**Executive Summary**
The document reports on a two-day National Seminar, "Design and Development of Tools for Quality Assessment of Medicinal Plants at Farm Gates," held on January 8-9, 2026, at IIT Delhi. The seminar focused on strengthening India's medicinal plant sector through AI and other technologies to assure quality, traceability, and standardization. A key outcome was the consensus on the need for digital tools at the farm gate for authenticity, safety, and global competitiveness.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Seminar Overview:**
* Convened policymakers, scientists, technologists, industry leaders, and researchers.
* Aimed to strengthen farm-gate quality systems for sustainable growth and global competitiveness.
* **Technical Discussions:**
* Covered the medicinal plant value chain, from cultivation to AI-enabled quality assessment and supply-chain integration.
* Emphasized the integration of traditional knowledge systems (Vriksha Ayurveda) with modern quality-control frameworks.
* **AI and Digital Tools:**
* Focused on AI and blockchain technology for supply-chain transparency.
* Stressed the importance of digital tools (portable testing devices, AI-enabled systems, blockchain) for ensuring authenticity and safety.
* Validated the deployment of AI and digital tools to reduce adulteration, variability, and farmer losses.
* **Outcomes and Objectives:**
* Aligned with the objectives of NMPB and the Ministry of Ayush.
* Addressed the need for national-level convergence among various institutions and stakeholders.
* Supported the national priorities of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India.
* **Key Takeaways:**
* Quality must be built at the point of origin.
* Emphasis on capacity building and access to advanced tools and standards.
* Need for continued support for pilot projects, technology deployment, and farmer-level capacity building.
**Impact Analysis**
**National Medicinal Plant Board (NMPB) and Ministry of Ayush**
* **Impact:** The seminar's outcomes align with their objectives to empower primary producers, ensure quality, and promote the Ayush sector globally.
* **Action Required:** Continue to support pilot projects, technology deployment, and farmer-level capacity building.
**Primary Producers and Collectors**
* **Impact:** The seminar's focus on AI and digital tools aims to reduce adulteration, variability, and farmer losses.
* **Action Required:** Adopt AI and digital tools to improve the quality and traceability of medicinal plants.
**Industry Stakeholders, Scientific Bodies, and Global Health Organizations**
* **Impact:** The seminar facilitated national-level convergence and integrated solutions for the medicinal plant sector.
* **Action Required:** Collaborate on the development and implementation of AI-enabled quality assessment and traceability systems.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Ayush: Indian government ministry responsible for developing and promoting traditional medicine systems.
National Medicinal Plant Board (NMPB): Part of the Ministry of Ayush, it focuses on the development of the medicinal plants sector.
IIT Delhi: Location of the National Seminar on Advancing Farm-Gate Quality Assessment of Medicinal Plants.
Design and Development of Tools for Quality Assessment of Medicinal Plants at Farm Gates: The subject of the National Seminar, focusing on AI-enabled farm-gate quality and traceability.
Farm-Gate Quality Systems: The seminar focuses on strengthening farm-gate quality systems.
AYUSH
Experts Call for AI-Enabled Farm-Gate Quality
and Traceability to Strengthen India’s Medicinal
Plant Supply Chain
IIT Delhi hosts National Seminar on Advancing Farm-Gate
Quality Assessment of Medicinal Plants
Charts Digital Roadmap for Global Competitiveness of Ayush
Raw Materials
प्रव तथ: 12 JAN 2026 12:54PM by PIB Delhi
Experts across the Ministry of Ayush institutions including National Medicinal Plant Board (NMPB) has
called for Artificial intelligence (AI) and related technologies to monitor, verify, and document the quality
and journey of medicinal plants right from the farm (the "farm-gate") through the entire supply chain, in a
two-day National Seminar on “Design and Development of Tools for Quality Assessment of Medicinal
Plants at Farm Gates”. The seminar held on 8–9 January 2026 at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
Delhi, brought national focus to India’s medicinal plant sector—assured quality, traceability, and
standardisation of raw materials at the point of origin.
The seminar convened policymakers, scientists, technologists, industry leaders, and researchers to
deliberate on strengthening farm-gate quality systems as a foundation for the sustainable growth and
global competitiveness of India’s Ayush and medicinal plant ecosystem.
The seminar was inaugurated with keynote addresses by Prof. Dr. Mahesh Kumar Dadhich, Chief
Executive Officer, NMPB, and Prof. Dr. Tanuja Nesari, Director, Institute of Teaching and Research in
Ayurveda (ITRA). Their addresses set the national policy and scientific context for quality-driven growth,
emphasising the need to integrate innovation, regulation, and traditional knowledge to build global
confidence in Indian medicinal plant raw materials.
Technical sessions on Day One examined the entire medicinal plant value chain—from sustainable
cultivation and regenerative agriculture to AI-enabled quality assessment, digital traceability, and supply-
chain integration. Experts from ICAR–Directorate of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research (DMAPR),
IIT Delhi, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ministry of Ayush , Central Council for Research in
Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Himalaya Wellness, and Herbalscape Crops shared evidence-based insights
and field experiences.
The discussions highlighted that India is both technically and institutionally prepared to adopt AI-based
diagnostics, digital phenotyping, and integrated quality frameworks, reinforcing the credibility of Indian
medicinal plant raw materials in domestic as well as international markets.Day Two was dedicated to roadmap building through two structured expert brainstorming sessions on
Integration of Artificial Intelligence in the Indian Medicinal Plant Industry, and
use of Blockchain Technology for Supply-Chain Transparency and Traceability.
The sessions resulted in a strong consensus that digital tools at the farm gate—such as portable quality-
testing devices, AI-enabled decision-support systems, and blockchain-based traceability platforms—are no
longer optional but essential to ensure authenticity, safety, and global competitiveness of Indian herbal raw
materials.
The seminar delivered clear and actionable outcomes aligned with the objectives of NMPB and the
Ministry of Ayush. It enabled rare national-level convergence among policy institutions, scientific bodies,
industry stakeholders, and global health organisations, fostering integrated solutions rather than
fragmented interventions.
Participants unanimously underscored that quality must be built at the point of origin, directly supporting
NMPB’s mandate to empower primary producers and collectors. The deliberations validated the practical
deployment of AI and digital tools to reduce adulteration, variability, and farmer losses, while also
establishing the critical role of blockchain-enabled end-to-end traceability for exports and pharmacopoeial
compliance.
The seminar also highlighted the integration of traditional knowledge systems such as Vriksha Ayurveda
with modern quality-control frameworks, demonstrating how India’s heritage can be scientifically
validated and digitised to strengthen global acceptance. Strong emphasis was placed on capacity building,
with participants gaining exposure to advanced tools, standards, and evolving policy directions.
The seminar laid a robust foundation for developing a national framework for AI-enabled, traceable, and
standardised medicinal plant supply chains. The outcomes directly support the national priorities of
Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India, while reinforcing India’s leadership in the global Ayush sector.
The deliberations strongly underscored the need for continued and expanded support for pilot projects,
technology deployment, and farmer-level capacity building under NMPB-supported initiatives,
positioning farm-gate quality as a cornerstone of India’s medicinal plant economy.***
SR/GS
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