Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala (AVS), a century old charitable institution engaged in the practice and propagation of Ayurveda, will be setting up a manufacturing unit in accordance with the GMP norms, on a 8 acres of land in Nanjangud, Karnataka at an investment of around Rs.8 crore. The land has been taken on a 99-year lease from the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board and the facility is expected to come up by October 2007.

The classical preparations of AVS will be manufactured in the unit in a more customer friendly form to suit the needs of the modern generation. The Kashayams, Grhitham's which many people desist from eating due to its bitterness will be made into the form of tablets for easy consumption and marketed throughout India. Meanwhile the preparation of classical ayurvedic medicines in their original form will continue from Kottakkal.

AVS has engaged a consultant from Bangalore to prepare a detailed project report on the infrastructure requirements, technology and other facilities. The drugs prepared in the manufacturing will be out in the market after approval from the Karnataka Drug Controller.

"We want to produce quality products in accordance to the taste of the modern generation. We will be bringing out the tablet form of kashayam and other classical medicines from the new manufacturing unit also. But at the same time we will not be sacrificing the quality of the product," said T S Murali, Chief of R&D, AVS.

Speaking about yet another venture of theirs, P M Varier, Superintendent and additional chief physician of AVS, said that the organization would be assisting a private organization in Calcutta to set up an ayurvedic hospital on 5 acres of land in Bishnupur situated 20 kms from Dalhousie and 5 kms from Calcutta city limits.

While the Calcutta based private organization will be taking care of the infrastructure of the facility, AVS would be providing the doctors, masseurs and medicines needed for the hospital. The building work has already started and the facility would be inaugurated by January or February 2007.

Initially the hospital will have 35 beds and in the future it would be expanded to 100 or 150. "We will be sending around five doctors and nearly 35 masseurs from Kottakkal. The medicines will also be sent from our organization," said Varier. AVS which already has a clinic and around 6 authorised dealers for their medicines in Calcutta, are ready to add more dealers if interested parties come forward.

"Many clients from East India come to us for treatment and many of them were finding it difficult to travel from one end to the other. In accordance to their request we decided to venture into Calcutta. We already have an clinic there but there is no inpatient facility. We will be providing the traditional ayurvedic treatment there also. Authentic Panchakarma treatment will also be an added feature there," said Murali.