In an effort to showcase the inherent strengths of Tamil Nadu in the area of Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (Ayush) medicines, the Indian Medicine Manufactures Association (IMMA) will soon approach the Department of Ayush to provide Tamil Nadu the next opportunity to organize a national or an international level Ayurveda event. The association wanted the next World Ayurveda Congress to be held in Tamil Nadu.

“We are keen to organize an Ayush exposition as it  would help the state to  display its prowess in the area of traditional medicine and help the sector  to move up to the next level of growth”,  IMMA secretary R Govindarajan told Pharmabiz.

The state is recognized as the hub of Siddha and Unani systems of medicine. Ayurveda is also an extensively preferred treatment of choice. Currently, there are 264 registered Ayush units spread across at Chennai, Salem, Dharmapuri, Namakkal, Tirunelveli and Madurai among others. In addition, there are also over 500 un-registered manufacturers. Further, the state is known for its extensive herbs and medicinal plants contract farming practices.

The only way to exhibit our capability in specific herbs like Coleus forskohlii, Hibiscus, Aloevera, Amla, to name a few for contract farming would be an event which attracts national and global customers. Since Tamil Nadu is one of the three states in south India along with Kerala and Karnataka which has made substantial strides in the Aysuh sector, we need to be given an opportunity. While Kerala has already organized the first event World Ayurveda Congress in 2002 and Karnataka in 2010, the department of Ayush should look at viewing Tamil Nadu as the next venue, added Govindarajan who was here in Bangalore for the 4th World Ayurveda Congress.

India is now a recognized source of medicinal herbs and plants for the US and European Union markets. The country is known for its good quality, low production cost and technical skills. There is also considerable interest evinced to make India a medicinal herb and plant hub by global players. This is where the southern states including Tamil Nadu will be able to chip in its expertise, said Govindarajan.

In order to highlight the Tamil Nadu’s strengths, IMMA secretary who is also the director of Ceego Labs Pvt. Ltd. will soon send a proposal to the Department of Ayush seeking to provide Tamil Nadu an opportunity to showcase its Ayush wealth.

According to a section of the industry, Tamil Nadu State Medicinal Plant Board is working towards a contract farming legislation which would clearly define profit-sharing arrangements by the grower and buyer, creation of mandatory buyback arrangements, investments avenues, creation of herbal districts in the hilly areas of Nilgiris, Kodaikannal and Anaimalai that have the right climatic conditions for the cultivation of medicinal herbs and plants.