The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the national standardization body of India, charged with the development of standardization, marking and quality certification activities, has taken an important step in a new push for standardization in the field of Ayush. BIS has notified 31 Indian standards related to Ayush, which includes 30 herbs and 1 product (stainless steel neti pot). These standards were recently published via gazette notification. BIS has also created an additional department to allow for a dedicated focus on Ayush at BIS.
The Ministry of Ayush appreciates this step and believes that this effort by BRI to develop standards and accreditation/certification of Ayush will increase international trade by ensuring the quality of products and services, provide confidence to producers and bring benefits to consumers in terms of reducing costs, improving performance and improving safety.
Recently, BIS has added another pillar to its strong standardization structure in India by establishing an additional department with a dedicated focus on Ayush at BIS. It is believed that the move will not only boost the standardization process but also help the Ministry of Ayush’s goals to ensure the quality of Ayush products and services at all levels.
BIS has also taken the lead in formulating international standards in collaboration with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). On the advice of the BIS, a working group (WG–10) on ‘Traditional medicine’ was created in ISO/TC-215 ‘Health Informatics’.
With globalization and the increasing use of traditional systems of medicine, the need for national and international standards for Ayush systems has become imperative. The Ministry of Ayush has continuously worked to create a vibrant quality ecosystem to facilitate trade and ensure the availability of quality products and services to consumers both domestically and globally.