AYURVEDA- A DRIVER OF THE INDIAN ECONOMY IN A GLOBALISED WORLD

Industries play a major role in the economic development of any country.
The IT software and services are playing a major role in the Indian
economy and are a priority area for the government is a well known fact.
However, it is very unfortunate that the areas of traditional health systems
of the country such as Ayurveda have more or less has been ignored both in
policy and in planning of the government despite their enormous potential
to earn foreign exchange and contribute towards the growth of GDP.
According to the estimates of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII)which refers to the Export Import (EXIM) Bank report, the present global herbal product’s market is worth USD 80 Billion and is witnessing an annual growth rate of 7%, and shall reach USD 6 Trillion by 2050.Countries like China are far ahead in their approach to tap this market. It can be corroborated by the fact that one finds many Chinese traditional health centers in the streets of cities like London, New York, San Francisco, Madrid, Paris etc. unlike their Ayurvedic counterparts. Despite the lofty statements of the government, one can only wonder whether it is apathy or unprofessionalism that stops India to tap the enormous market.As the world continues to go green, the demand for Ayurvedic products
is set for an increase in demand as products based on herbal components become more important to consumers. There are many countries in the West that have realized the opportunity and potential in the field, and as a result many successful companies based on Ayurveda and its traditions
have come up in the recent past.Consumers want more natural products and Pukka Herbs is part of thatmovement and the whole point of this trend is to follow the principles of organic farming-to make sure you put back into the land what you take out.
At present there is a lack of evidence based documentations and of stringent qualification norms. The challenge would be to make available standardized Ayurvedic medicines which can face any clinical trial. Hence, there is a need for adoption of standardized Western pharmaceutical methods to comply with the US, European and the WHO guidelines. The process of standardization would lead towards greater quality controls and efficacy. The government should also allocate more funds for research and development, alongside creating necessary infrastructure and conditions that would lead towards innovation and entrepreneurship in field.In the globalized world that we live in internationalization holds the key to success. There can be many approaches that can be undertaken to an advantage of process such as technical cooperation among countries to add value through innovation for public health or collaboration of Ayurveda
with other medical systems to find solutions for global health challenges. India should take advantage of the process of globalization to mainstream Ayurveda globally and use it to generate wealth for the peoples of the
country.
- Sebastian Pole, Ayurvedic Practitioner and co-founder Pukka Herbs, U.K.Therefore, there is an urgent need for a ‘paradigm shift’ and to initiate necessary policy measures for India to achieve its target of INR 7000 crores or approximately USD 1.12 billion by 2020 (as per the exchange rate on 2nd October 2013). 
Pt. Manish Uprety, F.R.A.S.