**Summary:**
A four-day regional workshop on WHO Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for Herbal Medicines, jointly organized by the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Ministry of Ayush, and the World Health Organization South-East Asia Regional Office (WHO-SEARO), concluded on August 22, 2025, in Mumbai, India. The workshop, held at the RRAP-Central Ayurveda Research Institute, aimed to strengthen global herbal drug quality standards through training and knowledge exchange. Nineteen international delegates from South-East Asian countries, including Bhutan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, participated alongside leading Indian experts.
The workshop featured eleven technical sessions led by experts from India's herbal drug and pharmaceutical sector, covering topics such as WHO-GMP guidelines, Quality Management Systems, Good Herbal Processing Practices (GHPP), Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP), and modern quality control protocols. Delegates received hands-on training through visits to Emami's WHO-GMP certified manufacturing plant and Zandu Foundation for Healthcare farms, providing practical insights into quality benchmarks and farm-to-pharma excellence.
Prof. Rabinarayan Acharya, DG, CCRAS, emphasized India's dedication to supporting the global acceptance of herbal medicines by integrating traditional knowledge with modern quality protocols. Dr. Pavan Godatwar, WHO-SEARO, acknowledged India's leadership in setting quality and safety benchmarks for herbal medicines. The workshop signifies a crucial step in enhancing regional collaboration and capacity for implementing WHO-GMP, GHPP, and GACP guidelines. The Ministry of Ayush, in collaboration with WHO, is committed to aligning India's herbal drug standards with global best practices.
Key Entities Referenced
WHO Good Manufacturing Practices GMP for Herbal Medicines: A set of quality assurance guidelines for manufacturing herbal medicines, promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences CCRAS: An autonomous body under the Ministry of Ayush, involved in research and development in Ayurvedic sciences.
Ministry of Ayush: A governmental body in India responsible for the development and promotion of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy.
World Health Organization SouthEast Asia Regional Office WHOSEARO: The South-East Asia regional office of the World Health Organization, responsible for health-related activities in the region.
Mumbai, Maharashtra: A city in India, location of the Regional Ayurveda Research Institute and the WHO SEARO Regional Workshop.
Good Herbal Processing Practices GHPP: A set of guidelines focused on ensuring quality during the processing of herbal medicines.
Good Agricultural and Collection Practices GACP: A set of guidelines focused on ensuring the quality of medicinal plants from cultivation and collection.
Prof. Rabinarayan Acharya: Director General (DG) of CCRAS, who addressed the workshop.
AYUSH
India Showcases Herbal GMP Leadership at WHO-
SEARO Regional Workshop in Mumbai
International Delegates Receive Hands-On Training
in Herbal Drug Quality Standards at CCRAS, Ministry
of Ayush Event
India Strengthens Regional Collaboration for
Harmonized WHO-GMP and Quality Practices in
Herbal Medicines
Posted On: 22 AUG 2025 6:04PM by PIB Delhi
The four-day Regional Workshop on WHO Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for Herbal Medicines,
jointly organised by the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Ministry of Ayush
and the World Health Organization – South-East Asia Regional Office (WHO-SEARO), concluded today at
RRAP-Central Ayurveda Research Institute, Mumbai.
The workshop saw participation from 19 international delegates representing South-East Asian countries
including Bhutan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, along with leading Indian experts. The event provided a
dynamic platform for training and knowledge exchange to strengthen global herbal drug quality standards.
Participants were trained through 11 technical sessions led by leading experts from India’s herbal drug and
pharmaceutical sector. Key topics included WHO-GMP guidelines, Quality Management Systems, Good
Herbal Processing Practices (GHPP), Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP), and modern
quality control protocols.
As part of the hands-on training, delegates visited Emami’s WHO-GMP-certified manufacturing plant and
Zandu Foundation for Healthcare farms, gaining practical exposure to quality benchmarks and farm-to-
pharma excellence.
Addressing the workshop, Prof. Rabinarayan Acharya, DG, CCRAS, stressed India’s commitment to
supporting the global acceptance of herbal medicines by combining traditional knowledge with modern
quality protocols. Dr. Pavan Godatwar, WHO-SEARO, highlighted India’s leading role in establishing quality
and safety benchmarks for herbal medicines.
The workshop marked a significant step towards strengthening regional collaboration and capacity for
implementing WHO-GMP, GHPP, and GACP guidelines. The Ministry of Ayush, in partnership with WHO,
continues efforts to align India’s herbal drug standards with global best practices.****
MV/GS/SG
(Release ID: 2159860)