Last updated: June 2026; Reviewed for international patients
When international patients shortlist hospitals in India, two names come up more than any others: Apollo Hospitals and Fortis Healthcare. Both are among the country's largest private hospital groups, both hold strong accreditation, and both treat thousands of overseas patients every year. So the honest answer to "which is better" is not a single winner. It depends on your procedure, your budget, and which city you travel to. This guide compares Apollo and Fortis on cost, clinical strengths, accreditation, success rates, and international-patient services so you can match the right hospital to your diagnosis.
Verdict rapide
For sheer breadth and the largest network: Apollo, with 70+ hospitals and virtually every specialty under one roof.
For dedicated cardiac care at strong value: Fortis, whose Escorts Heart Institute is one of India's most focused cardiac centres.
For organ transplants and multi-specialty complex cases: Apollo generally has deeper integrated infrastructure.
For cost: Both are affordable by international standards; on many cardiac procedures Fortis tends to price slightly lower, while the gap on most other procedures is small (often 10-20%).
For accreditation: Both are NABH-accredited; several Apollo and Fortis hospitals also hold JCI accreditation.
Recommandation: Choose by procedure and city, not by brand. The best individual hospital for your condition matters more than the group name.
Apollo and Fortis at a Glance
Apollo Hospitals was founded in 1983 by Dr. Prathap C. Reddy and grew into one of India's largest private healthcare networks, with 70+ hospitals nationwide plus international touchpoints. Apollo was the first hospital group in India to earn JCI accreditation, and its hallmark is depth: it runs high-volume programmes across cardiology, oncology, neurosciences, orthopedics, and organ transplant simultaneously, which makes it a natural fit for complex cases that need several departments working together.
Fortis Healthcare built its reputation on specialised, outcome-focused care, particularly in cardiology, orthopedics, neurosciences, and oncology, supported by a network of 30+ hospitals across major Indian cities and a few international locations. Its best-known facility, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute in Delhi, is one of Asia's most recognised dedicated cardiac centres. Fortis is part of the IHH Healthcare group, one of the region's largest healthcare operators.
Both groups maintain dedicated international-patient departments and treat large volumes of overseas patients, especially from Africa, Bangladesh, Nepal, the Middle East, and Central Asia.
Accréditation et qualité
Accreditation is the clearest objective quality signal an international patient can check before travelling.
On the core quality markers, the two groups are closely matched. Both Apollo and Fortis hold NABH accreditation and ISO certification across their main hospitals, and both run dedicated international-patient departments. The main distinction is JCI accreditation: several Apollo hospitals carry it (Apollo was the first group in India to do so), while at Fortis it is held by select facilities. Because accreditation is granted per hospital rather than across an entire brand, the status that matters is that of the specific hospital you plan to visit.
NABH (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers) is India's national quality standard, with requirements comparable to international benchmarks. JCI (Joint Commission International) is the global gold standard and signals independently verified clinical, safety, and international-patient protocols. Both groups have JCI-accredited flagship hospitals, but accreditation is granted per hospital, not per brand, so always confirm the accreditation status of the specific Apollo or Fortis hospital you're considering, not just the group.
Apollo vs Fortis: Cost Comparison
The figures below are representative package ranges for international patients in 2026, in US dollars. Actual cost depends on the city, the specific hospital, surgeon seniority, room category, implant or device choice, and how complex your case is (for example, whether ICU recovery is needed).
| Procédure | Average Cost at Apollo (USD) | Cost at Fortis (USD) |
| Pontage coronarien (CABG) | De 7,500 à 8,500 $ | De 6,000 à 7,000 $ |
| Angioplasty (single stent) | De 6,000 à 7,000 $ | De 5,000 à 5,500 $ |
| Heart valve replacement (single) | De 9,500 à 10,500 $ | De 8,000 à 8,500 $ |
| Remplacement total du genou | De 7,000 à 8,500 $ | De 5,000 à 5,500 $ |
| Remplacement total de la hanche | De 8,500 à 9,000 $ | De 5,500 à 6,500 $ |
| Greffe du rein | De 15,000 à 17,000 $ | De 13,500 à 14,500 $ |
| Greffe du foie | De 32,000 à 35,000 $ | De 24,000 à 26,000 $ |
| Consultation spécialisée | De 30 à 40 $ | De 18 à 25 $ |
What the numbers show: the price gap between the two groups is modest. On cardiac procedures Fortis often comes in slightly lower, while on most other procedures the difference is small and is usually driven more by which city and hospital you choose than by the brand itself. For an accurate figure, always request a written package quote tied to your specific diagnosis and reports. That is the only number you can plan a budget around.
