Nagpur pitches for global medical, wellness tourism hub

Nagpur: The Maharashtra govt initiated a coordinated push to develop Nagpur into a high-quality medical and wellness tourism hub, with senior officials and healthcare stakeholders outlining a roadmap focused on infrastructure strengthening, regulatory ease, and interdepartmental coordination.A high-level meeting was held on Tuesday under the MahaStride project, chaired by divisional commissioner Vijayalakshmi Bidari, to ensure strategic alignment among key depts and agencies. The meeting brought together district collector Vipin Itankar, zilla parishad chief executive officer Vinayak Mahamuni, senior officials from MahaStride, Maharashtra Medical Tourism Services Ltd, the tourism and skill development depts, along with representatives from govt and private medical institutions.
Discussions centred on Nagpur's existing healthcare ecosystem, including its hospital network, medical certification courses offered to foreign students, and facilities required for international patients seeking treatment. Officials also deliberated on framing simplified and patient-friendly regulations for hospitals, upgrading the quality of nursing colleges, strengthening pharmaceutical manufacturing, and integrating alternative systems of medicine such as ayurveda, homoeopathy, and unani into the broader wellness tourism framework.Emphasising the need for global benchmarks, Bidari called for the creation of international-standard medical and wellness facilities in the city. She suggested designing specialised medical certification programmes for foreign students, providing internship opportunities in Nagpur-based hospitals, and involving the skill development department to lead structured training to create a skilled medical workforce.Healthcare representatives highlighted Nagpur's strengths, including its growing tertiary care capacity and educational institutions, while also flagging operational challenges that need policy-level intervention. A detailed presentation was made by Maharashtra Medical Tourism Services Ltd, outlining potential models and opportunities.The MahaStride project, implemented by the state govt with World Bank support, aims to build institutional capacity for district-level development. Govt officials said Nagpur's robust healthcare services, skilled manpower, medical education base, and strong connectivity made it well-positioned to emerge as a medical and wellness tourism destination, with this meeting marking the first formal step in that direction.