INDIAN HERBAL INDUSTRY AT CROSS ROADS
This scenario should cause disappointment to the Indian herbal enthusiasts, who have hailed the herbal drugs for its potential to enter the international market in a big way. While it is reported that the health ministry of Government of India has sought more details from Canada, the Indian herbal industry should meet the challenge on scientific lines without reacting in an emotional manner, as if the move by a few developed western countries would amount to challenge the Indian traditional knowledge and practices.
In several seminars and symposiums in recent times in India , many ministers, bureaucrats and herbal enthusiasts have spoken about the Indian herbs becoming a money spinner in the global market. The recent developments in Canada and UK could indicate that such expectations are far fetched in the immediate future.
Greater focus on research and development to offer scientific explanation in tune with the times for the traditional medicinal practices in India based on herbs, development of testing and certification procedures and taking up clinical trials in a big way are vitally important, if ayurvedic/herbal drugs should become internationally acceptable.
The herbal industry consist of several players like agriculturists, technologists to set up and operate extraction plants, formulators for formulating the herbal extracts into drugs, certification agencies , clinical trial organizations, medical practitioners, research and development agencies, market research and promotion organizations etc. All such players have to optimally put their heads together and coordinate their efforts to overcome the challenge.
Unfortunately, the herbal industry in India still largely remains as a traditional knowledge area and has not yet been refined to meet the expectations of the discerning consumers of the modern era. While packaging technology have improved and organic farming are being talked about and implemented to a little extent, these measures by itself are not adequate to catch the market to the level of the potentials.
While developed countries like Canada and United Kingdom have decided to subject the Indian herbal drugs to strict scrutiny, the truth is that such herbal drugs are still not widely accepted even in India itself. The main problem is the lack of confidence of the modern medical professionals themselves as well as the consumers in the traditional ayurvedic drugs , in view of the manner in which they are prepared , recommended and administered today.
The claims of the efficacy of the drugs are based almost entirely on the traditional experience of the country and not based on scientific evaluation to the extent required . Apart from such establishment of efficacy in a convincing way, it is necessary to improve the agricultural and technical production technology and shop floor operating conditions.
The fact is that every herb contains large level of chemical elements and only a few of such elements have medicinal applications. The other elements in the herb may have no action or even negative action, which have not been adequately evaluated.
Further, depending upon the soil conditions, climatic conditions, application of agri inputs and cultivation practices, the chemical content of the herbs can vary from one area of cultivation to another area. Agricultural management practices for herbal cultivation are yet to be evolved to the level of perfection to ensure uniformity in the chemical content of the herbs grown in all regions. In the case of agri products like rice or wheat , marginal variation in starch content or other ingredients from one place of cultivation to the other would not be noticed by the consumer. But, in the case of herbal drugs , such level of chemical constituent in the herbs grown is a matter of utmost importance. Further, the analysis of the herbs to identify all the chemical constituents (which sometime exceed one hundred ) is virtually impossible on regular basis, in view of the time and cost factors involved.
Such issues have to be addressed earnestly by the Indian herbal scientists and technologists. The action of the governments of Canada and UK should be considered as a well timed and well intentioned caution by the Indian herbal industry and it should react in a positive and dynamic manner to the situation.
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News and Views 
September 2005
