Indian Ayurveda providers are focusing on West Asia, East Asia, South Africa, and CIS nations to drive expansion. They have urged the central government to create standard guidelines for the sector through talks with public and private stakeholders.
Sajeev Kurup V, president of the Ayurveda Promotion Society based in Kerala, told The Hindu that Sri Lanka is becoming a major rival. He stressed that India’s Ayurveda offerings in wellness and treatment should promote themselves more vigorously.
He outlined key requests: designate ayurveda and wellness tourism as a national priority; ensure service providers receive treatment equal to product makers, given their higher revenue; expand insurance coverage and cashless options for services; and form an Ayurveda and Wellness Council with private sector input.
Additional support through funding, collaborative research, and better research conditions would strengthen evidence for Ayurvedic methods, raise international trust, and aid integration into broader healthcare.
Large private operators are calling for ongoing government policies and fresh marketing approaches to boost treatment and wellness tourism abroad, as India shifts focus beyond Europe.
Mamatha K. V., an Ayurvedic obstetrician and gynaecologist, noted the need for government-backed evidence-based research in education, studies, and staffing.
Kurup warned that a shift from business-to-business to direct consumer models is fostering a spa culture that weakens the therapeutic side. He suggested pairing Ayurveda with the established appeal of yoga.
Kerala leads the sector, though Gujarat, Uttarakhand, and Goa are advancing quickly.
Government data show the AYUSH service sector, led by Ayurveda facilities and medical tourism, reached an estimated ₹1.67 lakh crore in 2025-26, up sharply from ₹21,697 crore in 2014-15. Growth stems from domestic demand, wider acceptance of traditional medicine, initiatives like the National AYUSH Mission and Ayush Visa, and rising integrative healthcare.
Other providers said further development requires central government assistance. Partap Chauhan of Jiva Ayurveda called for more research funding, easier finance, simpler rules, integration into national health programs, digital health incentives, and medical travel promotion.
Sudhir D. C. of the Ayurveda Promotion Society added that stronger standards, accreditation, skill programs, and medicinal plant supply chains are essential to improve access and affordability while strengthening India’s global role.
