KOCHI:
The third edition of the CII Global Ayurveda Summit was inaugurated by E P Jayarajan, Minister for Industries, Commerce, Sports and Youth Affairs, Kerala.
Releasing the CII-PwC report on Ayurveda at the summit, he said, “Ayurveda is the traditional Indian form of medicine, essentially the best holistic system of medicine that integrates the physical, mental, spiritual and social wellbeing of a person. Western medicine helps to treat various diseases effectively while Ayurvedic medical science helps people live a healthy life.”
Despite its holistic appeal, the Ayurveda healthcare industry has contributed only $3 billion to the worldwide healthcare industry, that amounts to over $1,000 billion. Even in India, only 10 per cent of the population opts for Ayurveda as a preferred form of treatment. To tackle this issue, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) organised the Global Ayurveda Summit 2018 to help participants focus on reviving and bringing this comprehensive form of treatment to the mainstream.
“Integrating globalised and modern practices derived from Ayurvedic traditions are the need of the hour,” said Sri Ajay George, Managing Director, Bipha Ayurveda. The Global Ayurveda Summit Kerala provided a unique business platform for the exchange of ideas as well as to exhibit products and services. Another highlight of the summit is Ayurstart, a first-of-its- kind startup competition in the field of Ayurveda. Ayurstart is aimed at disrupting the existing practices and building on unique ideas (services, products, apps) to improve customer experience, thereby, increasing the acceptance of Ayurveda worldwide.
The CII-PwC report suggests that the Ayurveda healthcare industry should combine medicines, medical services, tourism, research and education under one umbrella so that it can become a sustainable model. The availability of medicinal plants is a critical factor in this industry. Today, 90 per cent of medicinal herbs and plants are sourced from forests and mountains. Thus, there is a need to protect and preserve this priceless resource. Setting up medicinal gardens and opening them for public viewing will help in not only providing the much-needed raw materials for the industry but will also help in educating the masses about the potential of Ayurveda.
The way forward is to integrate Ayurveda with the existing biomedicine-based healthcare system so that both systems can co-exist. Jayarajan also assured the state’s support to help build a global brand of Ayurveda that would be recognised worldwide. Practical steps towards this goal include developing facilities at par with international standards, setting standard wellness practices, research funding to build on existing knowledge and for the development of new product and services. These steps will provide Kerala and Ayurveda with the much-needed impetus to make a mark in the world healthcare industry.
