Travel Assistance in India

Medical Assistance

India has a large and highly developed private healthcare sector in its major cities, but the availability and standard of medical care can vary considerably outside the main urban centres. Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and other major cities have hospitals offering advanced specialist treatment. Outside these centres, access to appropriate facilities can become more limited, particularly when travelling in remote or mountainous areas. Travellers should ensure that their destination can provide the healthcare they may need and to have appropriate cover for local treatment and unexpected medical evacuation.

Global Traveller can help members identify an appropriate medical facility, coordinate appointments and admissions, arrange ambulance or medical transportation and assist with communication where required. For travellers who become unwell outside the major cities, the Operations Centre can help assess available options and coordinate movement to a more appropriate facility where necessary. If specialist treatment is unavailable locally, medical evacuation or repatriation can be coordinated through appropriate providers.

India also presents a range of travel-health considerations, including dengue, malaria, chikungunya, Zika, altitude sickness and significant seasonal air pollution, particularly in northern cities during winter. (GOV.UK)

Travel Security & Regional Awareness

India is not one uniform security environment. Conditions can vary considerably between states and individual regions. The FCDO currently advises against all travel within 10km of the India-Pakistan border and against all travel to Jammu and Kashmir, with specific exceptions around Jammu. It also advises against all but essential travel to Manipur. Other parts of north-east India and several central and eastern states have additional regional considerations. For most international travellers, this means that the relevant consideration is often the specific destination and route, rather than India as a whole.

Major cities and tourist destinations can also experience demonstrations, localised disruption, terrorism risks and opportunistic crime. Terrorist attacks have previously targeted locations visited by foreign nationals, including transport hubs, hotels, markets, tourist attractions and other public places.

Global Traveller provides travel intelligence and location-relevant alerts, helping members stay informed about developments that could affect their journey. When circumstances change, members can contact the Operations Centre for practical guidance, assistance with changing arrangements or coordination of appropriate local resources.

Executive & Business Travel

India is one of the world’s most important international business and investment destinations. Mumbai is a major financial centre, Delhi is central to government, diplomacy and corporate activity, while Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai are significant technology, engineering and manufacturing centres.

International business activity also extends into pharmaceuticals, automotive, aerospace, energy, infrastructure, telecommunications, financial services, professional services and manufacturing. Business travel may therefore involve tightly scheduled movements between airports, hotels, corporate offices, industrial facilities, technology campuses and project locations.

Global Traveller provides executives and business travellers with 24/7 access to assistance throughout these journeys. Support can include transportation coordination, medical assistance, local operational support and assistance when unexpected circumstances affect an itinerary. For complex movements, secure transportation and other specialist resources can also be coordinated through the wider Global Traveller provider network.

Travel Beyond the Major Cities

One of India’s defining travel characteristics is the difference between its major metropolitan centres and more remote destinations. A traveller may move from a highly developed private hospital in Mumbai or Bengaluru to a remote mountain area, rural project location or smaller regional city within the same trip. Long-distance road journeys, seasonal weather, local infrastructure and access to specialist medical facilities can all become more important outside the main centres.

Global Traveller can assist with transportation coordination and practical support when a journey becomes more complicated than expected. For travellers visiting remote or mountainous areas, appropriate planning is particularly important. Extreme weather, monsoon flooding, landslides and earthquakes can disrupt roads, communications and other infrastructure.

Weather, Disruption & Complex Journeys

India experiences significant seasonal variations across the country. The monsoon season can cause flooding, landslides, road closures and disruption to communications and transport. Cyclones can affect parts of the east and south, while earthquakes are a particular consideration in northern and north-eastern areas. These conditions can have a direct impact on travel plans.

A cancelled domestic flight, flooded road or disruption to a regional transport connection can affect multiple parts of an itinerary. Gobal Traveller can help members assess the situation and coordinate practical alternatives, including transportation, accommodation support and onward travel arrangements where appropriate. For more serious incidents, the Operations Centre can coordinate medical, security, aviation and logistics resources according to the circumstances.

Medical Evacuation & Repatriation

Where a traveller requires specialist treatment that is not appropriately available locally, Global Traveller can coordinate medical evacuation or repatriation through specialist providers. This may involve arranging ground transportation to an appropriate hospital, transferring a traveller between cities or coordinating specialist aviation depending on the location and medical requirement.

India’s scale means that the appropriate response can differ considerably depending on where the traveller is located. Our Operations Centre coordinates communication between the traveller, medical providers, transportation resources and other relevant parties throughout the response. Third-party medical, transportation and evacuation costs are separate from Global Traveller membership unless otherwise agreed.

More Than an App

The Global Traveller app provides destination information, travel intelligence, alerts, itinerary features and direct access to assistance. For a country as geographically diverse as India, having relevant information connected to a traveller’s itinerary can be particularly useful. When an issue requires more than information, members can contact the 24/7 Operations Centre directly. The app keeps travellers informed and connected. The Operations Centre provides the human assistance behind the membership.

Why Global Traveller?

24/7 Human Assistance

Direct access to an experienced Operations Centre when something goes wrong or circumstances change.

Global Provider Network

Access to more than 12,000 vetted medical, security, transportation, aviation and logistics providers worldwide.

Practical Coordination

We help identify and coordinate the appropriate resources rather than simply providing information or referring members elsewhere.

Operational Experience

Global Traveller is operated by Stratum Global Risk, bringing practical experience in travel risk, security, crisis response and complex movements.