KOCHI:
The third edition of Global Ayurveda Summit 2019 got underway at Hotel Grand Hyatt, Kochi today morning. The Summit organized by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) will deliberate on the theme “Mainstreaming Ayurveda through Startups, Innovation and Branding”.
The Summit was inaugurated by Arif Mohammed Khan, Governor of Kerala. In his inaugural address, Khan noted that Ayurveda has been one of the treasures of ancient Indian knowledge, that has stood the test of time. Ayurveda has attracted worldwide attention and is growing at a compounded annual growth rate of 16.2%. He hoped that the Summit would help position Kerala and India as a hub for wellness.
Paul Thomas, Chairman, CII Kerala & Founder, Managing Director & CEO, Esaf Microfinance & Investments Pvt Ltd welcomed the gathering. In his address, Thomas pointed out Ayurveda is an integral part of the country’s tradition. Kerala has been the cradle of Ayurveda and has nurtured the science.
Dr K Anil Kumar, Executive Director, Kerala Ayurveda Ltd. also addressed the gathering. In his address, Dr Kumar mentioned that Yoga has been influential in introducing Ayurveda across the world. He spoke about the challenges in mainstreaming Ayurveda as a therapeutic science and emphasised the need to encourage startups to further innovation in Ayurveda.
Dr P M Varier, Trustee & Chief Physician, Arya Vaidya Sala, Kottakkal in his address enumerated the strengths and challenges faced by Ayurveda today. Ayurveda is a time-tested system of public health care management, with a large documented knowledge. It focusses on wellness and considers human beings as an integral part of nature. He flagged lack of compliance with modern lifestyles, availability of medicinal plants, lack of awareness and antagonistic propaganda as some of the challenges facing the sector.
Dr S Sajikumar, Chairman – Global Ayurveda Summit 2019 & Managing Director, Dhathri Ayurveda Pvt Ltd presented the theme for the Summit. He pointed out that Ayurveda has still not gained recognition as a legal healthcare system in many parts of the world. He noted that the demand for Ayurveda treatments are increasing and called for focussed efforts to spread Ayurveda.
Hari N Namboothiri, Convenor, CII Ayurveda Panel 2019-20 & Vice Chairman, Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic group proposed the Vote of Thanks.
Spread over two days, the Summit will witness panel discussions and talks on topics such as Startup Opportunity in Ayurveda, Innovation in Funding & Schemes for Ayurveda, Packaging, Marketing, Branding for Domestic & International Market, International Acceptance of Ayurveda, and Promoting Kerala as a destination for Ayurveda Education.
The second edition of Ayurstart – the startup competition for Ayurveda sector – is a highlight of the Summit. An exposition of Ayurveda products is also being held. The exposition will enable key players in the Ayurveda and related sectors to showcase their products and services. B2B meetings are also being held as part of the Summit.
Around 400 industry leaders and experts from across the world are participating in the Summit. Delegations from SAARC, GCC and African Countries, and also 45 Ayurveda Tour Operators from 30 Countries are attending the Summit.
