Shri Prataprao Jadhav, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Ayush and Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, today presided over the valedictory session of the two-day Chintan Shivir–2026 in New Delhi, marking the successful conclusion of a comprehensive national-level brainstorming exercise aimed at strengthening policy, governance, and implementation frameworks in the Ayush sector.
Addressing the gathering, the Union Minister expressed satisfaction with the meaningful deliberations held during the Shivir and emphasised that the exercise has emerged as a strong reflection of the government’s collective vision, commitment, and determination to advance Ayush.
He underlined that Ayush represents not just a system of treatment but a holistic health and lifestyle approach, offering solutions to modern health challenges, particularly lifestyle-related diseases. Reiterating the importance of integrative and multidisciplinary approaches, Shri Jadhav called for deeper institutional integration of Ayush with mainstream healthcare systems, strengthening of evidence-based research, and enhanced focus on digital health platforms such as Ayush Grid and telemedicine to improve accessibility, especially in rural areas.
He also stressed the need for entrepreneurship, innovation, and capacity building to unlock the sector’s full potential and contribute meaningfully to the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. The Day-2 of the event began with an engaging session focused on policy convergence and inter-ministerial coordination for strengthening Ayush in public health.
Moderated by Dr. A. Raghu, the session witnessed the gracious presence of domain leaders and higher officials of the Union Government, including Ms Punya Salila Srivastava, Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare; Dr. Vinod Paul, Member, NITI, and Ms Preeti Sudan, former Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
Dr. Vinod Paul outlined a national vision for integrative healthcare, emphasising seamless integration of Ayush with modern medicine to achieve Universal Health Coverage and Vision 2047 goals, with a focus on preventive and holistic care.
Ms Punya Salila Srivastava, Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, highlighted strategies for integrating Ayush into national programmes such as Ayushman Arogya Mandir, focusing on NCDs, mental health, and maternal-child health, supported by digital interoperability through ABHA ID.
Ms Preeti Sudan contributed insights on strengthening coordination and policy frameworks. The session emphasised policy integration, co-location of services, digital health adoption, research collaborations, and last-mile delivery, thereby improving accessibility, continuity, and quality of care.
Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, in his address, noted that the Chintan Shivir served as a platform for collective introspection, policy review, and the development of a future roadmap. He highlighted that the discussions reflected a clear consensus on strengthening research, standardisation, and global credibility, while also emphasising the importance of effective communication and public outreach, particularly through digital platforms.
He stated that the outcomes of the Shivir would guide time-bound, actionable strategies to further strengthen the Ayush ecosystem. A comprehensive presentation on the proceedings and outcomes of the two-day Shivir was made by Joint Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, Alarmelmangai D, summarising key insights and actionable takeaways from all sessions.
The Shivir was inaugurated on April 16, 2026, by Shri Prataprao Jadhav, who emphasised the need to strengthen policy direction, research, innovation, and global outreach in Ayush.
Key initiatives launched during the event included :
MoU between the All India Institute of Ayurveda and the General Insurance Council to expand insurance coverage for Ayush treatments
Launch of the Ministry’s official WhatsApp Channel
Release of the benchmark rates document for Ayush insurance
Launch of toll-free number 1800-11-0008 for Ayush insurance support
The fifth session on “Entrepreneurship & Capacity Building” highlighted the role of Mission Karmayogi in transforming governance through structured learning and skill development.
R. Bala Subramaniyam and Deepa Krishnan emphasised continuous learning through digital platforms like iGOT, leadership development, and domain-specific training. The session stressed the need to build a future-ready Ayush workforce with strong leadership, communication, and administrative capabilities.
The sixth session focused on strengthening media outreach and branding strategies to enhance public engagement. Experts, including Yashwant Deshmukh, Rahul Dewan, and Prabal Pratap Singh, emphasised data-driven communication, storytelling, and digital engagement to position Ayush as an evidence-based mainstream healthcare system.
The session highlighted the need to leverage social media, influencers, and multi-channel campaigns to improve visibility, trust, and adoption at the grassroots level. The two-day Chintan Shivir–2026 successfully brought together policymakers, experts, and stakeholders to deliberate on critical aspects, including education, research, service delivery, legal preparedness, digitalisation, entrepreneurship, and communication.
The Shivir concluded with a shared resolve to adopt a collaborative, evidence-based, and action-oriented approach to strengthen the Ayush sector and enhance its role in achieving the vision of a healthy and developed India by 2047.