India embeds Ayurveda and Yoga into global trade deals as formal health services

As Yoga and Ayurveda become part of India's global health diplomacy, experts press for credible standards

The Centre is pushing to expand the international footprint of AYUSH systems through recent trade agreements that contain dedicated provisions for practitioner mobility, licensing and standards development, marking a shift from cultural export to formalised health services.

Trade pacts carve formal pathways

Three major agreements operationalised since the start of 2026 contain specific commitments on traditional medicine. The India-Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which became operational in June 2026, includes what the government describes as its first comprehensive commitment on traditional medicine across all modes of supply. The India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement features a dedicated annex on health and traditional medicine covering Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Homoeopathy, and provides structured mobility pathways including a dedicated visa quota for AYUSH practitioners and Yoga instructors. The India-European Union FTA, signed in January 2026, allows AYUSH practitioners to use their Indian qualifications in EU countries where no regulatory framework exists and provides for AYUSH wellness centres and clinics.

The government said the New Zealand agreement would institutionalise cooperation in education, training, standards development and wellness services.

Data gaps cloud assessment

Foreign medical arrivals rose from 1.83 lakh in 2020 to 6.44 lakh in 2024, according to the Ministry of Ayush, with Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Germany, Russia, Malaysia, Mauritius and Saudi Arabia among important markets for AYUSH and Ayurveda treatment. However, the 6.44 lakh figure refers to overall foreign medical arrivals and not specifically AYUSH patients, and the government does not publish a current consolidated country-wise ranking of AYUSH patients. The absence of consolidated data makes it difficult to assess AYUSH's actual share of India's medical-value-travel market.

Between January 2023 and December 2025, a total of 3,375 foreign nationals travelled to India on Ayush visas or e-Ayush visas, while another 579 travelled on Ayush attendant visas or e-Ayush attendant visas. The Ministry had earlier reported that 1,646 Ayush visas were issued to nationals of 75 countries between January 2024 and February 2025.

Standards question persists

The diplomatic push raises questions about how far formal recognition and market access will translate into actual international demand. Experts point to the need for credible standards, evidence, regulation, practitioner quality and patient safety if AYUSH is to establish itself in increasingly regulated global healthcare markets. Under the Ayush Fellowship Scheme, 260 students from 32 countries were studying AYUSH in Indian institutions.

Source: The Hindu