The Ayush industry scripted a
striking growth story during the pandemic days as the demand for Ayush
medicines recorded a stupendous 44 per cent growth in the last nine month,
Ayush secretary Dr Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha has said.

Citing an impact study done by the
Ministry on the impact of Ayush guidelines during pandemic, he said, “more than
86 per cent people surveyed have said that they have used Ayush guidelines and
medicines during the pandemic for self-care.”

He was presiding over a session on
‘Future lies in the past – Leveraging India’s embedded knowledge to pivot the
country’s growth story’ held by ‘The Associated Chambers of Commerce and
Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).

While the industry grew by 44 per
cent during the pandemic months, certain medicines showed 500-600 per cent
growth during those times.

Dr Kotecha pointed out that there are
tremendous growth opportunities for businesses in the sector. “We need to
capitalize on the huge opportunity presented by the crisis and we all, — the
industry, the plant growers, the state governments – should work together to
grow the industry. Working together is the key,” he added.

The ministry has already initiated
talks with industry bodies like ASSOCHAM to come together and set up an
ecosystem of supply-chain management in the country. “We should follow the
Kerala model wherein the medicine industry buys produce directly from the plant
growers or farmers, thereby benefiting each other,” the Ayush secretary noted.

Dr Kotecha particularly pointed out
that the time is right to propagate ‘Ayurveda Ahar’ from the commercialization
point of view. “Along with the value-added plants or APIs in India, we can
standardize various recipes indigenous to us,” he stated.