Noting that ayurveda has efficacy to address various ailments and it is being recognised the world over, Union Minister of State for Tourism Ajay Bhatt has emphasised on promoting evidence-based research in the Ayush systems of medicine to further strengthen their acceptance.

He was speaking after inaugurating the four-day Ayuryog Expo & State Arogya Fair in Varanasi. The fair, which began on February 24, is being attended by a large number of ayurveda experts, pharma companies and government organisations. The country's leading ayurveda pharma companies have put up their stalls at the expo to showcase their products.

Uttar Pradesh Ayush Minister Dayashankar Mishra visited various stalls at the venue and appreciated the range of ayurveda products manufactured by AIMIL Pharma, a Delhi-based ayurveda company.

On the occasion, AIMIL Pharmaceutical Executive Director Sanchit Sharma said his company has been conducting research scientifically as per people's healthcare needs.?Before launching in the market, clinical trials are being conducted so that they are effective for patients and there is no side-effect, he said.

In fact, after intensive research, AIMIL Pharma has successfully launched medicines such as NEERI-KFT to prevent the progressive deterioration of kidney function. There are drugs like BGR-34 and Leukoskin which have been developed in collaboration with scientists from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) respectively.?

The Narendra Modi government has been taking various steps to bring the traditional medicines, including ayurveda, into the mainstream. For this, the government has steadily boosted funding for Ayurveda-oriented research dedicated to increasing lifespan and treating chronic diseases.

The global ayurveda market is expected to grow to USD10 billion by 2022, according to a report by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and PwC, driven by a health-conscious younger population and ageing citizenry.