2025: A Landmark Year of Evidence, Growth, and Global Leadership for Ayush

With an increase in budgetary allocation and a rise in exports, the sector also saw a significant market growth.

The Maha Kumbh held in Prayagraj widened the access of the Ayush sector, benefitting over 9 lakh pilgrims through OPDs, mobile health units, wellness halls, and yoga sessions.

With the World Health Organization's 2025 update to ICD-11, a historic step was marked for traditional medicine as it officially introduced a dedicated module for Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani, enabling their systematic global reporting alongside conventional medical conditions.

The new module -- now live on the WHO Blue Browser -- enables dual coding, enhances data collection, improves interoperability, and strengthens evidence-based policymaking.

India also achieved five Guinness World Records for the first phase of 'Desh Ka Prakriti Parikshan Abhiyaan', reflecting India's growing prominence in holistic and personalised healthcare.

The campaign, aiming to take Ayurveda to every home so that people can understand their individual 'Prakriti' (Ayurvedic body type) and adopt a healthy lifestyle accordingly, recorded over 1.29 crore prakriti assessments, far exceeding its target of 1 crore. It set global records for the highest number of pledges and largest online photo and video albums related to a health initiative.

The 11th International Day of Yoga, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was the world's largest-ever yoga gathering of 3 lakh participants in Visakhapatnam. Celebrated in more than 180 countries, it highlighted yoga's unifying power and global reach.

The WHO's landmark technical brief on "AI in Traditional Medicine" highlighted India's pioneering role in integrating artificial intelligence with Ayush systems, acknowledging breakthroughs such as the Ayush Grid, Ayurgenomics, predictive diagnostic tools, and digital platforms like SAHI, NAMASTE, and the Ayush Research Portal.

India became the first country to launch a Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL). The brief underscores how AI-driven applications -- from Prakriti-based diagnostics to genomic decoding of herbal formulations --are modernising traditional medicine and expanding its global relevance.

In a landmark step toward strengthening consumer protection and regulatory oversight in the field of traditional medicine, the government launched the Ayush Suraksha Portal, which will serve as a vigilant watchtower against misinformation.

The Portal represents a significant advancement in pharmacovigilance and regulatory convergence within the Ayush ecosystem.

The 10th National Ayurveda Day -- celebrated with a universal calendar identity on September 23 -- was celebrated with major initiatives, global participation, and renewed focus on the well-being of people and planet.

The event highlighted Ayurveda's growing global footprint and its relevance to modern health and environmental challenges.

The government has also unveiled the Ayush Nivesh Saarthi portal to mark a major leap toward transforming India's ancient wellness systems into a modern, investment-ready sector.

With Ayush Nivesh Saarthi, the government aims to catalyse investment, empower entrepreneurs, and showcase India's leadership in traditional medicine and wellness.

The second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine in New Delhi also reinforced India's global leadership through high-level engagements and sixteen bilateral meetings with participating nations.

The Union Budget for FY26 allocated the Ministry of Ayush with Rs 3,992.9 crore, marking a 14.2 per cent rise from the previous year's revised estimate of Rs 3,497.6 crore.

Exports of Ayush and herbal products from India during the FY25 grew 5.86 per cent, with the quantity growing almost 21.46 per cent as compared to FY24.

Exports of AYUSH and herbal products rose to Rs. 5,907 crore in FY25 from Rs 5,580 crore in FY24, according to data from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

The Indian Ayush market is projected to grow from $43.3 billion in 2024 to US$200 billion by 2030, reflecting an exponential growth of eight times over the past decade.

- IANS