Chintan Shivir on Medicinal Plants charts roadmap for strengthening sector; outlines vision for sustainable growth, global leadership in traditional medicine

by Ayurveda Admin

Senior officials, experts, industry leaders, researchers, and state representatives came together for focused deliberations on policy, implementation, and innovation in the medicinal plants sector at Chintan Shivir on Medicinal Plants in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. It was organised by National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Ministry of Ayush on February 11.

They deliberated on themes such as the role of government in sectoral development, supply-chain and traceability, organic certification and insurance, and best practices for upscaling successful models across the country.

The inaugural session was led by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ayush and Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav. Intensive discussions across technical sessions, panel discussions, a CEOs Conclave and best-practices were presented by Regional cum Facilitation Centres (RCFCs) and State Medicinal Plants Boards (SMPBs).

The programme, which marked 25 years of NMPB, aimed at strengthening the entire value chain—from conservation and cultivation to processing, trade and export—through coordinated action by the Union and state governments, industry and farmers.

The Minister released the Souvenir commemorating 25 years of NMPB, the Terrace Garden Booklet, and launched a new variety of Anacyclus pyrethrum developed by CSIR-CIMAP, Lucknow. He witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between NMPB and AIIA to strengthen collaborative research and innovation.

Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha stated that the next phase of the journey must focus on scientific validation, traceability, and climate resilience to ensure that India’s diverse medicinal flora is conserved and optimally utilised in alignment with international standards.

Technical sessions highlighted the centrality of medicinal plants in Ayurveda and other Ayush systems as well as in public health and rural livelihoods; underlined the need to conserve medicinal flora, promote evidence-based use and link traditional knowledge with contemporary research; proposed schemes of NMPB to support cultivation, conservation and value addition and elaborated on schemes for cultivation and related activities for medicinal plants, emphasising convergence with existing horticulture and allied sector programmes.

Dr. Sujana Pal, Nodal Coordinator, RCFC-South, explained the monitoring procedures for NMPB-supported projects, underscoring transparency, timely reporting and outcome-oriented evaluation; the session concluded with an open house discussion and chairperson’s remarks summarising key recommendations.

A panel discussion on ‘Supply-Chain, Industry-Linkages and Traceability of Medicinal Plants’, was held by representatives from state boards, academia and industry to discuss practical solutions for strengthening market access and ensuring quality.

The discussion emphasised developing farmer–industry linkages, promoting contract farming under fair and transparent terms, and leveraging digital platforms to track origin, quality, and movement of medicinal plant raw material from farm to finished product.

The third session addressed the need for tailored insurance products for medicinal plants under existing schemes and better access to market information to support farmers and entrepreneurs.

The Conclave underscored the need to deepen convergence between NMPB schemes and national missions in agriculture, forestry and health, invest in human resource development across RCFCs and SMPBs, and harness digital tools for mapping, monitoring and outreach besides focussing on climate-resilient species, community-based conservation, and stronger interfaces with the Ayush industry and global markets to realise the vision of a sustainable and globally competitive medicinal plants sector.

Tags: Medicinal Plants