Medical tourism has become a growing trend in various parts of the world with millions crossing international borders every year to receive treatment. Some countries have gradually become synonymous with certain issues — such as hair transplants in Turkey or beauty procedures in South Korea. Kotak Mahindra Asset Management MD Nilesh Shah flagged the scope for similar tourism opportunities in India — noting that the country was uniquely equipped to launch a ‘wellness’ campaign.
Wellness campaign in India?
“India should launch a massive ‘Wellness India’ campaign with visa-free entry, airline connectivity/packages across price points for treatments/wellness, Stay at clinics/hospitals and hotels, food and entertainment. Hassle-free, value for money, wellness package,” he suggested.
Shah insisted that such an initiative could also be elevated through ‘a special social media plan’ — making the patient experience “viral to build awareness and demand pull”.
“There is so much demand for yoga/treatment without side effects/timely treatment/ value for money. India has all the ingredients to be the largest value for money medical tourism center,” he reiterated.
‘Turkish hairlines’
The post came in response to an X update outlining similar trends in Turkey. A video shared on the social media platform had highlighted the continued popularity of ‘Turkish hairlines’ — wherein thousands fly to the Eurasian country for cost-effective hair transplants. By some estimates, more than a million people travel to Istanbul every year to seek such remedies for their scalp.
An NPR story from October 2025 tagged Turkey as the unofficial capital for hair transplants — with patients lured from across the globe by lower costs, bundled travel packages and a growing network of clinics. Data from the Turkish Health Tourism Association indicates that around one million people travelled to the country in 2022 for hair transplants and spent about $2 billion.
