The Ministry of AYUSH is all set to establish a ‘Strategic Policy & Facilitation Bureau’ (SPFB) for systematic planning and growth of the Ayush sector.

The bureau will support the ministry in strategic policy making initiatives that shall help pave the way to reach the full potential of the sector and stimulate growth and investment. At a time when the Covid-19 pandemic is leaving indelible imprints in the health-seeking behaviours of people around the world, such a strategy unit can be of immense support to the stake-holding groups of the Ayush sector.

M/S Invest India, a partner in the project, would collaborate extensively with the ministry to frame the work plan of the bureau and define its short-and long-term targets.  The various activities of the SPFB would include:

--Knowledge Creation and Management

--Strategic & Policy-Making Support

--State Policy Benchmarking: Undertaking State Policy benchmarking to formulate uniform guidelines/regulations regarding AYUSH sector in India

--Investment Facilitation: Follow up and facilitation of investment cases and MoUs, and coordination among different departments, organisations and states.

--Issue Resolution: Invest India would work with companies and other institutions on issue resolution across states and among various sub-sectors.

Some of the specific tasks of the bureau would include project monitoring for inter-ministerial groups, skill development initiatives, setting up Strategic Intelligence Research Unit and initiating Innovation programmes.

The Ministry of AYUSH would assist the bureau in responding to investment proposals, queries and fund Invest India for undertaking the various activities assigned.  The ministry will also support the bureau in building links with various stakeholders such as industry associations, affiliate bodies of Ministry and Industry representation.

The SPFB is the latest in a series of steps – like setting up the comprehensive IT backbone called Ayush Grid for the entire sector, streamlining of Ayush Education on modern lines, evolving global standards for Ayush systems for diagnostics and terminologies in the ICD framework and setting up a vertical for Ayush Drugs Control – initiated by the ministry to enable the Ayush systems to move into the centre-stage of healthcare activities in the 21^st century.