Four moves: PIB’s official 2025 medical-arrivals data for India (released 2 May, included as the official benchmark), South Korea crossing two million foreign patients, Malaysia’s H1 numbers, and Vietnam’s draft national medical-tourism network.
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01 · Official data · India / PIB
PIB: 507,244 foreign patients came to India in 2025
Government release sets out India’s medical value travel numbers and policy levers.
507,244 — foreign nationals arrived for medical treatment, 2025
Bangladesh led with 325,127 arrivals, about 64% of the total. The e-Medical Visa covers 172 countries, and Budget 2026-27 proposed five regional medical hubs. PIB cites unnamed industry estimates of a US$8.7 billion market in 2025, rising to US$16.2 billion by 2030.
What it means → Bangladesh is roughly two-thirds of arrivals — diversifying into Africa, Central Asia and the Gulf is the clearest growth lever.
Source: PIB Delhi, 2 May 2026 (release ID 2257447)
02 · Market data · South Korea / Volumes
South Korea passes 2 million foreign patients
2025 total rose 71.9% to 2,011,822, a third straight record.
2.01M — foreign patients treated in South Korea, 2025 (+71.9%)
Foreign patients and companions spent about 12.5 trillion won (US$9.3 billion) in 2025, per the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade. China (30.8%) and Japan together made up 60.6% of patients, dermatology led with 62.9%, and 87.7% were treated at small clinics.
What it means → Korea’s volume is clinic-led and elective; India’s edge is complex tertiary care — position on outcomes and cost certainty, not on volume.
Source: Aju Press (citing the Ministry of Health and Welfare), 2 Nov 2026
03 · Competitor watch · Malaysia / H1 data
Malaysia logs 888,805 healthcare travellers in H1
RM1.74 billion in healthcare revenue, January to June 2026.
RM1.74bn — Malaysia healthcare-travel revenue, H1 2026
Preliminary MHTC data (80% response rate, as of 20 October) shows Indonesia as the top source, followed by China, Bangladesh and Cambodia. Cambodia grew fastest, while the Middle East market was described as challenging amid regional crises.
What it means → Malaysia reports national numbers fortnight-fast and is shifting to CLMV and SE Asia — India needs comparable corridor data to steer spend.
Source: Bernama, 22 Oct 2026
04 · Competitor watch · Vietnam / Policy
Vietnam drafts plan for eight medical tourism hubs
Ministry of Health targets 20 internationally accredited hospitals by 2030.
20 — internationally accredited hospitals targeted by 2030
The draft prime ministerial decision names Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Haiphong, Quang Ninh, Da Nang, Hue, Khanh Hoa and An Giang (Phu Quoc), with implementation from 2028. It also reviews visa and entry rules for patients and carers, clearer pricing and easier international payments.
What it means → Vietnam is bundling accreditation, visas and payments into one plan — a new SE Asian rival to watch for dental, fertility and screening.
Source: Dan Tri International, 22 Oct 2026
Bottom line
Asian rivals are scaling on three levers: volume in a few high-demand specialties, a single national council reporting hard numbers, and state-backed plans for accreditation, visas and payments. India’s Heal in India push needs the same measurable, end-to-end patient journey.
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The MVT Pulse · Nov 2026/1 · Curated from public sources. Figures are as reported by the cited sources on the dates shown.