As Yoga and Ayurveda become part of India’s global health diplomacy

Yoga and Ayurveda have moved beyond their traditional wellness identity and are increasingly becoming part of India’s global health and diplomatic strategy, with the Centre seeking to expand their footprint through medical tourism, international education, practitioner mobility and trade agreements. The shift is particularly.

These include measures to ease licensing, develop standards and facilitate the mobility of AYUSH practitioners and Yoga instructors. The agreements represent an attempt to transform AYUSH from being a cultural export to a formalised health and services opportunity.

What Happened

The India-Oman CEPA contains what the government describes as its first comprehensive commitment on traditional medicine across all modes of supply, while the India-New Zealand FTA has a dedicated ‘health and traditional medicine’ annex covering Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and.

• The India-Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), operationalised in June 2026, and the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) contain dedicated provisions on health-related services and traditional medicine.

• The India-European Union (EU) FTA, signed in January 2026, goes further, allowing AYUSH practitioners to use their Indian qualifications in EU countries where no regulatory framework exists and providing for AYUSH wellness centres and.

• Foreign medical arrivals rose from 1.83 lakh in 2020 to 6.44 lakh in 2024, as per our data.

Key Details

The government said the agreement would institutionalise cooperation in education, training, standards development and wellness services. However, the diplomatic push also raises questions about how far formal recognition and market access will translate into actual international demand.

• However, the figure of 6.44 lakh refers to overall foreign medical arrivals and not specifically AYUSH patients.

• The Ayush visa, introduced in 2023, is another component of the strategy.

• 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.

Why It Matters

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. Senior officials in the Ministry of Ayush said the Ayush visa, overseas training and exchange.

• Earlier, the Ministry had reported that 1,646 Ayush visas had been issued to nationals of 75 countries between January 2024 and February 2025.

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What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by The Hindu as more details emerge