It's all about looks, honey!

India's expertise in cosmetic surgery is attracting people from foreign shores for liposuction and tummy tucks.

Galloping on its booming economy, the changing face of India is also changing the face and the figure of the world.

With a yearly growth of about 7 per cent worldwide, cosmetic surgery is the new magnet for the increasing medical tourism in India. And surgeons and hospitals are turning to various promotional strategies abroad to bring in the money.

Medical tourists from the US and UK are on the rise and no, most of them are not coming for tertiary care, but for treatments that involve cosmetic surgery. Dr Ajay Kashyap, chief of cosmetic surgery, Fortis Hospital, attributes this growth to the insurance policies in these countries that do not cover cosmetic surgeries.

"Cost effectiveness and good quality care are attracting people from these countries. The cost of getting cosmetic surgery in India is one fourth the cost in the US," he says. Other countries that are increasingly looking towards India for facelifts and liposuctions are Canada and Australia.

Knowledge of India's expertise in cosmetic surgery at lower costs is so widespread that tourists are even going to small towns for their procedures. Take, for instance, cosmetic surgeon Dr B P Singh, who practices in Jalandhar. His practice has seen an increase of almost 100 per cent over the last three years.

"Cosmetic surgery has become more of a necessity than a luxury," says Singh. Insecurity in marital relations is pushing people towards attempting to look good and young.

In fact, cosmetic surgeries are no longer synonymous with the beauty procedures of women. Singh vouches that he gets an equal sex ratio for surgeries, the most popular of which are liposuction, tummy tucks, face surgeries and breast surgery.

But cosmetic surgeons and hospitals in India are not relying on rock-bottom costs alone to get in patients. Apollo Hospitals, for example, has tied up with the Taj Medical Group in the UK and IndUShealth in the US to actively promote the hospital and especially its speciality in cosmetic and plastic surgery.

Moreover, the group has been featured in many international news stories and programmes regarding its treatment plans and surgery options including the likes of CBS 60 Minutes, Tonight with Trevor MacDonald and in features on Canadian and Australian Broadcasting channels.

Dr Kuldeep Singh, cosmetic surgeon at Apollo, says, "Earlier people would come to India for a holiday and then discover cosmetic surgery. Now they come with the intention of getting cosmetic surgery done and couple that with sightseeing." The Internet is a blessing for individuals like

B P Singh, who has his own website that promotes medical tourism for cosmetic surgery. Surfers can even check out some before and after case studies on his website.

Assisting hospitals and doctors in increasing efficiency are travel agents like Erco Travels that have tied up with hospitals and offer packaged tours and travel services along with cosmetic surgery.

"Cosmetic surgery is one of the most lucrative treatments in India. We promote it through our website as well as through participation in international travel fairs."

Yet, though medical tourism is witnessing a new high owing to cosmetic surgery, India still has a long way to cover so it can rub shoulders with its biggest competitor, Thailand.