The AYUSH mark will give authenticity to made-in-India AYUSH products and the special category visa is for tourists seeking traditional medicine therapies
WHO DG Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus at inaugural function of Global Ayush Investment and Innovation Summit at Mahatma Mandir in Gujarat – Twitter/@WHO
With an aim to prompt the traditional medicine industry, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that India will soon launch ‘AYUSH mark’ to give authenticity to quality AYUSH products made in the country.
Modi was speaking at the Global AYUSH Investment and Innovation Summit in the presence of Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth and Director General of the World Health Organization Dr Tredos Ghebreyesus.
The three-day summit in Gujarat focuses on attracting long term strategic investments and promoting the use of traditional medicines.
What is AYUSH?
AYUSH is the acronym of the medical systems that are being practiced in India such as Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy.
In 1995, with the objective of optimal and focused development of these systems, the Department of Indian Medicine and Homeopathy (ISM & H) was created in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. In 2003, this Department was re-named as the Department of AYUSH.
On 9 November, 2014, the Ministry of AYUSH was formed to revive the knowledge of the ancient systems of medicine and ensure the optimal development and propagation of the AYUSH systems of healthcare.
“Before 2014, the AYUSH sector was less than USD 3 billion. Today it has also crossed USD 18 billion,” Modi said.
He said that there are also possibilities of investment and innovation in supply chain management, AYUSH-based diagnostic tools and tele-medicine.
The Ministry of AYUSH has also taken steps to encourage start-up culture in the field of traditional medicine, and an incubation center developed by the All India Institute of Ayurveda was inaugurated recently.
What is AYUSH mark?
The PM said that to promote the traditional medicine industry, India will soon launch `AYUSH mark’ which will give authenticity to quality AYUSH products made in the country.
After the introduction of the AYUSH mark, products will be thoroughly vetted using the latest technology to check and maintain its quality. Modi said that this mark will give “confidence to people of the world that they are purchasing quality AYUSH products”.
“AYUSH experts are now developing ISO standards with the Bureau of Indian Standards to create an export market across 150 countries,” the PM said.
WHO Director General Dr Ghebreyesus also said, “Through AYUSH, India will go to the whole world and the world will come to India.”
What is AYUSH visa?
Modi said. “Traditional medicine helped increase tourism in Kerala. This power is in the whole of India, in every corner of India. ‘Heal in India’ can become a big brand of this decade. Wellness centers based on Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, etc., can be very popular,” the prime minister said.
The special “AYUSH visa” will help those who wish to seek traditional treatments in India, he said.
According to a 2019 story by the Economic Times, over the years India’s medical expertise has gained global recognition making it a popular medical travel destination.
The report noted that a total of 27 per cent of medical travellers visit Maharashtra out of which 80 per cent go to Mumbai. Chennai attracts nearly 15 per cent while Kerala handles around 5-7 per cent, stated the report.
With inputs from agencies
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