 |
| Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/stacked-of-stones-outdoors-289586/ |
India, the birthplace of yoga, the millennia-old system of achieving physical, mental, and spiritual wellness, is rightfully seeing a huge rise in the formal wellness industry. That a land which always emphasised that the purpose of life was to strike the right balance in whatever one undertook in life, should now prioritise personal well-being over mindless “growth” and accumulation of material assets, is something that signifies a homecoming of sorts.
People have come to understand that the conventional approach to healthcare and wellness, which often involves expensive treatments and healing, is all very well, but adopting a preventive, wellness-oriented lifestyle may help them lead fuller and healthier lives. India, with its traditions of yoga and ayurveda, which evolved from the soil of this land, is best suited to evolve a wellness culture that combines the ancient wisdom of the land with the best modern scientific practices in the realm of health and wellness.
Given the growing awareness of lifestyle diseases resulting from modern, fast-paced lifestylesit is not surprising that the Indian health and wellness market achieved an impressive market size of $156 billion in 2024. This figure is expected to reach as high a figure as $256.9 billion by 2033, representing a CAGR growth of 5.3% in the 2025-33 time period.As a matter of fact, India is poised to benefit substantially from the growing international wellness tourism industry as well, which is expected to reach $1.3 trillion in size this year.
There are several factors that are propelling this stupendous growth in the Indian wellness industry in particular, which is expected to achieve a market size of $72 billion by the end of 2025. The Indian corporate wellness market, which achieved a creditable $639.1 million revenue in 2024 is projected to hit $809 billion in 2030 representing a CAGR of 4% in the 2025-30 time period.
The employment generation potential of the wellness industry too is quite large on account of the growing demand for qualified and experienced professionals who can help wellness companies meet the ever growing demand for their products and services. This is amply demonstrated by the fact that the beauty and wellness segment employs as many as 12.3 million people. What’s more, 66% of such employees are women. Hearteningly, the number of people employed in the sector is expected to grow to about 20.3 million by 2027.
Furthermore, in light of the growing importance given to personal wellbeing in the post pandemic era, more and more people are looking to India for solutions, given its association with yoga, ayurveda, and a rich age age-old tradition of turning to nature for wellness and good health. Large numbers of Indian and foreign tourists have started taking regular wellness holidays. This explains why the Indian wellness tourism industry boasted a value of $19.43 billion in 2024, which is expected to reach $29.88 billion in 2031, achieving a CAGR of 6.45%.
One of the most important reasons for the rapid growth of the Indian wellness industry has to be the massive growth in digitisation witnessed in the country. With a very high smartphone penetration, more and more people are accessing wellness services via healthcare apps and online platforms.
The government’s promotion of digital healthcare through its Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission has played an important role in raising awareness about the need for a comprehensive digital health approach in the country. It is not surprising, then, that the Indian digital fitness and welfare platforms market is already valued at $1.5 billion.
The Indian wellness industry is definitely a bright spot on the Indian economic horizon, with plenty of tailwinds to ensure its exponential rise in the times ahead.
