The Ayurveda industry in the country, which was looking forward to a Budget that enhanced its growth and export potential, has claimed that the Union Budget 2003-04 has put water over their aspirations. The industry has claimed that the Budget has not provided for any incentives to the Indian systems of Medicine (ISM) leave about giving impetus to the industry.

Dr. K. Anil Kumar, Managing Director, Kerala Ayurveda Pharmacy Ltd (KAPL) has claimed that the Budget has not even given attention to the ISM sector. "After the Indian government had been insisting on giving thrust to the ISM sector, calling upon the industry to tap the global market, we thought there was something in the Budget that will lift the spirit of the Ayurveda industry in the country. Unfortunately, we have nothing," he claimed.

Dr. Warrier, Chief Trustee, Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala maintained that the Budget could have been a little more friendly to the ISM sector. "The ISM sector has not been mentioned anywhere in the Budget. The pharmaceutical industry has been given the sops but does ISM fall into the sector is a question that has been left unanswered by the Budget. The Budget has left a feeling that ISM is a priority area only in speeches but not in reality," Dr. Warrier said.

While responding to the Union Budget, the spokesperson of the Tanjavur- based Ayurveda Small Scale Manufacturers Association said, "There has been no incentives or concessions of any sort. The Indian government had been speaking about giving more thrust to ISM, but unfortunately the same has not reflected in the Union Budget."

Sources in the industry when contacted lamented that the Budget has managed to stifle the industry instead of realizing the potential. They maintained that the Union Budget has worked exactly the opposite way of what the Indian government was preaching - of giving impetus to the ISM sector and realize its inherent strength. "Now it seems that the ISM sector has to fight its own battle," the source added.