The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) - Kerala chapter is planning to send a delegation consisting of Ayurvedic medicine manufacturers and experts on Ayurveda to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as part of a major brand building exercise and market exploration for Ayurvedic drugs and products in overseas countries.

Talking to Pharmabiz, Dr. K Anil Kumar, convener, Healthcare panel of CII, Kerala, said the Middle East countries have big potential for Kerala ayurveda drugs, especially Patent & Proprietary medicines and other nutraceuticals.

"This is only a beginning and is in fact a follow up of a seminar organized by CII and KAPL in Kochi a few months ago on 'Ayurvedic Research Methodology - Formulations'. At present the norms for exports are stringent in most of the overseas countries and almost all the Middle East countries have stringent export procedures similar to EU norms. The delegation, planned during October, will meet top level various decision makers and traders in UAE to create a brand for our products," said Anil Kumar, also managing director of Kerala Ayurveda Pharmacy Ltd (KAPL) and joint secretary of Ayurveda Drug Manufacturers Association of India.

He noted that at present exports of Ayurvedic drugs was confined only to single formulations, which relatively easily conform to the norms of importing countries. The future for Ayurveda lies in poly-herbal compounds and drugs aimed at multiple remedies. Most of the importing countries are yet to accept Ayurveda as a scientific system of medicine, which is the primary roadblock before Ayurveda for its global popularization. Lack of specific protocols for evaluating phytochemicals, biological, synergism and antagonism of herbs in formulations etc. have to be resolved by the industry to tap overseas markets. Control and elimination of heavy metal content and lack of modern agro-techniques in raw material cultivation is also hindering exports.

The Ayurvedic industry, which has not seen much investment in R&D, should invest in a phased manner, collaborate on research and form quality cluster testing facilities for units to tap the overseas markets, opined Anil Kumar.