It may seem out of character for the world’s oldest management consultant firm, the US-based Arthur D Little, to take interest in an Indian traditional medicinal system like Ayurveda.

But they have indeed come together for the “reimagining” of Indian Ayurveda and to put it on the world map, says Barnik Chitran Maitra, Managing Partner and Chief Executive, Arthur D Little (ADL-India and South Asia).

The initiative involves the whole nine yards, from creating an open-source repository of existing knowledge that would be accessible to universities, for instance, to geo-tagging, supporting with evidence-based data and adding muscle to research and development efforts with disruptive technologies, Maitra told BusinessLine .

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Discussions with 2 State govts

Five industry players have signed up to the International Ayurveda Alliance (IAA) announced about two months ago by ADL in partnership with BEGIN India Think Tank and HumanSTAR (as coordination partner). “We are in the final stages of creating a governing board and announcing the leadership of the initiative,” he said.

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IAA’s charter is being finalised and 2021 goals fleshed out. A major goal is “to agree on the detailed scientific evidence-based framework for Ayurveda and launch of a few data pilots/trials,” he said. IAA has initiated discussions with two State government on ayurveda parks – integrated manufacturing and export zones and ayurveda tourism circuits. And similar discussions are on with Central ministries on the international branding for Indian Ayurveda.

ADL is no stranger to India, or healthcare. They’ve been here for the longest time, harking back to 1947. The consultant firm had been invited by the first cabinet of Independent India for a relook of the governance architecture of India as the new Constitution was being put in place, he said.

From wellness to curative

Founded out of the MIT campus by a professor there, ADL has worked closely with global pharmaceutical companies, enabling new-age approaches, clinical trials, targeted drug discovery, etc. But ADL’s work on Ayurveda is pro-bono, and not mandated by anyone.

India’s push for AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy) paved the way for “organic” discussions with industry stakeholders, and this revealed a willingness to take this discipline beyond wellness into a curative space.

The idea was that India should not lose its place with Ayurveda. The patenting and geo-tagging would not be a barrier to access, especially in India. Instead, the willingness to subject Ayurveda products to such scrutiny only adds to their credibility, he clarified.

Other health systems

ADL has worked on healthcare systems in Northern Asia , Korea, Japan, China, Chile and some European countries. “There is a place for traditional medicine in the formal medical ecosystem… In some of these medical systems, your insurance plans actually cover treatment or cover whatever spending you are having on these disciplines,” he pointed out.

All countries have regulatory requirements, anchored in the “do no harm” approach. There will be documentation challenges involving the many ingredients that go into an Ayurveda product, but regulators will take a nuanced approach on where it is needed, he said, indicating that the journey ahead was uphill and arduous but it is not “an unsurmountable mountain”.

Ayurveda market, at a glance

Domestic market for Ayurveda is approximately $4.4 billion or ₹33,000 crore in 2020.

With future investments, its likely annual growth is pegged at over 20 per cent over 10 years.

Potential to reach $50 billion or ₹3,75,000 crore by 2030, could create up to 15 million new jobs.

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