Ministry of Ayush Signed MoU with Department of Biotechnology to Explore New Opportunities

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry of Ayush and the Department of Biotechnology of the Government of India to explore the possibility of cooperation, convergence, and synergy in bringing out expertise under one platform towards evidence-based biotechnological interventions in the Ayush sector.

Secretary of Ayush Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha and Secretary of Biotechnology Dr. Rajesh S Gokhale were in attendance, as were other officials from both ministries.

Through this collaboration, it is hoped that traditional healthcare and biotechnology will open up tremendous opportunities for innovative and ground-breaking research into various fundamental principles of Ayush systems. There is a need for multifaceted and technological approaches to exploring and applying this ancient scientific system of health care into the public health care domain.

Biotechnological research and development, as well as Ayush interventions, will improve quality of life and life span (Vayahsthaapana Rasayana) and reduce morbidity associated with chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis, cachexia, pain management, and infectious diseases such as tuberculosis.

On this occasion, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha stated that the MoU between the Ministry of Ayush and DBT is expected to pave the way for coordinated research in the Ayush sector and that the vast untapped potential of the Ayush health care system may be used for the benefit of the community.

Dr. Rajesh S Gokhale, who addressed the gathering, stated that the Inter-Ministerial Cooperation between the Ministry of Ayush and DBT is expected to generate knowledge and new means of intervention strategies for difficult-to-treat diseases.

This collaborative R&D effort, ranging from fundamental science to validation and then product development, will significantly contribute to the growth of India's contributions to this important sector, not only nationally but also internationally. Mechanistic studies of Ayurveda Therapeutics using animal models of disease and other advanced analytical methods, as well as data analytical tools, would be prioritised.