India includes traditional medicine in free trade agreement with Oman
The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed on Thursday includes a special annex recognizing trade in health-related and traditional medical services. An official statement described this as a landmark ruling, noting that Oman’s commitment to traditional medicine spans all forms of supply – the first such comprehensive commitment by any country – and opens new opportunities for India’s Ayush and wellness sectors in the region.
The agreement provides cooperation in areas such as licensing and qualification procedures, conducting licensing exams digitally, facilitating medical value travel, capacity development, harmonization of standards and joint research.
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The Ministry of Ayush is trying to internationalize Indian traditional medicine systems through many initiatives. Under a central sector plan to promote international cooperation, the ministry is supporting Indian manufacturers and service providers to boost exports, facilitate global promotion and recognition of Ayush, and strengthen academic and research collaboration.
India’s total Ayush exports increased from $1.09 billion in 2014 to $1.54 billion in 2020; This underlined the sector’s growing global footprint.
With inputs from PTI
