Stakeholders Deliberate on Strategies to Enhance Global Competitiveness of AYUSH Sector

The Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, in collaboration with the Ministry of AYUSH and the AYUSH Export Promotion Council (AYUSHEXCIL), organised a Government–Industry Brainstorming Session on the AYUSH sector at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi on 1^st July 2026.

Held under the theme "Strengthening India's Global Leadership in Traditional Wellness: Innovation, Quality, Exports and International Collaboration in the AYUSH Sector", the session brought together over 150 participants, including senior Government officials, exporters, manufacturers, MSMEs, startups, researchers, representatives of industry associations, State Licensing Authorities and other stakeholders, to deliberate on the roadmap for strengthening India's global leadership in the AYUSH sector.

The brainstorming session featured extensive deliberations on opportunities arising from India's Free Trade Agreements, global branding of AYUSH, export facilitation measures, quality standards and WHO-GMP compliance, Ayush Quality Mark, scientific validation, innovation, medical value travel, wellness services, and strategies for addressing regulatory and market access challenges. Representatives from the Government, industry, research institutions and the private sector exchanged views and shared practical recommendations to strengthen the global competitiveness of Indian AYUSH products and services.

Delivering the special address, Member of Parliament and Chairman, AYUSHEXCIL, Dr. Anurag Sharma, highlighted the growing global acceptance of traditional medicine and emphasised that India is well positioned to emerge as a trusted global hub for holistic healthcare. He called for closer collaboration among the Government, industry and research institutions to strengthen scientific validation, quality assurance, innovation and global branding, while highlighting AYUSHEXCIL's role in supporting exporters through market development, capacity building and international outreach programmes.

Delivering the keynote address, Secretary, Department of Commerce, Shri Rajesh Agrawal, reaffirmed the Department's commitment to supporting the AYUSH sector as a high-potential sunrise export sector. He observed that the objective is not merely to increase exports but to build globally competitive Indian AYUSH brands. Highlighting the opportunities arising from India's expanding network of Free Trade Agreements, he encouraged industry to focus on innovation, branding, value addition and quality. He underlined the important role of intermediaries, trade facilitators and other ecosystem partners in connecting Indian AYUSH products with global markets and encouraged entrepreneurs and exporters to share their success stories more widely to inspire greater participation and accelerate the sector's growth. He reiterated that the Department would continue stakeholder outreach, awareness programmes and capacity-building initiatives in collaboration with AYUSHEXCIL to support the sector's global expansion.

Addressing the session, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, emphasised the need to accelerate the implementation of flagship initiatives such as Ayush Mark and Ayurveda Aahar to strengthen quality assurance, branding and the global competitiveness of Indian AYUSH products and services. He called upon industry stakeholders to capitalise on the growing global interest in Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine by enhancing product quality, packaging, branding and international market readiness. Stressing the importance of continuous dialogue between the Government and industry, he urged stakeholders to actively leverage Government initiatives and highlighted the need for greater capacity building, particularly for exporters and MSMEs. He also highlighted ongoing efforts to align Indian standards with international benchmarks through collaboration with national and international standard-setting bodies to facilitate wider global acceptance of AYUSH products.

The session concluded with an interactive open-house discussion during which exporters, manufacturers, MSMEs, startups and other stakeholders shared suggestions on improving market access, regulatory facilitation, ease of doing business, innovation, branding and international collaboration.
The recommendations emerging from the brainstorming session will provide valuable inputs for future policy interventions, export promotion initiatives and collaborative efforts of the Department of Commerce, the Ministry of AYUSH and AYUSHEXCIL to strengthen Brand India AYUSH and further enhance India's leadership in the global traditional wellness ecosystem