A separate brand called "Kerala Brand" to promote the export of Ayurvedic products from the state is being planned under the proposed Confederation of Ayurvedic Renaissance (Keralam) Pvt Ltd (CARE - Keralam), the proposed high profile global standard quality control and R&D facility for Ayurveda in Kerala with industry-government participation.

The brand would be created to boost the export rate of the ayurvedic products manufactured in Kerala. The brand will have a separate logo for itself with quality assurance and validation for products and process. Common parameters would be fixed and all the companies that produce the products following the norms will be coming under the brand.

"Why cant there be a brand for the ayurvedic products of Kerala when its demand among foreigners is high. If Kerala's own products are promoted under a separate brand then it will have a good response. When such a brand is created dossier preparation also becomes easy and we can also promote our exports as it would be properly tested and quality assured. The international agencies would not have any problem in accepting our products," an informed source said.

The source, added that there were also plans to start medicinal plant cultivation throughout Kerala and then give the raw material at a subsidized rate. This proposal also falls under the CARE Keralam project. "Such a move to promote the cultivation of medicinal plants throughout the state is really beneficial. This gives boost to the farmer as well as the manufacturer.

In the current scenario many farmers are not willing to cultivate such plants fearing lack of adequate number of buyers. "But we can procure them from the farmers once they start planting them as a secondary crop. Currently only the traders are reaping profits by buying them from the agriculturists at a cheap rate and selling it to the manufacturers at a high price. This situation should change, then the people can also get the medicines at a lesser rate, " said the source.

He said, that special packaging machines are planned to be brought and the members of the CARE Keralam consortium can use them and bring out medicines in a good pack. There are also plans to embed the secondary ayurvedic mixtures into the primary ayurvedic medicines and bring them out is soft gel form. Even the small players in the consortium will benefit from such a facility. They can use the machine and pay the rent for the amount of time they have used the machine. Then their medicines can be sold in good packets rather than the age old bottles, the source said.

A machine called "cryogen dryer" which cools the raw material at - 40 degrees and removes the water content from it making it dry and thereby making it easy to crush is also planned to be brought. This would make the product more hygienic and can be supplied to the customers in a short time and in the form they want it. There were also plans to have a toxicity-testing lab complying with GLP norms, an analytical lab, a process validation lab and clinical trial facility.

"These are being planned as a part of the CARE Keralam project, but all this would materialize only if we get the fund. The problem in Kerala is that no one takes the interest to promote this science. The total turnover of the ayurvedic industry in Kerala is Rs 400 crore and the export is only Rs 20 crore. If the industry is promoted and with proper validation, foreign countries would not have any problem in importing our products. And our turnover will shoot up, but the question is who would take the initiative," the source bemoaned.