Ayurvedic products export from India has been a fast growing business segment for the last ten years even without any specific support from the government. These products are in great demand not only amongst the Indians living in Europe and the US but also amongst the nationals of these countries. A range of 600 classical ayurveda formulations is thus being exported to these developed countries regularly. Of late, some countries in Gulf have also approved ayurveda as a system of healing besides giving registration to ayurvedic practitioners. Some of these countries are now regularly importing ayurvedic medicines for marketing them there. The annual export of ayurvedic products from India is placed at Rs 350 crore. Despite its increasing acceptance in many parts of the world, manufacturers of ayurvedic medicines are not able to provide authentic documentations of these medicines in terms of its ingredients and their therapeutic values. Most of these products do not have any monographs, individual therapeutic profiles or adequate scientific data to back their curative and preventive claims. Unfortunately no serious efforts have been made by neither the ayurvedic industry nor the government in this regard. This is now becoming a major hurdle for exporters of these products as medical control agencies in importing countries are getting increasingly assertive about documentation.
An issue which is being debated in this regard is the UK government's move to classify ayurvedic products as ethnic medicines. The UK MCA has submitted a paper to the British government categorising ayurvedic medicines as ethnic remedies. If UK goes ahead with this plan, hardly 20 ayurvedic formulations listed in the ayurvedic pharmacoepia will be getting approval for marketing them in that country. The proposed new classification of ayurvedic medicines is most likely to be introduced by the European Union as well if the UK government adopts it. This is a matter of serious concern for a number of ayurvedic manufacturers and exporters. Bodies like Ayurvedic Drug Manufacturers' Association and All India Ayurvedic Medicines Manufacturers' Association have already urged the UK government to review its decision to classify these preparations under ethnic medicines. Exporters from India and importers of ayurvedic products are obviously concerned about any restrictions in this lucrative trade. And they have promptly activated the lobbies in the UK. That has to be expected. In India, surprisingly, the Union commerce ministry has been rather lukewarm in responding to this issue. It is important that the government should take up this matter with due seriousness not only because of the foreign exchange earning potential of ayurvedic medicines but also because of the fact that any such restriction on its import will unwittingly deprive people of such medications in those countries. A point to be noted by the ayurvedic manufacturers and exporters here is that they should adopt standardisation of manufacturing practices and documentation procedures in this sector also sooner than later to remain competitive.