Apollo vs Fortis: Success Rates
Patients frequently search for "success rate" comparisons, so it's worth being clear about what that figure means. Most Indian hospitals do not publish independently audited, procedure-level success rates, and any single percentage can be misleading because outcomes depend heavily on the individual surgeon, the patient's overall health, and case complexity.
What can be said fairly: both Apollo and Fortis run high-volume programmes in cardiology, transplant, orthopaedics, and oncology, and both report outcomes that they describe as comparable to leading international centres in their high-volume specialties. High procedure volume is itself a meaningful proxy for outcomes: a hospital and surgeon who perform a given operation hundreds of times a year generally achieve better, more consistent results than a low-volume centre.
The practical move for an international patient is to ask for surgeon-specific and procedure-specific outcome data for your exact case, rather than relying on a headline hospital-wide percentage. A reputable international-patient team at either group can provide this on request. Treat any precise success-rate percentage you see online with caution unless it is clearly sourced.
Clinical Strengths: Where Each Leads
Apollo tends to be the stronger choice for:
- Organ transplants (liver, kidney) and multi-organ or combined cases
- Complex diagnoses needing several specialties coordinated at once
- Oncology, including medical and radiation oncology (la protonthérapie, tomotherapy etc) and robotic cancer surgery
- Patients who want the most developed international-patient infrastructure
Fortis tends to be the stronger choice for:
- Cardiac surgery and interventional cardiology (its dedicated heart institutes are a genuine differentiator)
- Orthopédie et arthroplastie
- neurosciences
- Chirurgies gastro-intestinales
- Chirurgies du cancer
- Patients who want focused specialty care at competitive cost
Both groups perform the full range of major procedures well; the differences above are about relative depth, not gaps in capability.
International Patient Services at Apollo & Fortis
This is where the right support makes the biggest practical difference to an overseas patient, and on the essentials Apollo and Fortis are closely comparable. Both provide visa invitation letters, dedicated international-patient coordinators, multilingual interpreters, remote second opinions before you travel, accommodation assistance through guest houses or partner hotels, and teleconsultation follow-up once you return home. In short, whichever group you choose, the core international-patient experience is well covered.
Where patients sometimes notice a slight difference is in the degree of hands-on personalization, particularly around local transport and day-to-day coordination during the stay. Fortis is often described as offering a little more individual attention on these practical touches, such as help arranging local travel, which can matter when you are recovering in an unfamiliar city. Apollo delivers the same services backed by a very large, well-established international division; the experience simply tends to feel more standardised given the scale at which it operates.
In practice, the deciding factor is usually less about Apollo versus Fortis and more about how well your treatment is coordinated end to end: visa, travel, language, payment, and follow-up. This is exactly the coordination HOSPIDIO handles for international patients across both groups, so you get the right hospital for your condition with the logistics managed for you.
Network and Accessibility
Apollo has the larger footprint, with 70+ hospitals across cities including Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Bangalore, plus tier-2 cities and an international presence. If you want flexibility on which city to travel to, Apollo offers more options.
Fortis operates 30+ hospitals concentrated in major metros (Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata), with select international locations. Its network is smaller but anchored by strong flagship hospitals in the main medical-tourism cities.
