Ayurveda products and services have a fast-growing market in the West with increased awareness about their holistic solutions to various health challenges, say participants at the Arogya Expo organised as part of the four-day World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) which began here on Thursday.
"Now is the time for Ayurveda. More and more people in the West are becoming aware of the vital role of traditional healthcare systems in keeping the world healthy," says Raitis Bullits, Chief Executive Officer, Alveda, a platform that connects people across continents with leading Ayurveda practitioners in India.
"Initially many in the West were sceptical about the traditional health solutions. It was so when the yoga and meditation came to the west. Many initially thought that these were associated with a particular faith system. But these misgivings eventually gave way to acceptance. The same is true of Ayurveda as well," said Bullits, who is from Switzerland.
Noting that the Union
ministry of Ayush has been doing "an amazing job" in
popularising Ayurveda in India and abroad, Bullits said this
edition of WAC especially will put across the message effectively.
A major theme that the 9th edition of WAC and Arogya Expo is leveraging the potential of this time-tested wellness system in boosting immunity of the society as a whole by going for completely side-effect free health products, said Poonam Dabholkar, Product Manager, Shree Dhootapapeshwar Ltd, a leading Ayurveda institution.
"Apart from scholarly deliberations, this conclave will help give a fair idea about Ayurveda to common people and remove many a misconception. This is a scientific system that is entirely 'granthoktha' (text-based) and which has proved its efficacy for centuries. This message is being clearly put out by WAC," said Dabholkar.