India to Co-Host WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine

India’s Ministry of Ayush has underlined the need for deeper collaboration with state governments and the traditional medicine industry as it moves to scale up regulation, research and public health integration in the Ayush sector. The renewed emphasis comes in the run up to India co-hosting the 2nd WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine in New Delhi from 17 to 19 December 2025, positioning traditional systems such as Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, Yoga and other Ayush disciplines as a more structured component of national and global health agendas.[1]

Context: Traditional Medicine on the Global Agenda

According to a recent communication from the Press Information Bureau, India will co-host the 2nd WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine in New Delhi in collaboration with the World Health Organization. The summit is expected to bring together ministers, regulators, researchers, industry representatives and public health experts from multiple countries to discuss innovation, evidence-based practice and long-term strategies for integrating traditional medicine into health systems.[1]

The Ministry of Ayush organised a curtain raiser programme for the summit in the national capital region on 8 December 2025, chaired by the Union Minister of Ayush. In his address, the Minister highlighted India’s growing leadership in traditional medicine and the role of national research institutions in enhancing scientific credibility and fostering global cooperation.[1]

Officials have framed the summit as an opportunity to consolidate India’s domestic reforms in the Ayush sector while contributing to international standard-setting. The deliberations will cover regulatory frameworks, evidence generation, digital health tools for traditional medicine, and cross-border collaboration in research and product development.[1]

Ayush Ministry’s Call for Stronger State and Industry Partnerships

Against this backdrop, the Ayush Ministry has stressed that sustained growth of the traditional medicine sector will depend on closer coordination with state governments and structured engagement with industry stakeholders. Traditional medicine services and educational institutions are largely implemented at the state level, while manufacturing, standardisation and innovation in Ayush products are led by a diverse industry ranging from micro-enterprises to large national companies.

The Ministry’s emphasis on collaboration reflects three broad administrative priorities. First, ensuring uniform implementation of regulatory and quality standards across states. Second, encouraging responsible industry participation in research, standardisation and pharmacovigilance. Third, leveraging the upcoming WHO summit and India’s expanding research ecosystem to build international confidence in Indian traditional medicine products and practices.

Senior officials involved in the summit preparations have indicated that state health and Ayush departments, state drug licensing authorities and academic institutions will be closely engaged in the technical sessions, exhibitions and side events. Industry bodies representing Ayush manufacturers, wellness service providers and digital health start-ups working in traditional medicine are also expected to participate in knowledge-sharing and networking activities.

Curtain Raiser Highlights: Research Institutions and Evidence Building

During the curtain raiser programme, the Ministry showcased the work of key research institutions under the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS). In the Delhi region, the Central Ayurveda Research Institute (CARI), Delhi, was presented as a key pillar of Ayurvedic research and clinical advancement.[1]

Officials from CARI briefed that the institute’s integrated research portfolio, covering clinical, fundamental and policy research, has enhanced its capacity to address major lifestyle and non-communicable diseases. Specialty clinics, ongoing research studies and professional training programmes have been aligned with national priorities for evidence-driven traditional healthcare.[1]

The Minister underscored that strengthening research institutions and systematically documenting outcomes is essential for mainstreaming traditional medicine within public health strategies and for building international acceptance.

By placing research at the centre of its messaging, the Ministry has signalled that industry growth must be underpinned by evidence and robust standards. This orientation is expected to guide the nature of collaborations sought with both state agencies and private players.

Implementation Pathways: How Collaboration is Expected to Work

Role of State Governments

For the Ayush Ministry, state governments are central to operationalising reforms in the traditional medicine sector. Implementation of clinical services, education, enforcement of quality standards and public outreach largely rests with state departments and councils.

The Ministry’s call for collaboration is likely to translate into several specific administrative tracks.

• Strengthening state Ayush directorates: Coordination mechanisms between the Union Ministry and state Ayush directorates are expected to be sharpened through joint working groups, periodic consultations and standard operating protocols for programme implementation.
• Harmonising regulatory practices: State drug licensing authorities for Ayush drugs are expected to be supported with capacity-building, training and model guidelines so that licensing, inspection and enforcement practices converge towards national benchmarks.
• Integration in public health programmes: States may be encouraged to integrate Ayush services more systematically into their public health initiatives, such as non-communicable disease clinics, school health programmes and wellness centres, based on evidence and state-level needs.
• State-level participation in global summit outcomes: State representatives are expected to be involved in following up on the recommendations and action points that emerge from the WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine, particularly where these intersect with service delivery and regulation.

These measures are intended to ensure that national standards and schemes do not remain confined to policy documents but are operationalised uniformly across diverse health systems and institutional capacities in the states.

