India has once again showcased its global leadership in traditional medicine by playing a central role at the 16th Annual Meeting of the World Health Organization – International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines (WHO–IRCH), held in Jakarta, Indonesia, from 14 to 16 October 2025. The meeting convened international experts and regulators to promote harmonised standards and collaboration in the field of herbal medicine.
India’s Delegation and Key Contributions
The Indian delegation, led by Dr. Raghu Arackal, Advisor (Ayurveda) and Deputy Director General (I/c), Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, made significant technical contributions throughout the event.
Dr. Arackal presented the Workshop Report on “Efficacy and Intended Use of Herbal Medicines (Working Group-3)”, highlighting India’s evolving evidence-based regulatory policies, robust Ayurveda framework, and commitment to transparency in traditional medicine regulation.
Another major contribution came from Dr. Raman Mohan Singh, Director, Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy (PCIM&H), who delivered the Workshop Report on “Safety and Regulation of Herbal Medicines (Working Group-1)”. Dr. Singh also presented a separate talk titled “Safety and Regulation of Herbal Medicines – Indian Perspective”, outlining India’s regulatory advancements ensuring safe and effective herbal practices.
Workshops Hosted by India: Preparing Global Dialogue
Both technical workshops—jointly organised by the World Health Organization and hosted by the Ministry of Ayush with support from PCIM&H—were conducted in Ghaziabad, India, from 6 to 8 August 2025.
These sessions served as crucial preparatory platforms for the WHO–IRCH annual meeting, fostering alignment among international regulators on safety, efficacy, and rational use of herbal medicine.
Focus on Quality Control and Sustainability
Dr. Mahesh Dadhich, CEO of the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), co-presented with Dr. Singh on “Quality Control, Standardization and Sustainability of Herbal Medicines”. Dr. Dadhich emphasised the importance of sustainable sourcing of medicinal plants, global quality assurance, and adopting standardisation mechanisms that preserve plant biodiversity while supporting healthcare innovation.
Advancing Global Standards Through Collaboration
India’s active participation reflected its pivotal role in shaping international benchmarks for the quality, safety, and efficacy of these medicines. Through collaboration under the WHO–IRCH framework, India continues to push for science-based, harmonised regulatory systems that integrate traditional practices with modern research.
The discussions reinforced India’s growing influence in promoting the global acceptance of Ayurveda and other Indian systems of medicine through strong institutional cooperation and meticulous standards implementation.
Conclusion: Global leadership
The 16th WHO–IRCH Annual Meeting demonstrates how India’s leadership is guiding global discourse on herbal medicine regulation. By combining traditional wisdom with modern science, India is strengthening the foundations of international collaboration in natural product-based healthcare, ensuring safer, standardised, and sustainable herbal medicine practices worldwide.
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Source: PIB
