The Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H) under the Ministry of Ayush and the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare renewed their Memorandum of Understanding for the implementation of the 'One Herb, One Standard' initiative on August 12, 2026. The MoU was exchanged by Dr. Kousthubha Upadhyaya, Director I/c of PCIM&H, and Dr. V. Kalaiselvan, Secretary-cum-Scientific Director of IPC, in the presence of Union Minister Shri Prataprao Jadhav and Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary of Ministry of Ayush, at Kartavya Bhavan, New Delhi.
The renewed MoU extends the inter-ministerial cooperation for a further period of three years, building upon the initial MoU initiated in 2022. During the first phase, 50 monographs of medicinal plants were successfully developed under this collaboration. The primary objective is to develop uniform, reliable, and scientifically robust quality standards for single drugs of plant origin used across five traditional systems of medicine: Ayurveda, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa, Unani, and Homoeopathy.
Union Minister Shri Prataprao Jadhav emphasized that the 'One Herb, One Standard' approach seeks to establish common, clear, scientific, and reliable standards for the same medicinal plant used across different systems of medicine. The monographs will take into consideration Indian standards as well as international quality requirements, aiming to strengthen Indian standards in line with global benchmarks. This harmonization is expected to address potential confusion among stakeholders and establish a stronger, coordinated framework for standardisation of medicinal plants.
The initiative is designed to enhance the quality and credibility of Indian traditional medicines in international markets, contributing to wider global acceptance. Minister Jadhav highlighted that common quality standards would contribute to Ease of Doing Business by making processes more streamlined, transparent, and effective for manufacturers, exporters, testing laboratories, regulatory institutions, and other stakeholders. The partnership is expected to strengthen India's position as a trusted global standard-setter for medicinal plants and traditional medicines while safeguarding India's rich biodiversity and traditional medicinal heritage.