Role of Industry and Private Sector Stakeholders

The Ayush industry in India spans medicinal product manufacturers, herbal raw material suppliers, wellness centres, clinical establishments, health-tech platforms and education providers. The Ministry’s renewed focus on collaboration recognises that sectoral growth, export potential and innovation depend substantially on coordinated participation by industry.

Engagement with industry is expected to focus on the following areas.

• Quality assurance and standardisation: The Ministry is likely to encourage industry to adopt pharmacopeial standards, good manufacturing practices and robust quality-control systems, and to participate in standard-setting exercises and reference material development.
• Research, clinical validation and data sharing: Manufacturers and service providers may be encouraged to collaborate with research councils, academic institutions and hospitals on clinical trials, observational studies and outcomes documentation, with data feeding back into national guidelines.
• Sustainable and traceable supply chains: Given the heavy reliance on medicinal plants and natural resources, industry collaboration will be important for promoting sustainable cultivation, traceability of raw materials and adherence to biodiversity regulations.
• Digital health and innovation: Start-ups and technology firms operating in teleconsultation, electronic health records, decision-support systems and artificial intelligence for traditional medicine could be engaged to support safer and more consistent practice, subject to regulatory oversight.

Industry participation in the WHO summit’s exhibitions and knowledge-sharing sessions is expected to give manufacturers and service providers exposure to global regulatory expectations and market trends, while allowing policymakers to gather feedback on implementation challenges.

Linkages with Integrative Health and Cross-Disciplinary Research

The Ministry’s collaboration agenda is aligned with a broader national push towards integrative health research that combines traditional Ayush practices with modern medical science. According to an official communication on strategic collaboration for integrative health research, the government has been working to advance research that brings together traditional and modern systems to address complex diseases and enhance patient outcomes.[2]

This integrative approach has multiple implications for how the Ministry interacts with states and industry.

• Joint integrative care models: Public hospitals and medical colleges under state governments may pilot integrative care pathways in areas such as pain management, palliative care, lifestyle disorders and mental health, requiring clinical protocols, training and evaluation frameworks developed in partnership with Ayush institutions.
• Collaborative research networks: Institutional collaboration between Ayush research councils, medical research bodies, universities and industry sponsors may expand multi-centric clinical trials and implementation research projects that test integrative interventions.
• Shared infrastructure and human resources: Research laboratories, biobanks, data-management platforms and training facilities may be shared across Ayush and modern medicine institutions, including facilities operated or supported by state governments.

Such cross-disciplinary work is expected to feed into global discussions at the WHO summit about evidence-based integration of traditional medicine within primary care, hospital services and preventive health programmes.[1]

Administrative and Regulatory Dimensions

Standard Setting and Accreditation

The Ayush Ministry’s emphasis on collaboration with states and industry is closely tied to its continuing work on standardisation and accreditation. Over the last several years, the government has introduced and updated quality norms for Ayush drugs, institutional accreditation frameworks, and guidelines for practice and education.

For meaningful sectoral growth, those standards need to be consistently applied by state licensing bodies and adopted by the private sector. The Ministry is expected to rely on consultative processes, training workshops and model regulations to help states update their rules and practices. Industry associations may be partners in disseminating standards, orienting members to regulatory requirements and promoting voluntary compliance beyond the minimum statutory thresholds.

Accreditation of Ayush colleges, hospitals and wellness centres is another area where state authorities and private providers will play critical roles. Uniform accreditation practices can support mobility of professionals, comparability of qualifications and public confidence in services offered under various state and private programmes.

Data, Surveillance and Safety Systems

As traditional medicine products and services expand, the Ministry has placed importance on safety monitoring and data-driven policy. Collaboration with states and industry is expected to underpin pharmacovigilance systems, adverse event reporting mechanisms and periodic safety updates for Ayush drugs and therapies.

Manufacturers may be required or encouraged to collect and share post-marketing safety data, while Ayush hospitals and clinics in the public and private sectors may be integrated into surveillance networks. State governments would be key in implementing reporting protocols at the facility level, staffing pharmacovigilance units and ensuring that practitioners are trained to recognise and report adverse events.

These systems support both domestic regulatory decision-making and international confidence-building, which will be key themes at the WHO summit.

Potential Impact on Public Healthcare

Expanded Access to Traditional Medicine Services

More coordinated action between the Ayush Ministry, states and industry is expected to broaden and standardise access to traditional medicine services, particularly in primary healthcare and wellness settings. Where states integrate Ayush practitioners and therapies into government health facilities and community programmes, citizens may see more structured options for preventive care, chronic disease management and health promotion.

