Deeper research into Ayurveda needed to expand its scope and popularity: Vikas Chawla, Founder & Director, Vedas Cure

Covid-19 pandemic has made everyone realise the importance of immunity and wellness, and the importance of alternative medicinal practices like Ayurveda in it. Ayurveda has been recognised as one of the ancient streams of medical science which uses the goodness of rare natural herbs found in regions as unapproachable as deep areas of the Himalayas. Ancient medical practitioners discovered properties of these herbs after years of research and trials and either listed them some ancient books or passed on verbally as local tradtional. In a free-flowing discussion with the Financial Express Online Vikas Chawla, Founder & Director, Vedas Cure talked about the current status of Ayurveda in India, how it can help improve India;s healthcare and the fuure of it in the post-pandemic world. Excerpt:

Ayurveda originated in India and has been trusted for decades, what is the current industry scenario and acceptance for Ayurveda?

People are becoming more aware of the benefits of Ayurveda and its role in improving immunity, and the current pandemic situation provides an ideal opportunity for conventional medicine to gain even more popularity worldwide. While inaugurating the fourth edition of the Global Ayurveda Festival 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi acknowledged that “Ayurveda could rightly be described as a holistic human science.”

Herbs/plants have been used as a remedy for treating diseases since the beginning of time. Furthermore, many conventional/pharmaceutical medicines are extracted directly from nature, and traditional remedies are found worldwide. Young people are now using a wide variety of Ayurvedic goods, and there is an increasing knowledge of the advantages of integrating Ayurveda with evidence-based medicine. The Indian government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has pledged its full support to the world of Ayurveda.

Since the Ayurveda market in India is estimated to be worth $ 2 billion and rising at double digits, businesses/startups should pay attention to Ayurveda products and contribute to the larger aim of providing Indian households with side-effects free solution to various diseases/ailments.

Ayurveda is chosen as a natural remedy for treating various ailments. Herbs such as Ashwagandha and Shilajit are in great demand. In the last year, the sales graph of these herbs has gone up manifold. People are taking it as a supplement because these do not require a prescription from doctors. There are lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and piles that can be controlled by Ayurveda. We have examples that people using ayurvedic herbs got very good results. We suggest yoga and customized diet plans based on actual medicine for better recovery from lifestyle ailments. Ayurveda system emphasizes the immune system and improves the vitality of the person. People only go for allopathic in emergency cases, and for general ailments, they prefer ayurvedic treatment.

PM Modi recently inaugurated the Global Ayurveda Festival and shared that the current situation is the best time for Ayurveda to be popular globally. How do you see the potential in going global and how is Govt support towards it?

The Indian government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has pledged its full support to the world of Ayurveda. The National AYUSH Mission was established in India to promote AYUSH medical systems through affordable AYUSH services. Herbs are making a comeback, and there is a herbal “renaissance” taking place all over the world. According to the World Health Organization, herbs are used by 75 percent of the World’s population for basic healthcare. Twenty-five countries participated in the Global Ayurveda Festival 2021, demonstrating an increasing interest in Ayurveda and traditional medicine.

Students from all over the world are flocking to India to research Ayurveda and herbal medicine, and now is the perfect time to consider global wellness. Deeper research into Ayurveda and conventional forms of medicine are needed to expand their scope and popularity.

How can Ayurveda play its role in improving the current situation of healthcare in India with the existing system?

Certain improvements are required, such as the availability of better infrastructure for Ayurvedic hospitals, which are not equipped with modern equipment and diagnosis systems. Ayurvedic practitioners face this problem as certain tools are required to diagnose modern diseases such as sugar levels, blood pressure machines, etc.

Ayurvedic medicines are sourced and manufactured at low cost; thus, it provides an affordable treatment. If ayurvedic herbs are administered in powder form, then they can give faster results. Ayurvedic treatment, if taken properly, can have faster results, just like Allopathy but with no side effects.

How do you see the growth of Vedas Cure as an emerging health tech brand in the coming years? What are the new things you are coming up with?

We have 200 products, and most of the products are disease based; we do not sell classical herbs as it is. Herbs and Ayurvedic proprietary medicines should be taken after consultation from the experts. Once we understand the actual health issues, we give the patient the correct form and dose of the medicine. This is why we have an entire team of healthcare experts who speak with each client and provide one-on-one counseling to ensure better results.

We have developed a unique herbal formulation consisting of 33 herbs for hemorrhoids. We are coming up with new products for neurological problems such as migraine, depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. Apart from Ayurvedic herbs, we are planning to launch essential oils for skin and mental well-being. For example, jojoba oil and Kumkumadi oil are good for the skin; Lavender oil is good for mental health and insomnia and Tagar is also very effective to have a sound sleep. We are coming with a new product called Fat Care, which will be launched next month. We will also launch ayurvedic treatment for psoriasis, vitiligo, etc.

We believe that 80 percent of diseases are because of mental stress – diabetes, hypertension, obesity, constipation, piles, etc. If stress is taken care of, most of the diseases can be treated with a proper diet plan and yoga. We are coming up with a concept called sound healing, where we create sound vibrations through singing bowls; these vibrations take a person into deep sleep and relaxation mode.

How are you planning your marketing strategies to make Vedas Cure a household brand providing Herbal products, Medication, and Online Consultation?

We are a customer-oriented company. We follow the customer-oriented marketing strategy and have a dedicated team that functions according to the valuable feedback received from our customers. Our CRM has data of more than 6 lakh people who are using our product and we aim to satisfy all the customers in our database so that they return to us and refer our products and services to others as well. If the customer is not satisfied with our product, we take back the product and send them a new, customized product. Our focus is to provide the best possible service, so we have a service strategy and get a referral from people who got our products.