Sri Lanka and India hold the enviable record of being the world’s only centres for ayurveda medicines, according to Asoka Hettigama, Managing Director, Hettigoda Group, manufacturers of Siddhalepa ayurveda products.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, he however said that Sri Lanka lost its way, while India streaked ahead after the island went on the backfoot due to its debilitating 26 year old terrorist war that concluded two years ago.
Hettigoda who is also the President of the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka (NCCSL) told this reporter that his company operates three ayurveda centres in hotels overseas, one each in Germany, Czech Republic and Slovenia respectively, complete with Aurveda food, with the key personnel manning those centres being Sri Lankan.
“Those hotels are identified as ayurveda hotels,” he said.
Sri Lanka’s ayurveda exports are valued at Rs. 250 million and growing at 10% annually. Hettigoda was however unaware of the value of India’s ayurveda exports. “Their market is the Indian diaspora which is huge,” he said.
The value of the local ayurveda market is in the billions of rupees, added Hettigoda.
The worth of native treatment and medicines worldwide including that of ayurveda is expected to grow to US$ 100 billion by 2015. “If we can capture just 1% of that market, that will be an achievement,” said Hettigoda.
Meanwhile Sri Lanka’s biennial ayurveda trade and exhibition fair, organized jointly by NCCSL and EDB, will kick-off next month. Asked why it was not targeted to be held during the winter season, when tourism traffic to the island is at its peak, and thus a chance for a greater exposure, Hettigoda said that they had no hand in the planning of the dates fixtures for this fair. That had been done by the authorities responsible for planning out the calendar of the Government’s “Visit Sri Lanka 2011” programme, he said.
As such July has been fixed for the ayurveda exhibition and November (the start of the tourist season) for another promotion and so on. “Ayurveda 2011” will comprise a total of 160 stalls, up from the previous exhibition’s 110 and will be held at the BMICH premises for the third time, with the first of such exhibitions having had been held in 2007.
With foreign participation, it’s expected to give the visitor a holistic experience of native treatment (as opposed to western medicines) and would also include yoga, provided by a local institution.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, he however said that Sri Lanka lost its way, while India streaked ahead after the island went on the backfoot due to its debilitating 26 year old terrorist war that concluded two years ago.
Hettigoda who is also the President of the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka (NCCSL) told this reporter that his company operates three ayurveda centres in hotels overseas, one each in Germany, Czech Republic and Slovenia respectively, complete with Aurveda food, with the key personnel manning those centres being Sri Lankan.
“Those hotels are identified as ayurveda hotels,” he said.
Sri Lanka’s ayurveda exports are valued at Rs. 250 million and growing at 10% annually. Hettigoda was however unaware of the value of India’s ayurveda exports. “Their market is the Indian diaspora which is huge,” he said.
The value of the local ayurveda market is in the billions of rupees, added Hettigoda.
The worth of native treatment and medicines worldwide including that of ayurveda is expected to grow to US$ 100 billion by 2015. “If we can capture just 1% of that market, that will be an achievement,” said Hettigoda.
Meanwhile Sri Lanka’s biennial ayurveda trade and exhibition fair, organized jointly by NCCSL and EDB, will kick-off next month. Asked why it was not targeted to be held during the winter season, when tourism traffic to the island is at its peak, and thus a chance for a greater exposure, Hettigoda said that they had no hand in the planning of the dates fixtures for this fair. That had been done by the authorities responsible for planning out the calendar of the Government’s “Visit Sri Lanka 2011” programme, he said.
As such July has been fixed for the ayurveda exhibition and November (the start of the tourist season) for another promotion and so on. “Ayurveda 2011” will comprise a total of 160 stalls, up from the previous exhibition’s 110 and will be held at the BMICH premises for the third time, with the first of such exhibitions having had been held in 2007.
With foreign participation, it’s expected to give the visitor a holistic experience of native treatment (as opposed to western medicines) and would also include yoga, provided by a local institution.
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