The Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council (Pharmexcil) has constituted a separate committee for promoting exports of herbal drugs and medicinal plants.

The committee is to pool the best expertise in the government, industry and academia for evolving a national strategy for export promotion of natural herbs, Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani products. The committee will work to organize goal-oriented workshops, meetings and conferences for the export promotion of medicinal plants. The committee will also suggest a plan of active interface of the commercial attaches of our embassies abroad (selected countries) and NRIs, with Indian drug industry for exploiting identified major niche opportunities.

Sources said the committee would liaison with the international groups and institution involved in promoting medicinal plants and AYUSH products. It will commission or publish consumer friendly monographs, articles etc., on major medicinal plants and AYUSH modalities. The committee will take the initiative to encourage Indian drug industry to actively pursue the export promotion of medicinal plants and formulations.

The Committee consists of eminent persons from the academia, R&D, industry, Government and Pharmexcil. They include Dr Ashok DB Vaidya, director (Medical & Research) and director, Bhavan's SPARC, Mumbai as convener. The members of the Committee include CS Jadhav, director, Nandan Biomatrix Ltd, Hyderabad; Dr CK Kokate, corporate advisor, Ajanta Pharma Limited, Mumbai; Dr DBA Narayan, head, Herbal Research, HLL, Mumbai; Narendra Bhatt, Zandu Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Mumbai; Praful Patel, International Ayurveda Foundation, Mumbai; S Prahalathan, Export -Import Bank, Mumbai.

Other members include Dr P Pusphangadan, director, National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow; Ravindra Kumar Agarwal, C& MD, Natural Remedies Pvt Ltd, Bangalore; Dr SK Sharma, advisor, AYUSH, Ministry of Health, New Delhi; Prof RH Singh, vice chancellor, Rajasthan Ayurveda University, Jodhpur; Sunil Dugal, CEO, Dabur India Limited, New Delhi; Subba Rao, Atluri, Chairman, Bharatiya Vaidya Vidhan Ltd, Hyderabad; Prof Urmila Thatte, Topiwala National Medical College, Mumbai; Dr Vimala Devi, chairperson, Auro Pharma and president, FIHI, Pondicherry.

DB Mody, chairman, Pharmexcil will act as ex-officio member, and Dr PV Appaji, executive director or alternatively in his absence Raghuveer Kini, additional executive director of Pharmexcil will act as member secretary.