Defense Sector will emphasize on exports & reduce imports; It will focus on indigenous products: Shripad Y. Naik

Shripad Y. Naik, Union Minister of State for AYUSH (independent charge) & Defence, talks about clinical trials of Ayurvedic products in the fight against COVID-19, plans to push AYUSH ministry and consumption of products that are developed under Ayush and plans to develop indigenous defence products and increase exports among others during an exclusive interview with Swati Khandelwal, Zee Business. Edited Excerpts: 

Q: Ayurveda and Yoga are very important topics at this point and is being discussed. They are also playing an important role in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. So, update us on the level to which the clinical trials of Ayurvedic treatment have reached by now?

A: To carry forward the work of the Ministry of AYUSH, the government of India has set a task force to make AYUSH medicine accessible to all citizens of the country who are struggling with COVID-19. In the process, the task force asked for formula related to COVID-19 and has received more than 2,500 such formulas of which many were good, while others were advisory. And, many of those formulas have reached the final stage. Clinical trial of six formulas is being conducted under the first stage. We believed that we will find something after doing these activities but at least three months should be given for the trial of which one month has passed off and its trail will be completed in the next one and a half months or so. The formula/ medicine being considered at our end are Ashwagandha, Yashtimadhu, Guduchi Pippali (Giloy) and Ayush-64. These are the four-five formulas whose clinical trials are being conducted at present and I believe they will turn into a medicine of AYUSH and be out at the earliest. 

Q: The government is investing a lot on the sector and is also trying to boost the segment via different mechanism including the budgetary allocation, which has been raised to Rs 2,000 crore. So, let us know about the other steps, including investments that will be taken to push it and increase its consumption? 

A: The AYUSH ministry since its creation in 2015 under the tutelage of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been moving forward. AYUSH was present as a department earlier but there was an absence of a ministry on its name. It had a budget of around Rs 200-500 crore but we were not able to spend even Rs 200 from the same. Its budget was increased after the ministry was created and a fund of Rs 1,400 crore was allocated to it in the very first year and has been increased to more than Rs 2,000 crore by now. Besides, additional allocations were also made by the Prime Minister to give a boost to Ayurveda wherever it was required. Under our ministry’s AYUSH mission medicines are have been provided to every state. In addition to it, Ayushpathy doctors have started sitting at primary centres across the nation and are providing medicines associated with it to people. And, AYUSH treatment is being provided at primary and community health centres as well as the district hospitals. 50% of the entire budget allocated to us is distributed among states and the remaining 50% has been used in the creation of institutions like National Institute of Ayurveda among others in different parts of the country. I can happily say that ‘All India Institute of Ayurveda’ has been started in Delhi and has been expanded in a way that at least 2000 patients are treated every day in its OPD. It is a 100-bed hospital, which always remains full and it is hard to find any vacant bed on any occasion. Thus, people have faith in Ayurveda and Ayushpathy and there is a gradual increase in our work and our ministry is trying its best to boost the segment. Similarly, we also have created more than 100 hospitals across the country under the AYUSH Mission’s scheme of creation of at least 1 hospital in every district and they have reached the stage where they can be started. Besides, the Prime Minister has also allocated Rs 2,000 crore for National Medicinal Plant board to ensure that we may not face issues in the availability of medicines, raw material and medicinal herbs as well as expenditure for Ayurveda and Homeopathy. I think this allocation will help us in fulfilling the demand that will emerge shortly. 

Q: Do you think that the government should tie-up with some big companies globally to promote it in the global markets? 

A: We have been exporting the medicines and raw materials of AYUSH Ministry for years. There are international as well as domestic companies have helped us in developing several patents, perform clinical trials and scientific validation of the same The medicines are sold after going through this mechanism. Besides, many medicines are exported in the form of food supplementary to many countries and are in high demand. And, its large share is held by private Ayurveda companies or other companies related to AYUSH ministry who are engaged in manufacturing the medicines in the country. They help us in exporting our Ayurveda products, homoeopathy product and Unani products among others. Therefore, we are making efforts that maximum products are exported as a medicine and even the government is helping us in this. The more products are patented and formulas are scientifically validated will enable us to export more products to them in the form of medicine. Many international companies are working with us – in respect to medicinal herbs, medicines and other materials that are available here – and are trying to take them out based on the demand. 

Q: How can we take lead on defence exports and production and what are your, the government’s, plan to increase exports in the segment? How are we pushing the ‘Make in India’ in an indigenous manner in the defence segment?

A: Along with the AYUSH Ministry, I also have the responsibility as the Minister of State for Defense and have been working in the ministry for the last one year. We have been working to increase the capabilities of all the three units of the defence. We want to export a similar number of weapons that are imported to India. We are looking at decreasing the number of weapons that are imported and export those weapons that we can manufacture. We are also trying to develop things indigenously under ‘Make in India’ and the government is trying to do so and have announced plans for the creation of defence corridors in two states like Uttar Pradesh and every arrangement will be made in these corridors. These facilities will be used by our industries in developing the indigenous weapon. The second corridor will be created somewhere in Madhya Pradesh or some southern state of India. Even our Prime Minister has emphasized on indigenous creation of weapons under Make in India, which will be used for export purposes also. After all, we have good scientists, who are doing their work properly. Even our 11 PSUs are also working on products/ formula and they will be developed indigenously. Apart from this, the private industry will be boosted by the help being offered by the government. I can happily inform you that a representative from Goa in also involved in this corridor it runs an industry in Goa who also supplies indigenous products to the Indian defence sector. I believe that we will move ahead with our plan of developing indigenous products and the defence ministry will support it. 

कब तक आएगी कोरोना की दवाई और कोरोना का आयुर्वेद में क्या है इलाज? जानने के लिए देखिए आयुष और रक्षा राज्य मंत्री (MoS) श्रीपद नाइक के साथ स्वाति खंडेलवाल का #Exclusive इंटरव्यू#ZBizExclusive @SwatiKJain @shripadynaik @DefenceMinIndia @YogaNews #COVID19 https://t.co/WngFoX8l7j

— Zee Business (@ZeeBusiness) June 8, 2020

Q: The world understands the importance of Ayurveda and Yoga and India has an opportunity to leverage it as it is a part of Indian tradition and tap it at the global level. How India can reap its benefit in the world?

A: Everyone knows that June 21 is an International Day of Yoga. Our Prime Minister brought a resolution on Yoga in 2015, which was supported by 177 countries and the remaining countries are also involved in the International Day for Yoga. The world has turned quite aware about Yoga, Interestingly, the work done by Yoga Ashrams and other institutions has helped in taking ahead/ promoting Yoga to the next level. 

As far as Ayurveda is concerned then our representative is sitting at the World Health Organization at present and is involved in promoting Yoga, Ayurveda and Homeopathy over there. Besides, we have signed a memorandum of understanding with 12 countries and they want to start works related to Ayurveda, Yoga and Homeopathy there. So, a nation-to-nation agreement has been signed. In addition to this, our professors visit international universities in 10 countries to teach Ayurveda, Yoga and Homeopathy. Besides, we have also started 58 information centres in 29 countries and are trying to expand it in every country across the world by guiding them and providing help in the context of availability of professor, instructors, Yoga classes and Ayurvedic medicines. So, we have got a global opportunity to move with Ayurveda, Yoga and other mechanisms and we will try our best to reap on its benefit. At the same time, the Prime Minister is guiding us and helping us to excel on this frontier. I believe that we will be able to provide our soft power to the world in future.