Apollo Seeks Easier Visas to Boost Medical Tourism

24 Feb 2025 CW Team

Apollo Hospitals Enterprise has urged the government to implement a more liberal visa policy for overseas patients to strengthen India's medical tourism sector.

"So our idea is to work with the government of India and really evolve this plan called Heal in India. We need enhanced E visas," Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Joint Managing Director Sangita Reddy said.

She highlighted that competitor countries like Thailand, Turkey, the Philippines, and Singapore offer visas on arrival, making it easier for international patients to access treatment. "We are requesting the government to enhance the ease of patients coming in, to speed in, and make the medical tourism visas faster, to promote the concept, because India has high-quality healthcare at one-tenth of global prices," Reddy added.

Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Executive Vice Chairperson Preetha Reddy also emphasized the need to improve the visa process and enhance patient experiences at airports. "Now we have fabulous airports in a lot of cities, so that's kind of done," she said.

On future growth, Apollo Hospitals is focusing on collaborations across various sectors, including digital health and scientific research. "So in the digital space, yes, in the learning space, yes, and definitely in the hospital space, you know, you will see more collaborations and lot of scientific collaborations," Reddy said, adding that the company is working with IITs and other institutions to incubate innovations.

The healthcare major has announced plans to invest nearly Rs 6,000 crore ($720 million) over the next five years to add 3,000 beds across its hospital network.

Infrastructure Urban

10 Mar 2026

ABB to Invest Rs 6.25 Billion to Expand India Manufacturing

ABB recently announced plans to invest approximately Rs 6.25 billion ($75 million) in India during 2026 to expand its manufacturing footprint and research and development capabilities. The investment follows more than $35 million spent in 2025 and reflects the company’s continued focus on strengthening its ‘local-for-local’ strategy in the country.The investment will support ABB’s Electrification, Motion and Automation businesses and expand manufacturing capacity for infrastructure sectors such as renewable energy, metro rail, data centres and industrial applications. Approximately 300..

Six WOLFF Cranes Handle 60,000 m³ Concrete for German Hospital

Six WOLFF tower cranes are playing a key role in constructing a new hospital complex in Memmingen, Germany, supporting large-scale material handling for the project. The facility is being built on a 7.7-hectare site and will feature six floors, around 480 beds and a gross floor area exceeding 75,000 sq m.Building shell works began recently in February 2025. One WOLFF 6531.12 Cross crane supported early site preparation before being dismantled in autumn 2025, while five remaining cranes continue operations. Over an average deployment period of 16 months, the cranes are expected to move approxim..

REC Funds Rs 115.6 Million CSR Support for Bihar Eye Hospital

REC recently committed Rs 115.6 million under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme for the procurement of clinical and non-clinical equipment at Sankara Eye Hospital in Saharsa, Bihar. The initiative aims to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and improve access to specialised eye care services in the region.A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was recently signed between Pradeep Fellows, Executive Director (CSR), REC Limited, and Wg Cdr V. Shankar (Retd), Trustee and Executive Director of Sankara Eye Hospital, at the REC office in the SCOPE Complex, New Delhi.The support is expecte..