s modern medicine sector has the potential to generate ₹100 crore in revenue per month from medical value travellers. This marks a significant jump from the current monthly earnings of approximately ₹40 crore from this segment. Experts stressed the importance of attracting more travellers by leveraging Kerala’s unique advantage of offering quality, cost-effective healthcare.
Vision for Kerala as a Global Health Hub
Kerala Industries Minister Mr. P. Rajeev detailed the government’s efforts to establish Kerala as a premier global healthcare and wellness destination. These initiatives focus on integrating Ayurveda with modern medical systems to create a holistic health hub. Furthermore, industry leaders suggested that the state has the potential to emerge as a manufacturing hub for medical devices and pharmaceuticals.
Dr. Sajikumar, Chairman of the CII Global Ayurveda Summit, provided a bold forecast for the state’s traditional medicine sector. He projects that Kerala’s own Ayurveda economy, currently valued at ₹15,000 crore, could expand to ₹60,000 crore by 2031 and potentially reach an extraordinary ₹5 lakh crore by 2047, aligning with the “Viksit Bharat” vision.
Highlighting the opportunities in global wellness economy, Sajikumar pointed out that the sector is currently valued at $5.6 trillion. Medical value travel is projected to reach $97 billion by 2027, while wellness tourism is expected to grow to $1.3 trillion by 2028.
The strong support from both government and industry signals a bright future for India’s Ayurveda sector -driving investment, promoting traditional wellness, and positioning Kerala and India as global health and wellness leaders.
Kerala’s modern medicine sector has the potential to generate ₹100-crore revenue per month from medical value tourism, speakers at the 11th edition of the Kerala Health Tourism 2024 and the sixth Global Ayurveda Summit in Angamaly said onOctober 30,, 2025..
The sector is now earning around ₹40 crore per month from medical value travellers. Kerala also had the potential to emerge as a manufacturing hub for medical devices and pharmaceuticals, they said. Co-convener of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)-Kerala Healthcare Panel and managing director of Medical Trust Hospital Dr. P.V. Louis stressed the importance of leveraging the advantages of Kerala to attract more medical value travellers, since the State provided quality healthcare in a cost-effective manner.
CII leaders, including Mr. Thomas John Muthoot, Chairman, Southern Region and Mr. VKC Razak, Chairman, Kerala chapter of CII, affirmed that the state’s robust healthcare standards have made healthcare and wellness “one of its most resilient pillars.”
Mr. Thomas John Muthoot said South India has some of the most robust healthcare facilities in the country and highlighted Kerala’s unique strengths in both wellness and modern healthcare.
Mr. VKC Razak underscored the key role of healthcare and wellness in the state’s economy, calling the sector “one of its most resilient pillars,” the release added
The collective support from government and industry signals a bright future for Ayurveda, positioning Kerala and India as global leaders in health and wellness.
