The Impressive TimesNew Delhi – The Ministry of Ayush is set to convene a two-day departmental summit on the theme “National Ayush Mission and Capacity Building in States” on September 3 and 4, 2025, at the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), Sarita Vihar, New Delhi. The deliberations will be presided over by Shri Prataprao Jadhav, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Ayush, who also serves as Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare.
The summit will serve as a platform for reviewing feedback received from States and Union Territories, including grassroots-level suggestions, with the broader goal of reinforcing and expanding the National Ayush Mission (NAM). As the flagship programme of the Ministry, NAM seeks to integrate Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa, and Homeopathy into India’s healthcare system, promoting holistic and accessible treatment options for citizens.
This gathering marks the concluding chapter of a series of six thematic summits envisioned by the Prime Minister during the 4th Chief Secretaries’ Conference earlier this year. NITI Aayog had outlined the themes, identifying “National Ayush Mission and Capacity Building” as the final focus area. The Ministry of Ayush, supported by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, has been designated the nodal body for this exercise. As part of the preparatory process, States and UTs were briefed through orientation programmes and provided with a detailed concept note issued in May 2025.
To enable in-depth discussions, six thematic sub-groups have been formed, each comprising a cluster of States and UTs and coordinated by two nodal States. The areas of focus include financial management, organizational reform and capacity building, integration of Ayush with modern health services, quality assurance of Ayush facilities, standardization and procurement of medicines, and IT-enabled digital services. This structure is designed to encourage collaboration and ensure that specific challenges and opportunities faced by different regions are thoroughly addressed.
The summit will bring together senior officials such as Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Mission Directors, and Commissioners of Ayush from across India. In addition, eminent experts from the fields of Ayurveda, medical research, health policy, and digital governance have been invited to contribute their insights. Distinguished participants include Dr. V.K. Paul, Member of NITI Aayog, renowned Ayurvedic scholar J L N Shastri, former ICMR Director General Dr. V. M. Katoch, and academic leader Prof. Bhushan Patwardhan, among others.
By convening policymakers, administrators, and subject specialists under one roof, the Ministry of Ayush aims to foster stronger cooperation between the Centre and the States, sharpen implementation strategies, and promote innovations in Ayush-based healthcare delivery. The two-day deliberations are expected to reaffirm the government’s commitment to making Ayush systems a vital component of India’s healthcare framework, while also building State-level capacity to meet future demands in holistic health services.
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