Government to set up Export Promotion Council for AYUSH products

The Union Ministries of Commerce & Industry and AYUSH have jointly decided to set up an Export Promotion Council to boost exports of AYUSH products. The decision was taken by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik during a review meeting of AYUSH trade and industry.

The review meeting was held through video conference. It saw participation from almost 50 industry and trade leaders and over 2000 stakeholders from the AYUSH Sector. 

The government has decided that the entire AYUSH sector will work together to achieve price and quality competitiveness to boost exports. 

Key Highlights

•The AYUSH Secretary began the discussion by briefing about the various initiatives taken by the AYUSH Ministry to mitigate the COVID-19 situation and promote Industry along with emerging opportunities for promotion of the sector.

•AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik then highlighted the growing global interest in AYUSH based solutions for disease, resistance and treatment and said that trade and commerce in the AYUSH sector need to be scaled up quickly to meet the growing demand in India and abroad and serve a vast number of people who are now looking up to these systems for maintaining their health.

•He further elaborated on the steps taken by the Ministry during the pandemic stating that the AYUSH immunity protocols and the National Clinical Management Protocol for Covid-19 for Ayurveda and Yoga were timely interventions that provided relief to large sections of the population.

•He further stated that the emerging evidence of a connect between large-scale adoption of AYUSH prophylactic solutions by the population and the low Covid-19 mortality rates is significant for the public health practice in the country. 

•Industry Minister Piyush Goyal also praised the frontline role played by the AYUSH sector in battling COVID-19 and stated that the protection it offered to the common people somewhere worked to neutralise the scepticism that many had about the efficacy of the AYUSH medicines and products.

•He further stated that the spurt in exports of AYUSH products in recent months is a direct reflection of their growing popularity in many countries. He also advised the industry leaders to work simultaneously on pricing and quality of their products to make them increasingly competitive in the global market.

•The Minister further stated that the Commerce Ministry will continue to support the AYUSH sector on all matters of trade promotion and special meetings will be arranged with the functionaries of the ministry whenever required.

•He further assured that the AYUSH sector will figure appropriately in the Brand India activities being presently undertaken and stressed on the need for the industry and the government to work together for branding and promotion of the same.