The Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, in collaboration with the Ministry of AYUSH and the AYUSH Export Promotion Council (AYUSHEXCIL), organized a Government-Industry Brainstorming Session on the AYUSH sector at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi on 1st July 2026. The session, held under the theme "Strengthening India's Global Leadership in Traditional Wellness: Innovation, Quality, Exports and International Collaboration in the AYUSH Sector", brought together over 150 participants including senior government officials, exporters, manufacturers, MSMEs, startups, researchers, industry associations, and State Licensing Authorities.
The brainstorming 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 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.
Dr. Anurag Sharma, Member of Parliament and Chairman of AYUSHEXCIL, highlighted the growing global acceptance of traditional medicine and emphasized India's position to emerge as a trusted global hub for holistic healthcare. He called for closer collaboration among government, industry and research institutions to strengthen scientific validation, quality assurance, innovation and global branding.
Shri Rajesh Agrawal, Secretary of the Department of Commerce, reaffirmed the Department's commitment to supporting the AYUSH sector as a high-potential sunrise export sector, noting that the objective is to build globally competitive Indian AYUSH brands rather than merely increase exports. He highlighted opportunities from India's expanding network of Free Trade Agreements and encouraged industry to focus on innovation, branding, value addition and quality.
Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary of the Ministry of AYUSH, emphasized accelerating implementation of flagship initiatives such as Ayush Mark and Ayurveda Aahar to strengthen quality assurance, branding and global competitiveness. He called upon industry stakeholders to capitalize on growing global interest by enhancing product quality, packaging, branding and international market readiness, while highlighting ongoing efforts to align Indian standards with international benchmarks.
The session concluded with an interactive open-house discussion where 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 will provide valuable inputs for future policy interventions, export promotion initiatives and collaborative efforts to strengthen Brand India AYUSH and enhance India's leadership in the global traditional wellness ecosystem.