There are about 70,000 hospitals in India. About 44,000 hospitals are in the private sector, and about 26,000 are in the public sector. 

India is one of the world's largest countries by area and population. A combination of public and private networks is essential for a country the size of India. Most private sector hospitals are in urban areas like Tier 1, 2, and 3 cities and towns. Rural areas, which account for more than 65% of India's population, have more public sector hospitals than private hospitals.

India is also home to many top-notch Ayurveda hospitals. In addition, there are hospitals for other medical streams like Homeopathy, Unani, Sidha, and Yoga. There is even a department under the government named 'AYUSH' for these alternative medicine systems in India.

Let us now look at some of the best hospitals in India. As mentioned above, both public(government) and private hospitals exist in India. 

Some of the best public hospitals in India are 

1. AIIMS, New Delhi: All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is among the top hospitals in the world. There are more than 2400 beds here with treatments across all specialties. AIIMS is one of the most revered medical colleges in India.
2. King Edward Memorial Hospital, Mumbai: King Edward (VII) Memorial Hospital and Seth Gordhandas Sunderdas Medical College is one of the busiest hospitals in India. With about 900 doctors and 1800 beds, the hospital treats about 1.8 million out-patients and 85,000 in-patients every year.
3. PGIMER, Chandigarh: Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) is a leading medical college and tertiary care hospital in north India. 
4. Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai: is a public hospital for cancer care in Mumbai. The doctors in the hospital perform more than 8500 advanced cancer surgeries every year.
5. NIMHANS, Bangalore: National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) is a public hospital in Bangalore. It is one of the country's best mental health and neurosciences hospitals. 

Private hospitals in India:

The private sector accounts for more than 60% of the hospitals in India. These are mainly in the main cities and towns across the country. Some of the best hospitals in India are

• Apollo Hospital, Chennai:  Established in 1983, this is the flagship hospital of the Apollo Group. The hospital has over 60 departments, doctors with international exposure and training, and state-of-the-art facilities for treating various health disorders. The combination of all of these makes it one of the most popular medical treatment destinations in the country.
• Manipal Hospital, Bangalore: Started in 1991, Manipal Hospital (on Old Airport Road, Bangalore) is the flagship hospital of the Manipal Education and Medical Group. This 650-bed hospital showcases all that is excellent in the Indian healthcare industry.
• Fortis Escorts, New Delhi: With over 33 years of experience and accomplishments in cardiac care, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, New Delhi, continues to be a pioneer in the field. Fortis Escorts Heart Institute has enriched many lives with its cutting-edge technology and expert clinical care. A center of cardiology excellence worldwide, the hospital's doctors include Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awardees.
• Apollo Indraprastha, New Delhi: Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi, is the first hospital in India to be Internationally Accredited by Joint Commission International (JCI) consecutively for the fifth time. It is a multi-specialty hospital with over 700 beds and is one of India's leading tertiary care hospitals. The hospital ranks first in many surveys of the premier hospitals in India.
• Max Hospital, Saket, Delhi: Accredited by JCI and NABH, this hospital is among the top hospitals in India. This 530+ bed hospital has some of the finest doctors in India. The Max Hospital at Saket has treated more than 34 lakh patients in 38 specialties.
• Kokilaben Ambani Hospital, Mumbai: Unlike most other hospitals where a visiting consultant doctor model is in place, Kokilaben hospital follows an FTSS (Full Time Specialist System) model. The doctors are exclusively attached to the hospital, so they are always available to patients. 
• Fortis Mulund Hospital, Mumbai: Fortis Mulund is a JCI and NABH-accredited hospital with over 600,000 patients treated in the last 20 years. This hospital has 320+ beds and 20+ specialty departments, making it a premier medical facility not only in Mumbai but throughout India and neighboring countries.
• BLK Max Hospital, New Delhi: The hospital has a capacity of 650 beds and is amongst the largest private hospitals in Delhi. This hospital has 125 critical care beds and 17 state-of-the-art modular operation theatres. In addition, it houses one of the largest bone marrow transplant centers in Asia.
• Aster CMI Hospital, Bangalore: With close to 500 beds and state-of-the-art facilities, Aster CMI is one of the top hospitals in Bangalore. It is a member of the Aster group of hospitals, which has branches in India and the Gulf.
• Nanavati Hospital, Mumbai: An iconic healthcare destination in Mumbai, Dr. Balabhai Nanavati Hospital is now part of the Max hospital group. The Nanavati Max Hospital, as it is now known, has over 350 beds and over 30 specialty departments.

It is noteworthy that there are many specialty hospitals in India that specialize in specific areas of medical care in addition to multi-specialty hospitals. 

1. Dental hospitals: There are several dental clinics and hospitals offering high-quality dental treatment.
2. Eye hospitals: Eye care is a specialist field of medicine, so there are dedicated eye hospitals offering specialized eye care in India.
3. Fertility hospitals: The issue of infertility is a major concern in the modern world. India is home to some of the world's top fertility hospitals that offer hope to many couples in India and abroad.
4. Children's Hospital: Providing timely and efficient pediatric care is crucial in providing the highest possible care for children in their most vulnerable state. There is no doubt that specialty children's hospitals can help to alleviate this situation.
5. Cancer Hospital: There are multiple types of cancer, and each is different. There has been a lot of innovation in cancer treatment. There are specialized cancer hospitals that lead the way in these innovations and in providing dedicated cancer care.

Below is a list of top specialty hospitals in India across different departments.

• HCG Hospital in Bangalore for cancer care
• Rainbow Hospital in Hyderabad for childcare
• Rainbow Hospital in Bangalore for childcare
• Rajan Dental hospital in Chennai for dental care
• Dr. Rajkrishnan Dental hospital in Kochi for dental care
• CIMAR fertility hospitalin Kochi 
• Sankara eye hospital in Bangalore
• Dr. Tony Fernandez eye hospital in Kochi

Ayurveda Hospitals

The ancient Indian system of medicine, Ayurveda, has been around for over 3000 years. There are highly reputed Ayurveda hospitals that provide high-quality Ayurveda treatment. 

• Arya Vaidya Sala: Arya Vaidya Sala, in Kerala, is a famous hospital with around 200 beds. Founded in 1902, it is one of the oldest Ayurveda hospitals in the world.
• Vaidyaratnam Nursing Home: It is one of the most reputed Ayurveda hospitals with a family tradition of over 400 years in Ayurveda.
• Sreedhareeyam Ayurveda for Eye: A specialty Ayurveda hospital for eye treatments.
• Nagarjuna Ayurveda: is one of the trendsetters in the health care sector, which took effective steps to restore Ayurveda as the mainstream Health Management System.
• Ayush Prana A specialized Ayurveda center for treating Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Major healthcare destinations in India 

Most of the best hospitals in India are in the main cities such as ...

1. New Delhi: New Delhi, the capital city located in north India 
2. Mumbai: It is the capital of Maharashtra state in west India. 
3. Chennai: This city in south India is the capital of Tamilnadu state
4. Bangalore: The capital of Karnataka in south India

Apart from this, the state of Kerala has the distinction of having the most authentic Ayurveda hospitals.

Hospital certifications and accreditations:

Healthcare is a state subject in India, so the controls and processes may differ from state to state. Most of the best hospitals in India have accreditation by JCI or NABH. JCI is the gold standard in global healthcare. NABH is an Indian standard that is on par with JCI.

As of December 2022, there are 41 JCI-accredited and more than 1000 NABH-certified hospitals in India.