The negative list of ingredients which should not be used in medicine manufacturing issued by respective countries in the Gulf and other Middle East countries should be made available to the Indian ayurvedic manufacturers to substantially increase their exports to the region, said Dr D Ramanathan, General Secretary, Ayurveda Medicine Manufacturers Organisation of India (AMMOI).

Though ayurvedic medicines are gaining popularity in the Middle East region, most of the Ayurvedic manufacturers are unaware of the permissible ingredients in these countries. This causes regulatory authorities in the Gulf not to permit some of the medicines exported by Indian companies. Most of the nations have published the negative list, including the GCC nations. The wildlife department of India also have published a list of 108 medicinal plants belonging to forests that should not be used in drug manufacturing. "If the Government could make available the lists of various nations, drug could be prepared accordingly and decide which product should or should not be exported to a particular country in the region," noted Ramanathan.

The Department of AYUSH and agencies like Pharmaceuticals Exports Promotion Council (Pharmexcil) should collect the lists from respective countries and should be made available to the manufacturers. Ayurveda, a system having over 3000 years of proven efficacy and with numerous formulations, has options to make formulations of same efficacy with suitably substituted ingredients. The state DCs should be issued the list, along with permissible ingredient substitutes for export purposes, suggested Ramanathan.
The Ayurvedic drug manufacturers, especially Kerala Ayurvedic manufacturers, have a market of around Rs.5 crore in the Middle East countries. Demand for Ayurvedic medicines are increasing in the Middle East, said Ramanathan.