What in the News?
With its Ayush delegation headed by Prof. (Vaidya) Rabinarayan Acharya and Dr. Srinivas Rao Chinta, India achieved a major milestone in global health diplomacy at the Arctic Circle Assembly 2025 in Reykjavík, Iceland. India demonstrated its dedication to fusing traditional medicine with contemporary scientific research under the theme “Global South in the Arctic.” Under India’s Arctic Policy, the project placed a strong emphasis on cross-cultural cooperation, the establishment of an Ayush research consortium, and transdisciplinary clinical trials. This involvement establishes India as a global leader in integrative healthcare and climate-resilient health systems, promoting wellness, sustainability, and innovation. Therefore, Ayush diplomacy enhances India’s soft power while disseminating the country’s traditional medical knowledge to the northernmost communities on Earth.
Reviving India’s Traditional Healthcare After Ten Years of the Ministry of Ayush
Established in 2014, the Ministry of Ayush commemorates ten years of progressing India’s traditional medical systems, including Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa, and Homeopathy. The ministry, which was founded in 1995 as the Department of Indian Systems of Medicine, is in favor of universal health coverage and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
With 7.5 lakh registered practitioners, more than 1,100 educational institutions, and three National Ayush Institutes, Ayush has grown significantly over the past ten years. Exports and digital tools like Ayush Grid, e-Sanjeevani, and Telemedicine helped the Ayush market grow from USD 2.85 billion in 2014 to USD 43.4 billion in 2023.
India’s soft power was reinforced by foreign outreach programs such as the Foreign Day of Yoga, the WHO Global Center for Traditional Medicine (Jamnagar), and 24 international Memorandums of Understanding.
The National Ayush Mission (NAM) keeps pushing for the cultivation, study, and accessibility of medicinal herbs.
To maintain Ayush’s accessibility and credibility on a global scale, the ministry is focusing on quality control, evidence-based research, and integration with allopathic medicine.