'Medical tourism of next level': Kotak's Nilesh Shah on Turkey's hair transplant boom

India has the opportunity to build a far more global medical tourism ecosystem, according to Nilesh Shah, Managing Director of Kotak Mutual Fund, who on Sunday pitched what he described as a next-level wellness strategy for the country. 

"This is Medical Tourism of next level as my friend @finkrishna shared," Shah wrote, responding to a social media post highlighting the growing number of men travelling to Turkey for low-cost hair transplant procedures. 

The original post noted, "A regular flight to Turkey and back: hundreds of men continue their journeys to regain their hair. Hair transplants in Turkey are much cheaper than in Europe or the U.S., making the country attractive to patients from all over the world. Turkish hairlines."

Drawing a comparison, Shah said India should move decisively to position itself as a comprehensive wellness and treatment destination. "India should launch a massive 'Wellness India' campaign with Visa free entry, Airline connectivity / Packages across price points for treatments/wellness, Stay at Clinics/Hospital and Hotels, Food and Entertainment,” he said.

He said the focus should be on creating a seamless, affordable experience for international patients. "Hassle-free, value for Money, wellness package," Shah wrote, adding that digital storytelling could play a central role in scaling demand. "A special social media plan should make patient experience viral to build awareness and demand pull."

Shah pointed to strong global demand for alternatives that combine affordability with holistic care. "There is so much demand for Yoga/Treatment without side effects / Timely treatment/ value for money," he said.

Summing up his pitch, Shah argued that India already has the core strengths needed to dominate the segment. "India has all the ingredients to be the largest value-for-money medical tourism center," he said.