Flagship Hospitals For Apollo
- Hôpital Indraprastha Apollo, New Delhi
- Centre de lutte contre le cancer Apollo Proton, Chennai
- Apollo Hospitals, Greams Road, Chennai
- Apoolo Hospitals, Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore
- Hôpitaux Apollo, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad
- Hôpital Apollo, Navi Mumbai
- Centre de cancérologie féminine Apollo Athenaa, New Delhi
Flagship Hospitals for Fortis
- 4.6
- 11K Avis
- (via Google)
- 262 Chambres
- 40 Départements
- 150 Docteur
- 37k+ Patients internationaux
- 4.7
- 22K Avis
- (via Google)
- 276 Chambres
- 40 Départements
- 150 Docteur
- 33k+ Patients internationaux
- 4.6
- 12K Avis
- (via Google)
- 400 Chambres
- 10 Départements
- 155 Docteur
- 50k+ Patients internationaux
- 4.7
- 11K Avis
- (via Google)
- 310 Chambres
- 4+ Départements
- 200 Docteur
- 70k+ Patients internationaux
- 4.7
- 8k Avis
- (via Google)
- 260 Chambres
- 24 Départements
- 60 Docteur
- 8k+ Patients internationaux
- 4.5
- 6k Avis
- (via Google)
- 162 Chambres
- 40 Départements
- 96 Docteur
- 35k+ Patients internationaux
- 4.6
- 12K Avis
- (via Google)
- 330 Chambres
- 30 Départements
- 250 Docteur
- 72k+ Patients internationaux
Which should you choose: Apollo or Fortis?
Choisissez Apollo si :
- You need an organ transplant or a complex case spanning multiple specialties
- Your treatment is in oncology and you want broad, integrated cancer services
- You want JCI-accredited options and the widest choice of cities
- You value the most mature international-patient setup
Choose Fortis if:
- Your primary need is cardiac surgery or interventional cardiology
- You want focused orthopaedic or neuroscience care
- Cost efficiency matters and you're comparing the overall packages
- You're travelling to a city where Fortis has a strong flagship hospital
Vous n'êtes toujours pas sûr?
The smartest approach is to compare the specific hospital and surgeon for your exact procedure at each group, then weigh cost, accreditation, and city. A free case review can do this comparison for you in 24-48 hours.
Both Apollo and Fortis can deliver excellent care. The value is in matching your exact diagnosis to the right hospital, surgeon, and city, at the right price. HOSPIDIO provides international patients with a free case review, cost estimates from multiple hospitals, medical-visa assistance, and end-to-end coordination at no extra cost. Share your reports to get a personalised Apollo vs Fortis comparison for your treatment.
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FAQ
Neither is universally better. Apollo leads on network size, transplants, and multi-specialty depth; Fortis is especially strong in dedicated cardiac care and often prices cardiac procedures slightly lower. The better choice depends on your specific procedure and city.
Both are affordable by international standards. On many cardiac procedures Fortis tends to be slightly lower, while for most other treatments the difference is small and depends more on the city and hospital than the brand. Always get a written quote for your specific case.
Both groups have JCI-accredited hospitals, and all their main hospitals are NABH-accredited. Because accreditation is granted per hospital, confirm the status of the specific facility you plan to visit.
Both have excellent cardiac programmes. Fortis Escorts Heart Institute is one of India's most established dedicated cardiac centres, which makes Fortis a frequent recommendation for heart surgery, though Apollo's cardiac units are also high-volume and strong.
Both work with international patients and many insurers, but coverage varies by provider and policy. Confirm acceptance and pre-authorisation with the specific hospital before you travel.
Share your medical reports and diagnosis with an international-patient coordinator (or with HOSPIDIO) to receive a written package estimate from Apollo, Fortis, or both, usually within 24-48 hours.
Dr. Basim Parvez est physiothérapeute agréé et consultant principal auprès des patients chez HOSPIDIO. Titulaire d'un MBA en gestion de la santé, il possède une vaste expérience clinique et une approche empreinte de compassion, et accompagne les patients tout au long de leurs traitements médicaux. Dr. Basim met également à profit son talent d'écriture pour simplifier des informations complexes en matière de santé, permettant ainsi aux patients de prendre des décisions éclairées et favorisant la clarté et la confiance dans leur parcours médical.
Guneet Bhatia est la fondatrice d'HOSPIDIO et une réviseuse de contenu accomplie, forte d'une vaste expérience en développement de contenu médical, en conception pédagogique et en blogging. Passionnée par la création de contenu percutant, elle excelle à garantir l'exactitude et la clarté de chaque article. Guneet aime engager des conversations enrichissantes avec des personnes d'origines ethniques et culturelles diverses, enrichissant ainsi son point de vue. Lorsqu'elle ne travaille pas, elle savoure des moments privilégiés en famille, apprécie la bonne musique et adore échanger des idées innovantes avec son équipe.