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AYUSH licensing pathway
What it is
The Ministry of AYUSH licenses ayurvedic, siddha, unani and homoeopathic products as traditional medicines, through state licensing authorities, under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act rather than food law
It permits traditional-use claims that food regulation would not allow, with different testing, formulation and labelling requirements
Impact on industries
- Permits therapeutic and traditional-use claims unavailable under food licensing, which is commercially valuable in wellness categories
- Classical formulations listed in authoritative texts face a lighter approval path than new drug development
- State-level licensing means a national manufacturer navigates multiple authorities with differing interpretations
- Regulatory arbitrage between the food and AYUSH routes invites scrutiny, and misleading-claim enforcement has tightened
- Quality and standardisation requirements are rising as the category attracts mainstream and export demand