Scientific scrutiny meets ancient wisdom: How traditional Indian medicine is finding its place

Traditional systems of medicine in India today sit in a complicated space between reverence and scepticism. For centuries, practices such as ayurveda, unani, siddha and sowa rigpa have formed an integral part of health care across the subcontinent, and continue to attract a loyal following. Yet concerns persist over the lack of scientific research, weak regulation and the proliferation of unqualified practitioners.

At the same time, the BJP-led Union government has significantly expanded its support for alternative medicine. Soon after coming to power in 2014, it created a separate ministry of Ayush (ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha and homeopathy).

“We have established about 12,000 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs in rural areas,” Prataprao Jadhav, Union minister of state (independent charge) for Ayush, tells THE WEEK. “We are opening Ayush departments in AIIMS.” The push also included a controversial 2020 decision allowing ayurveda practitioners to perform surgeries.

Supporters argue that surgical traditions in ayurveda date back to the ancient physician Sushruta. Such claims sit uneasy alongside reports that raise questions about safety. Last year, a five-month-old in Madhya Pradesh reportedly died after consuming ayurvedic medicine, while a teenager in Kerala developed severe liver failure linked to prolonged ayurvedic treatment.

The debate becomes sharper when viewed through the lens of inequality in access to quality treatment. While wealthier patients often access these through reputed institutions and trained practitioners, alternative systems frequently fill gaps in public health care, especially in rural areas. In such settings, poorer patients face a greater risk of unqualified healers and questionable treatments.

As alternative medicine expands its role in India, the key questions are how these systems should be regulated, how they can be integrated into the public health care system, and how trust in them can be strengthened.

Holistic health

A central idea running across the alternative medicine systems is the emphasis on personalised treatment and holistic wellbeing. Practitioners say their approach focuses on addressing the root cause of illness rather than merely alleviating symptoms.

In the unani system, diagnosis often centres around assessing a patient’s temperament, or mizaj, and examining the pulse. “We focus a lot on health-promotive procedures and treat the patient as a whole,” says Prof Saiyad Shah Alam, director of the National Institute of Unani Medicine, Bengaluru. Pulse-reading remains one of the system’s distinctive features, adds Abdul Majeed, chairman of Hamdard Laboratories.

Treatment methods vary across systems. While ayurveda, unani and siddha include limited surgical procedures, many therapies rely on herbal medicines, dietary regulation and lifestyle interventions. Naturopathy, for example, emphasises natural therapies such as mud therapy, hydrotherapy, steam therapy, acupuncture and acupressure, alongside dietary changes. “Food itself is a key form of medicine,” says Dr D. Satyanath of the National Institute of Naturopathy, Pune.

Mental health has also emerged as an area of focus. Ayurveda approaches psychological wellbeing through practices aimed at restoring mind-body balance, including yoga, meditation and therapies such as Sattvavajaya Chikitsa and Panchakarma, says Prof Pradeep Kumar Prajapati, director of the All India Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi.

Many practitioners argue that the use of natural ingredients minimises side effects. Yet questions remain about safety and scientific evidence. Studies have detected heavy metals and steroids in some herbal formulations. “It is a serious issue,” agrees Jadhav.

Even practitioners acknowledge that wider acceptance will depend on stronger evidence. Challenges remain, including the need for large-scale clinical trials and stronger regulatory harmonisation, says Prof G. Senthilvel, director of the National Institute of Siddha in Chennai.

Research & regulation

Even as alternative medicine systems continue to face scepticism, often dismissed by critics as pre-scientific, or even pseudoscience, practitioners say efforts to build scientific evidence are expanding.

Senthilvel says clinical outcomes in siddha are supported not only by centuries of experiential practice but also by a growing number of validation studies by institutes and universities under the ministry of Ayush.

Research infrastructure has expanded in other systems. In unani, institutions such as the Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine and the National Institute of Unani Medicine in Bengaluru conduct clinical studies on conditions ranging from arthritis and asthma to metabolic and lifestyle disorders, says Alam.

Jadhav, too, argues that the scale of research has increased in recent years. He says that while clinical trials were “were very rare” a few years ago, that is now changing. “Under the guidance of Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences, we conduct trials on any new discovery or research made by any company. We have implemented Ayush Research Management Information System. We have thousands of peer-reviewed papers now,” he says.

