Every indigenous sector takes its own course to gain the identity that it deserves even in the country of its origin. However, Ayurvedic industry, India''s ancient healthcare system had to take the hardest way to get it recognized as an industry which also can lead the country to the global trade front. At present, the sector that is progressing towards this goal, had passed through a past where the country itself refused to give it the due.

Though the initial impediments that the sector faced in its growth towards a nationally recognized business segment began with conventional attitudes of stakeholders itself, the emergence of modern medicine under foreign rule had been quite detrimental to the commercial advancement of this science and worsened the progress of the sector in India.

Today, owing to efforts of some visionaries that contributed to the constitution of a dedicated government department and the move towards standardization, the sector promised to be one of the key growth-drivers in the era of the knowledge economy. Of late, the state and the industry have started realizing that Ayurved is one area where India has a lot of scope.

Even though a lot has been achieved on the growth path, the industry remains on the receiving end and the government has to deliver a lot more to attain the goal. The Ayurvedic manufacturing sector, which has the majority of stakeholders in the tiny and small-scale sector, remains uncertain about a bright future of their ancient tradition as the standardization efforts are still half way. The government as well as the industry has to do lot more to protect this old but very indigenous industry.

It is obvious that objectives of developmental programmes should be precise in its direction towards proper infrastructure, the much required guidance, service and assistance to the industry stakeholders. In this context, the Ayurvedic Drug Manufacturers'' Association''s 2nd National Symposium is expected to live up to the expectation of the sector.

ADMA, the national Association of manufacturers in this sector, which aims at getting the smallest as well as the largest Ayurvedic manufacturers together and attend to issues faced by the industry through such interactive sessions with the government agencies should ensure the deliberations find results at the end of the day. Taking the view of this apex organization, which was formed in response to certain deep rooted and misconceived notions about the validation of Ayurvedic formulations, which were being expressed in certain higher official quarters in the government, it is expected that the outcome of the sessions would be in the right direction.