The Himalaya Drug Company is gearing up to obtain the Ayush mark certification from the government soon. The ‘Ayush’ mark is a quality standard approved by the Quality Council of India, a recognised and autonomous body, looking after purity and good manufacturing practice parameters.

In Karnataka, out of the 167 Ayurveda units, Himalaya is only company which has already created systems, processes in place to monitor quality and full- fledged teams in charge of getting certification. The company is the leading exporter of Ayurveda products in the state after Natural Remedies and Madhur Pharma. The other units are focusing only on the domestic market.

According to JSD Pani, president, Karnataka Indian Medicine Manufacturers Association (KIMMA), although the department of Ayush mandates the quality certification ‘Ayush’ mark as voluntary, it is the onus on the industry to adhere to this requirements. If companies do not go in for Ayush mark, it will not create competition and result in loss of export orders.

The Ayush mark initiative of the Ayush department will have a positive impact on the industry. This certification, which guarantees quality will give an impetus to the industry, mainly in terms of customer’s confidence and especially in boosting exports. The industry and customers will benefit from such an initiative. Making the certification mandatory will certainly benefit exporting companies. In particular, the Ayush premium mark certificate which represents conformity with international quality standards, such as the WHO, will help companies’ access overseas markets. However, efforts must be made to create awareness for the certification, Dr. Rangesh, Head – New Product Initiatives, (R&D Centre), Himalaya told Pharmabiz.

“With a presence in over 65 countries including the US, Middle East, South East Asia, Russia and Singapore, we conform to the rules and regulations laid down by the health and regulatory bodies of each of these countries. We are an ISO 9001:2000 certified company. In fact strict quality guideline adherence has resulted in the increased presence and acceptance in international markets prior to this initiative. The Ayush mark certification will only serve to reinforce our conformity with international guidelines, he added.

The cost of certification has been indicated to be around Rs. 30-35,000 for Ayush standard mark and Rs. 45,000 for Ayush premium mark, said Dr. Rangesh.

Madhur Pharma & Research Laboratories (P) Ltd, a 19-year-old herbal drug manufacturer and into contract production has 25 herbal formulations for cold, cough, digestive disorders, inflammatory conditions, gynaecology drugs and memory boosters. Almost 30 percent of its revenues are from exports to parts of Europe including Holland, Russia and Israel. Now there are enquires from US. But since our entry into the international arena is through agents, we have managed to submit the required certifications. The ‘Ayush’ mark was not on our priority so far because, there has been no official government order on the same, said Dr. Chitra Phadnis, CEO.

The Ayush mark should be made mandatory by the government because only then quality standards of the industry are automatically raised. Instead of seeking registrations for every product which is expensive for companies, the ‘Ayush’ mark on all export products will provide the much-needed economies of scale, said industry sources.