Some practitioners acknowledge that traditional knowledge alone is no longer sufficient for wider acceptance. “We cannot say that since sowa rigpa is a traditional knowledge system, it should automatically be respected. It has to meet scientific parameters as well,” says Dr Padma Gurmet, director of the National Institute of Sowa Rigpa in Leh, adding that collaborations are underway with institutions such as the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research.

However, gaps remain. One of the most frequently cited issues is the lack of uniform treatment protocols across some systems.

“Homeopathy does not yet have a standard recognised protocol for treatment for every disease. We are developing that right now,” says Dr Pralay Sharma, director of the National Institute of Homeopathy, Kolkata.

Regulation of medicines presents another challenge. Concerns around quality, adulteration and inconsistent manufacturing standards continue to surface. Here, Jadhav points out that steps are being undertaken to ensure safety and closer monitoring of manufacturers.

The issue of steroids in herbal medicines has continued to draw scrutiny. On this, the minister says a centralised online portal has been created for consumers to report complaints.

While quality control remains a challenge, experts also point to the easy availability of many such medicines over the counter and through online platforms. “The problem isn’t regulation itself, but our failure to follow it,” says Majeed.

Another concern is the prevalence of unqualified or self-styled practitioners who continue to pose risks to public health. “It is a serious concern,” says Prajapati. Stronger regulation and stricter enforcement of existing laws are necessary to curb such practices, he says, adding that public awareness about choosing licensed practitioners is equally important.

Social media has further complicated the problem, becoming a space where unverified claims and misinformation about alternative medicines spread rapidly. “People should rely on recognised institutions, government platforms, peer-reviewed journals and consultations with qualified practitioners,” says Prajapati. “Institutions must also actively engage on social media to counter misinformation with accurate, evidence-based content. Silence from credible voices allows misinformation to grow.”

For many practitioners, stronger scientific validation is also key to the global acceptance of alternative medicine systems. “That’s the only way these systems will be accepted outside India,” says Majeed. “To reach younger generations as well, we need to present them as modern systems of medicine.”

Budgetary push

Meanwhile, the Union government continues to put its weight behind the Ayush systems.

In the latest Union Budget, the ministry’s allocation rose by nearly 20 per cent, from Rs3,671.82 crore in revised estimates for FY 2025–2026 to Rs4,408.93 crore for FY 2026–27. Funding for the National Ayush Mission saw an even sharper increase, rising by more than 66 per cent from Rs780.96 crore to Rs1,300 crore.

The government has also announced the establishment of three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda, aimed at strengthening research and training, along with upgrades to Ayush pharmacies and drug-testing laboratories. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman further announced plans to upgrade the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre to expand evidence-based research, training and awareness on traditional medicine systems.

The way forward is integrated

While widely understood as ‘alternative’ systems of medicine, experts say practitioners know where to draw the line: these systems may offer preventive and palliative care and improve overall quality of life, but serious cases are referred to allopathic doctors.

“Homeopathy cannot replace treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy for cancer,” says Sharma. “It is used as a palliative approach that improves quality of life and helps reduce treatment-related side effects such as nausea.”

Hence, experts believe that an integrated approach is the way forward.

“While ayurveda is a complete and independent system of medicine on its own, it can complement allopathic medicine, especially when it comes to chronic diseases, lifestyle disorders, noncommunicable diseases, rehabilitation and wellness,” says Prajapati. “An integrative approach, where both systems respect each other’s strengths and limitations, can lead to better patient outcomes.”

Majeed believes the systems work best when seen as complementary rather than competing. “In acute situations, the patient must be admitted to hospital,” he says. “But after treatment, the rejuvenation phase can be supported by systems like unani and ayurveda.”

The government, too, is increasingly pushing for such integration. “Our vision in not alternative but integrative,” says Jadhav.

Some states have moved faster than others. In Kerala and Tamil Nadu, where Ayush systems were integrated into primary health care earlier, the minister says results have been encouraging in the management of noncommunicable diseases.

In Ladakh, Gurmet points out, around 80 sowa rigpa practitioners have been placed at different primary health centres. “The same has since been adopted in states such as Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, though the numbers are lower due to a shortage of graduates,” he says.

According to the World Health Organization, around 40 per cent of pharmaceutical products today are derived from natural sources and traditional knowledge systems. This includes widely used drugs such as aspirin. Some traditional practices such as exposing babies with jaundice to sunlight, too, have since been supported by scientific research. These instances showcase benefits of an integrated approach.

“We have no competition with allopathy, and allopathy has no competition with us,” says the Union Ayush minister. “We are working together.”