The Ministry of Ayush hailed 2025 as a landmark year, advancing India's global leadership in traditional medicine. Key initiatives included PM Modi laying the foundation for a new CARI campus and various international collaborations.
As 2025 draws to a close, the Ministry of Ayush marks the year as a watershed moment in India's journey toward evidence-based, people-centric and globally integrated traditional healthcare. According to an official release, the Ministry of Ayush consolidated India's leadership in traditional medicine, strengthening research, regulation, digital integration and international credibility--while ensuring that the benefits of holistic healthcare reached millions across the country and beyond, aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047.
Major Domestic Initiatives and Infrastructure Boost
Some of the highlights of the year included PM Modi's collaborations, inaugurations to advance research, and global initiatives. Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually laid the foundation stone for the new Central Ayurveda Research Institute (CARI) building in Rohini. The upcoming 2.92-acre, ₹187 crore state-of-the-art campus will house a 100-bed research hospital, specialised clinics, advanced laboratories, and training facilities, marking a transformative expansion for the institute after decades of operating from rented premises. With modern infrastructure supporting treatments such as Panchakarma, Kshara Sutra, and Jaloukavacharana, alongside advanced diagnostics, the new CARI campus is poised to elevate Ayurveda research, innovation, and skill development.
President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the International Conference organised by the Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM) on Unani Day, paying tribute to Hakim Ajmal Khan and applauding CCRUM's contributions to public health. She emphasised that Unani Medicine--rooted in centuries-old wisdom--must embrace innovation to expand its global acceptability, noting that India holds the world's largest network of Unani education, research, and healthcare institutions. Union Ayush Minister Prataprao Jadhav reiterated the need to integrate traditional knowledge with modern science to build a healthier, more sustainable future. The event saw participation from senior Ayush leadership, CCRUM officials, and international delegates from nine countries.
Union Minister of State (IC) for Ayush Prataprao Jadhav inaugurated a new 400-seated UG Boys' Hostel at the National Institute of Homoeopathy (NIH), Kolkata, marking a significant addition to the institute's infrastructure as it celebrates its Golden Jubilee. Addressing the event, he highlighted NIH's evolution into a Centre of Excellence and stressed the timely completion of ongoing projects to meet growing academic and patient-care needs.
Public Health Outreach and Community Engagement
Ayush has emerged as one of the most trusted and widely accessed healthcare pillars at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, with over 9 lakh pilgrims benefitting from its services through OPDs, mobile health units, wellness halls, and yoga sessions. Building on the earlier milestone of 1.21 lakh beneficiaries, Ayush scaled its presence dramatically--deploying 20 OPDs, 90+ doctors, 150 healthcare workers, and dedicated mobile units to provide round-the-clock care across the Mela grounds.
The All India Institute of Ayurveda strengthened the preventive care ecosystem by distributing 10,000 Ayush Raksha kits and organising a week-long health camp for 15,000 pilgrims. In addition to an ecological and livelihood dimension, the National Medicinal Plants Board distributed 25,000 medicinal plants, promoting natural healing and awareness of medicinal plant cultivation.
The Ayush Pavilion has emerged as a major attraction at the India International Trade Fair 2025, showcasing India's rich traditional healthcare systems under the theme "aayuss ke saath - svsth bhaart, shresstth bhaart." Visitors are engaging with Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Homoeopathy through free consultations, medicines, live demonstrations and interactive activities. Institutions highlighted Ayush-based nutrition, sattvic diets, preventive health foods, yoga sessions and digital assessments. Medicinal saplings, wellness start-ups and child-friendly activities further enhanced appeal. The pavilion reflects the Ministry of Ayush's commitment to holistic, preventive and people-centric healthcare.
Strengthening International Collaborations and Global Leadership
India and Indonesia marked a significant milestone in traditional medicine collaboration as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto witnessed the exchange of an MoU on Traditional Medicine Quality Assurance between PCIM&H, Ministry of Ayush, and the Indonesian Food and Drug Authority on 25 January 2025. Union Minister Prataprao Jadhav stated that the partnership will elevate global standards by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and quality of traditional medicines.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, announced the establishment of a Centre of Excellence to boost research and dissemination of Traditional Medicine. He also announced India's support for training and capacity-building in cancer care across BIMSTEC member states, underscoring public health as a key pillar of regional cooperation. The initiative is set to strengthen India-Thailand collaboration in Traditional Medicine by building on existing academic partnerships and the Ayush Scholarship Scheme, which has benefited 175 students from BIMSTEC countries over the past five years.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the world's largest-ever yoga gathering of 3 lakh participants in Visakhapatnam to mark the 11th International Day of Yoga, highlighting yoga's unifying power and global reach. Celebrations across India saw participation from Union Ministers, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Health Minister JP Nadda, reinforcing yoga's role in fostering physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
The Ministry of Ayush marked the 10th National Ayurveda Day at AIIA Goa with the theme "Ayurveda for People and Planet," highlighting Ayurveda's growing global footprint and its relevance to modern health and environmental challenges. Key announcements included new initiatives such as the DRAVYA portal, expansion of the Desh ka Swasthya Parikshan Abhiyan, opening of an Integrative Oncology Unit, and multiple national and international collaborations.
India and Germany advanced bilateral cooperation on traditional and integrative medicine at the 3rd Joint Working Group Meeting on Alternative Medicine held in Berlin. The meeting focused on integrating traditional medicine into public health systems, developing reimbursement pathways, and strengthening regulatory frameworks. Led by senior officials from the Ministry of Ayush and Germany's Federal Ministry of Health, the discussions reflected a shared commitment to evidence-based, people-centric healthcare. The Indian delegation engaged with leading German institutions, hospitals, and regulatory bodies to explore research collaboration and policy alignment. The engagement reinforced India's efforts to globalise Ayush systems and expand safe, regulated access to integrative healthcare internationally.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the closing ceremony of the Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine in New Delhi, called for accelerated global action to restore balance in health and well-being through evidence-based, safe and trusted traditional medicine. The Prime Minister expressed pride in hosting the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in Jamnagar, which has emerged as a global hub for research, regulation and capacity building. During the ceremony, the Prime Minister and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus jointly inaugurated the WHO South-East Asia Regional Office in New Delhi. Several key AYUSH initiatives were launched, including the My Ayush Integrated Services Portal (MAISP), the Ayush Mark. (ANI)
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