At the Mint Healthcare Summit, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, the secretary of India's Ministry of Ayush, unveiled India's initiative to establish global standards for its traditional system of medicines. Kotecha outlined plans to achieve recognition in 150 countries by setting international benchmarks for Ayush medicines, converting existing Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) guidelines into ISO standards.

Kotecha emphasized the importance of standardizing Ayush products for global acceptance, noting that compliance with specified standards is pivotal for market access. With 50 BIS standards already established, efforts are underway to convert them into ISO norms, facilitating the entry of Indian traditional medicines into a broader international market.

To bolster this initiative, the Ministry, via BIS, is forming a technical committee for Ayush within ISO. Additionally, the government encourages Ayush facilities to obtain accreditations like NABH for hospitals, NABL for labs, and NAAC for educational institutes, further enhancing credibility.

Highlighting Ayush's economic significance, Kotecha mentioned its current contribution of $43.4 billion to India's GDP and the aim to escalate this to 5% by 2047. Ayush exports, currently at $1.54 billion, are poised for a substantial increase through efforts like accurate HSN code categorization.

The Ministry's global outreach encompasses 24 country-to-country MoUs, 46 research MoUs, and 15 academic chair-level MoUs. Additionally, 39 Ayush Information Cells operate in 34 countries, fostering international collaboration.

Kotecha emphasized evidence-based studies to promote Ayush medicines and highlighted the strides made under the National Ayush Mission, showcasing operational health centers and upgraded educational institutions.

An impending collaboration with WHO for the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in India signifies a monumental step in global leadership in traditional medicines. Kotecha highlighted this as a significant development, allowing India to take the lead in promoting traditional systems worldwide and fostering collaboration between traditional and modern medicine practitioners.