At Gandhinagar’s Mahatma Mandir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the Global AYUSH Investment & Innovation Summit. M. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Prime Minister of Mauritius, and Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), attended. Among those in attendance were Union Ministers Mansukh Mandavia, Sarbananda Sonowal, Munjapara Mahendrabhai, and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel. Five plenary sessions, eight roundtables, six workshops, and two symposiums will take place during the three-day summit, with 90 eminent speakers and 100 exhibitors. The Summit is going to help uncover investment potential and boost innovation, research & development, start-ups, and wellness. It will bring industry leaders, academicians, and scholars together and serve as a platform for collaboration.
Tedros Ghebreyesus expressed his happiness to be in the state and country of Mahatma Gandhi, which he called the pride of the world. The launch of WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) in Jamnagar yesterday was motivated by India’s Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam philosophy. The Centre is a historic move that will change the game, he said. He informed that the Centre is designed to be an engine of innovation to drive the agenda of evidence, data and sustainability and optimization of use of traditional medicine. The DG lauded the PM and Indian government for harnessing innovation in public health.
Pravind Kumar Jugnauth praised India and Gujarat for their contribution to traditional medicine. Additionally, he talked about India’s support for health in his country. As a result of their shared ancestry with India, the Prime Minister of Mauritius highlighted the importance of Ayurveda. During the first lockdown, he told about the establishment of an Ayurvedic hospital in Mauritius and thanked India for the donation of traditional medicines. This was one of many gestures of support for which we are ever grateful to the Indian government, and especially the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi ji”, said Pravind Kumar Jugnauth.
Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the idea of the Global AYUSH Investment & Innovation Summit came to him during the time of pandemic when Ayush provided strong support for improving the immunity of the people and Ayush products saw surge of interest and demand. Recalling Indian efforts to tackle the pandemic the Prime Minister noted the promise shown by modern pharma companies and vaccine manufacturers if they get investment at the right time. “Who could have imagined that we would be able to develop corona vaccine so soon?”, he asked.