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NEW DELHI: NITI Aayog on Thursday unveiled an ambitious roadmap to help Ayurveda gain global recognition as a healthcare system by 2047, proposing a global practitioner registry, internationally accepted quality standards and insurance-backed treatment to move beyond its current image as a wellness product. The roadmap comes even as many Ayurvedic formulations continue to be sold as dietary supplements rather than recognised medicines in major global markets.Released by NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Dr. Ashok Kumar Lahiri in the presence of Member (Health) Prof (Dr) M Srinivas, CEO Nidhi Chhibber and Ayush Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, the report, Strategic Roadmap for Making Ayurveda Global, says India must move beyond exporting herbs and wellness products to building a globally trusted healthcare system backed by stronger research, regulation and international acceptance.The report notes that exports of Ayush and herbal products nearly doubled from USD 1.09 billion in 2014 to USD 2.16 billion in 2023, with Ayurveda products reaching around 150 countries. Yet regulatory barriers continue to keep many Ayurvedic formulations out of mainstream healthcare systems in developed markets, where they are largely sold as dietary supplements instead of approved medicines.While Ayurveda has gained varying degrees of recognition in nearly 30 countries and research is underway in almost 70 countries, India has yet to build a sizable global workforce. The report says the country has over 3.55 lakh trained Ayurveda practitioners, but nearly 95% of them are based in India because of the absence of internationally accepted licensing systems and limited professional mobility.To address these gaps, the roadmap recommends creating a Global Ayurveda Register with internationally verifiable credentials, a single-window portal carrying country-specific licensing requirements and visa information, and mutual recognition agreements with partner countries to enable qualified Indian practitioners to work overseas.To improve global acceptance, the report calls for expanding international clinical trials through WHO collaborating centres, creating real-world patient registries, publishing annual global evidence and safety reports, promoting research in emerging areas such as Ayurgenomics, upgrading domestic manufacturing to WHO-GMP standards, and publishing an export edition of the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia aligned with international regulatory requirements.The roadmap also proposes shifting India’s strategy from exporting raw herbs to high-value formulations, healthcare services and medical expertise. It recommends overseas Ayurveda centres, stronger regulatory support for exporters through Ayush Export Promotion Council, a real-time trade dashboard, and treatment hubs linked to Ayush visas and insurance-backed medical value travel.Drawing lessons from the global expansion of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the report calls for coordinated action across research, regulation, diplomacy, education and trade, besides setting up a high-level Mission Steering Group to steer implementation through 2047.
