Ayurveda: Potential Problems and Solutions

Abstract

Background: The total size of Indian Ayurveda market is INR 50 billion, and it is growing substantially at a rate between 10 and 15 percent, with the same growth rate targeted for the next 10 years. According to the WHO, nearly 80% of the people in Asian and African countries use traditional medicines as their primary medical aid. According to the UN World Tourism Organization, the role of tourism industry in India’s GDP features medical tourism that includes traditional therapies like yoga, meditation, Ayurveda and other conventional systems of medicines is currently estimated at USD 333 million and is most likely to reach USD 2.2 billion by the year 2022. Current Scenario: The world has welcomed the approach of natural and traditional interventions in medicine. The increased scope for innovation and change in approach for AYUSH therapies has risen the estimated global market size which is US 65 billion. Problems: The obstacles faced in the globalization of the Ayurveda are the lack of proper standardization techniques, and its unacceptability towards global challenges. The class of raw drugs used in manufacturing of Ayurveda products is hampered by lack of standardized raw herbals used resulting in tarnished image of oral Ayurveda medications in the market. People want to try the drugs applied locally on different body parts but the oral drugs are constantly in suspicion. The shortage of quality teachers and noble institutions of learning further depreciates the excellence of graduates coming out of these institutes. The absence of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of manufacturing products to documentation of the relevant public information related to this ayurvedic science further detriment it. Absence of adequate scientific documentation is probably the fundamental problem and most serious limiting factor faced by this sector from the very beginning. Lack of standardization of herbal formulations. Even the manufacturing environment has to be par excellence as many of the authorities like MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency), USFDA (US Food and Drug Administration) have the inspection and approval of manufacturing locations as an essential element of registration. Conclusion: The efforts from the Ayurveda community should be made to lay the foundation of this unique medical paradigm with traditional practices to brief its benefits and scope in public health across the globe.

Keywords: Global, SOP, medical tourism, Ayurveda

Cite this Article

Shweta Dewan, Prashant Rathi, Baldev Kumar. Ayurveda: The Next Future Global Market: Potential Problems And Solutions. Research and Reviews: A Journal of Ayurvedic Science, Yoga and Naturoapthy. 2016; 3(2): 1–8p.