Ministry of Ayush Research Funding and International Collaborations
The Ministry of Ayush is implementing the Central Sector Ayurgyan Scheme since FY 2021-22 to promote scientific research in traditional medicine systems. Under the scheme's Research & Innovation in Ayush and Ayurveda Biology Integrated Health Research (ABIHR) components, financial assistance is provided to eligible organizations across India for high-quality research activities.
Research Funding Details
From FY 2023-24 to FY 2025-26, the Ministry supported 11 high-end research projects under the ABIHR component with financial assistance of ₹58.28 crores, focusing on integrating basic sciences with conventional Ayurveda medicine. Additionally, 73 research projects amounting to ₹11.82 crores were supported under the Research & Innovation in Ayush component during the same three-year period.
Five research councils under the Ministry received significant funding allocations:
- CCRAS: ₹394.90 crore (2023-24), ₹469.72 crore (2024-25), ₹526.34 crore (2025-26) - fully utilized each year
- CCRH: ₹141.00 crore (2023-24), ₹162.00 crore (2024-25), ₹214.00 crore (2025-26) - with utilization of ₹140.93 crore, ₹162.00 crore, and ₹208.88 crore respectively
- CCRYN: ₹43.03 crore (2023-24), ₹75.64 crore (2024-25), ₹46.95 crore (2025-26) - with utilization of ₹40.38 crore, ₹42.07 crore, and ₹41.60 crore respectively
- CCRUM: ₹174.10 crore (2023-24), ₹190.05 crore (2024-25), ₹199.00 crore (2025-26) - fully utilized each year
- CCRS: ₹50.91 crore (2023-24), ₹55.94 crore (2024-25), ₹71.34 crore (2025-26) - with utilization of ₹47.72 crore, ₹51.82 crore, and ₹57.23 crore respectively
International Collaborations with WHO
The Ministry has collaborated with the World Health Organization on several key initiatives:
- Launch of ICD-11 Traditional Medicine Module-2 in January 2024, enabling morbidity codes for Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani
- Development of WHO Terminologies on Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha
- Publication of Benchmark Documents for Training and Practice of Ayurveda and Unani (2022)
- WHO Technical Report on Training in Yoga
- Establishment of WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC) in Jamnagar, Gujarat
- Bilateral cooperation through MoUs with various countries
- Hosting two WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine in India in 2023 & 2025
Research Activities and International Partnerships
The research councils undertake diverse research activities including Clinical Research, Drug Proving, Drug Verification, Drug validation, Drug Standardization, Public Health Research, Fundamental Research and Epidemic research through their institutes.
CCRAS conducted a research study with Charité University, Germany on "Effectiveness and safety of Ayurveda as a whole treatment system in Osteoarthritis of the knee." CCRH signed 12 MoUs and 1 Letter of Intent with institutions in Germany, Canada, USA, UK, Argentina, Israel, Armenia, Mexico and Brazil for research and education cooperation. CCRUM signed MoUs with University of Western Cape (South Africa), Hamdard University (Bangladesh), Tajikistan, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (Iran), and Lotus Holistic Healthcare Institute (UAE).
Integration and Standardization Efforts
Under the Centre of Excellence component of Ayurswasthya Yojana, financial assistance was provided to 09 organizations to promote research integrating Ayush with modern medicine. The Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H) signed multiple MoUs with academic institutions including Shri Krishna Ayush University, Jamia Hamdard, NIPER Mohali, National Institute of Ayurveda, Amity University, and international bodies including the Food and Drug Authority of Indonesia. PCIM&H is also engaged with WHO to develop monographs for WHO-International Herbal Pharmacopoeia.