PM Modi inaugurates Global AYUSH Investment & Innovation Summit in Gandhinagar: All you need to know

Gandhinagar: Taking a leaf from the “vibrant Gujarat” global investors summit he had initiated way back in 2003, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday threw open a Global AYUSH Investment & Innovation Summit aiming to give a push to Indian traditional systems of medicine.

Inaugurating the summit, Modi said the idea struck him when AYUSH products provided strong support in improving the immunity of the people.

Recalling Indian efforts to tackle the pandemic, the Prime Minister noted the promise shown by the modern pharma companies and vaccine manufacturers if they get investment at the right time. “Who could have imagined that we would be able to develop corona vaccine so soon?”, he asked.

Describing the strides made by the Ayush sector, Modi said, “We are already witnessing unprecedented growth in the production of AYUSH medicines, supplements and cosmetics. In 2014, where the AYUSH sector was less than $3 billion, today it has increased to more than $18 billion.”

He said the Ministry of AYUSH has taken several major steps to encourage startup culture in the field of Traditional Medicines. A few days back an incubation center developed by All India Institute of Ayurveda has been inaugurated, he added.

Describing the current age, the era of unicorns, the Prime Minister informed that in the year 2022 itself, so far 14 startups from India have joined the Unicorn Club. “I am sure unicorns will emerge from our AYUSH startups very soon”, he hoped.

Noting that the production of medicinal plants can be a good means of increasing the income and livelihood of the farmers and the scope of employment generation in this, the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of facility to easily connect with the market for the farmers involved in the production of medicinal plants.

For this, the government is also working on modernization and expansion of AYUSH e-market place, he said. “India is a treasure trove of herbal plants, it is, in a way our ‘Green Gold’, the Prime Minister stressed.

The Prime Minister described the unprecedented efforts made in the past years to promote the export of AYUSH products. Emphasis has been laid on mutual recognition of AYUSH drugs with other countries. For this more than 50 MoUs have been entered with different countries in the last few years. “Our AYUSH experts are developing ISO standards in collaboration with the Bureau of Indian Standards. This will open a huge export market for AYUSH in more than 150 countries,” he said.

Modi also informed that FSSAI has announced a new category named ‘AYUSH Aahar’ in its regulations last week. This will greatly facilitate the producers of herbal nutritional supplements. Similarly, India is also going to make a special AYUSH mark. This mark will be applied to the highest quality AYUSH products made in India. This AYUSH mark will be equipped with the provisions of modern technology. “This will give people all over the world the confidence of quality AYUSH products” he added.

The Prime Minister announced that the government will develop a network of AYUSH parks to encourage the promotion, research and manufacturing of AYUSH products across the country. These Ayush parks will give new direction to Ayush manufacturing in India.

The Prime Minister also narrated the Ayurveda success story of former Prime Minister of Kenya, Raila Odinga’s daughter Rosemary Odinga regaining her eyesight after Ayush treatment. Rosemary Odinga was present in the audience and the Prime Minister introduced her as the gathering gave her a thunderous applause.

The Prime Minister’s address ended on a very personal and interesting note. Narrating WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus’s love for India and his regard for his Indian teachers and his affection for Gujarat, Modi gave him a Gujarati Name ‘Tulsi Bhai’. He thanked him and Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth for their presence.