Ludhiana, December 13
Understanding the need of the hour to nurse ayurvedic drugs manufacturing industry and to help it grow to a strong sunrise segment, the national body of the Ayurvedic Drug Manufacturers' Association (ADMA), with the support of union government's Department of AYUSH, is organising a one-day national workshop for Ayurvedic Drug Manufacturers of North India here on December 16, 2006.

Stating this, ADMA's Regional Secretary (North) Dr Rajesh Thapar said the workshop would concentrate on understanding and implementing new notifications of various amendments pertaining to heavy metal controls, shelf-life, labeling systems and centralised registration of approved drugs, besides giving presentations for implementing qualitative standards.

A number of dignitaries and officials from departments concerned of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal and Uttranchal will attend this workshop, along with officials from the Department of AYUSH, New Delhi, including Mr Shiv Basant, Joint Secretary.

Dr Thapar claimed that in this first of its kind workshop, which is specially being organised for small and cottage level Ayurvedic industry, the Deputy Advisor (Ayurveda) of AYUSH, Dr Dinesh Katoch, will highlight the new amendments made in the ayurvedic drug manufacturing laws.

The ayurvedic drug manufacturers of the region would get a rare opportunity to interact with doyens of the industry which include Dr Lohar, Director, Pharmaceutical Laboratory of Indian Medicine, Dr K.R Kohli, Director, Dabur Research Foundation, Dr Pramod Sharma from Baidyanath, Mr Ranjit Puranik from Shree Dhootpapeshwar, Dr N.S Bhatt from Zandu Pharmaceuticals, Dr Rajinder Dobriya from Unilever and Mr Nimish Shroff from Charak Pharmaceuticals, who will give presentations on qualitative approach of Ayurvedic Drugs.

According to Dr Pradeep Nagrath, CEO of Pentavox Herbals, who is also the ADMA's past vice-president, the highlight of this workshop shall be an 'Open Session' in which the manufacturers will have a face-to-face discussion with the officials of AYUSH and ayurveda departments of various states to share views, difficulties and impact of the new notifications on the small and cottage level ayurvedic industry.