A high-level stakeholder consultation was held on May 5, 2025, at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi, with a strong focus on promoting the cultivation and use of medicinal plants across India. The meeting was co-chaired by the Secretaries of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) and the Ministry of AYUSH, bringing together key representatives from various ministries, research bodies, state boards, progressive farmers, and private industry players involved in the medicinal plant sector.
Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary of DA&FW, highlighted the untapped potential of India’s medicinal plant sector, emphasizing the need for increased domestic production and a more streamlined approach to inter-state trade and exports.
He called for enhanced collaboration between the Ministry of AYUSH and agricultural departments, including State Medicinal Plant Boards, to strengthen the sector at the national level. Highlighting that several key medicinal plants have already been included under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), he stressed the urgency of launching a dedicated mission-mode program. This, he said, should focus on identifying best cultivation practices and efficient techniques to uplift the entire value chain of medicinal plants.
Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, pointed to the booming growth of the AYUSH sector, which has expanded eightfold over the past decade. He noted the rising global demand for AYUSH-based products, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and emphasized the enormous export potential and economic opportunities that the medicinal plant sector holds.
The session explored key strategies such as developing region-specific clusters for medicinal plants, fostering industry-farmer partnerships, and setting up specialised mandis to ensure fair pricing.
Participants also emphasized the importance of promoting research, training, and extension services to build capacity among stakeholders. The idea of identifying crop-specific areas for cluster development was strongly supported, with a focus on end-to-end solutions from production to marketing.
In closing, Joint Secretary (Horticulture), Priya Ranjan, highlighted the importance of policy support and financial incentives to motivate farmers to adopt medicinal plant cultivation, ensuring sustainability and profitability in the long run.
