Mumbai, April 7 -- At the 6th BIMSTEC Summit held in Bangkok, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi announced a landmark initiative to establish a Centre of Excellence for Traditional Medicine, aimed at enhancing research and knowledge exchange in traditional healing systems across the region.
"Public health is a vital pillar of our collective social development," said Prime Minister Modi. "I am pleased to announce that India will extend support for training and capacity building in cancer care across BIMSTEC countries. In line with our holistic approach to health, a Centre of Excellence will also be established to promote research and dissemination of traditional medicine."
The initiative reflects the shared commitment of India and Thailand-both of which boast rich traditions in alternative medicine-to collaborate on public health and academic exchange. It also builds upon the existing partnership formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed last year between the National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur, and the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, during the 10th India-Thailand Joint Commission Meeting.
To support academic and research collaboration, the Ministry of Ayush, in partnership with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), offers scholarships under the Ayush Scholarship Scheme. These cover undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD programmes in Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy. Over the past five years, 175 students from BIMSTEC countries have benefitted from these scholarships.
India's announcement is poised to give a significant boost to regional cooperation in healthcare, particularly in traditional medicine systems that are deeply rooted in BIMSTEC cultures. The new Centre is expected to serve as a hub for knowledge creation, capacity-building, and R&D, further strengthening ties between India, Thailand, and the wider BIMSTEC community.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.