If implemented with appropriate safeguards and evidence, this could result in:

• Increased availability of Ayush services in rural and semi-urban areas through health and wellness centres, district hospitals and outreach programmes.
• Improved patient awareness about indications, contraindications and appropriate use of traditional therapies, supported by standard treatment guidelines and trained providers.
• More consistent quality of care, as facilities adopt common clinical protocols and quality-assurance norms developed through national and state-level collaboration.

Integration with National Health Priorities

The Ministry has indicated that many of its research and service initiatives are aligned with national priorities such as managing lifestyle and non-communicable diseases.[1]

Collaboration with states and industry may allow Ayush-based interventions to be better integrated into ongoing programmes for hypertension, diabetes, obesity, musculoskeletal disorders and mental health. This could take the form of:

• Evidence-based inclusion of specific Ayush therapies in disease-management pathways, where supported by research and regulatory approvals.
• Joint training of frontline health workers and Ayush practitioners on counselling, lifestyle modification and early detection of risk factors.
• Community-level education campaigns that incorporate traditional health knowledge alongside modern preventive messages.

By linking traditional medicine more closely with national health missions and state health plans, the Ministry aims to ensure that sectoral growth translates into measurable public health outcomes.

Economic and Industrial Implications

Support for Ayush Manufacturing and Exports

The Ayush sector is an important component of India’s broader wellness and pharmaceutical economy. Strengthened collaboration could help industry address regulatory challenges, enhance product quality and enter or expand in export markets.

Through dialogue with manufacturers and state agencies, the Ministry may focus on:

• Streamlining licensing and approvals while maintaining safety and quality standards.
• Promoting cluster development and common facilities for testing, validation and packaging in states with significant Ayush manufacturing bases.
• Aligning domestic standards with evolving international norms discussed at the WHO summit and in bilateral regulatory dialogues.

Increased participation of Indian Ayush firms in global platforms, exhibitions and procurement frameworks may follow, especially if supported by robust documentation of safety, efficacy and quality practices.

Employment, Skills and Education

Growth in the traditional medicine sector has direct implications for employment and skills, particularly in states that host Ayush colleges, manufacturing hubs and wellness destinations. Collaboration between the Ministry, state education regulators and industry can support curriculum updates, practical training and continuing education for practitioners, pharmacists, therapists and technical staff.

Structured involvement of industry in designing training programmes and internship opportunities may make graduates more employable in both clinical and non-clinical roles. At the same time, common competency frameworks can help standardise skill levels across states and institutions, facilitating mobility and quality control.

The WHO summit’s focus on innovation and evidence may also influence how academic and training institutions revise their syllabi to give greater weight to research methodology, regulatory science, digital health tools and international best practices.

Global Cooperation and India’s Positioning

By choosing to co-host the 2nd WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine, India is placing its domestic policy developments within a wider international context. The summit will feature ministerial discussions, scientific panels, exhibitions and global knowledge-sharing sessions aimed at strengthening integration of traditional medicine within public health systems worldwide.[1]

For India, effective collaboration with states and industry will be important not only for domestic implementation but also for presenting a coherent national position in global forums. Key expectations from the summit and related partnerships include:

• Shared frameworks on regulation and quality that recognise the diversity of traditional systems while upholding patient safety and scientific standards.
• Joint research initiatives and data-sharing arrangements that draw on India’s clinical experience and research infrastructure in Ayush disciplines.
• Expanded people-to-people and institution-to-institution exchanges involving practitioners, researchers, regulators and industry representatives.

India’s research institutions, such as CCRAS and CARI Delhi, are likely to play a visible role in these engagements, drawing on their work in clinical, fundamental and policy research.[1]

Next Steps and Follow-up Mechanisms

The Ministry’s public messaging indicates that the curtain raiser and summit are part of a longer-term roadmap rather than standalone events. Once the WHO summit concludes, the Ministry, in consultation with states and industry bodies, is expected to review the key recommendations and identify specific action points for implementation.

Likely follow-up mechanisms may include:

• Thematic working groups involving Union and state officials, regulators, researchers and industry representatives on areas such as quality assurance, integrative care models, digital health tools and international cooperation.
• Revisions or additions to national guidelines, standards and programme frameworks to incorporate emerging evidence and global best practices.
• Periodic review meetings with state governments and sector stakeholders to assess progress in implementation and to share field-level experiences.

Through these steps, the Ministry aims to translate the broad theme of collaboration into concrete policies, programmes and institutional arrangements that support sustainable growth of India’s traditional medicine sector.

For citizens, researchers, practitioners and industry, the evolving collaboration between the Ministry of Ayush, state governments and private stakeholders will determine how traditional medicine is regulated, delivered and integrated within India’s health system in the coming years. The outcomes of the WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine, combined with domestic implementation efforts, will be a key reference point for assessing that trajectory.