AI, Blockchain, and Digital Traceability Set to Transform India’s Medicinal Plant Supply Chain, Say Ayush Experts at IIT Delhi Seminar

The seminar delivered clear, implementation-ready outcomes aligned with the objectives of NMPB and the Ministry of Ayush.

In a decisive push to modernise India’s medicinal plant ecosystem, experts from Ministry of Ayush institutions, including the National Medicinal Plant Board (NMPB), have called for the large-scale deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain, and digital quality-assessment technologies to monitor, verify, and document medicinal plants from the farm gate to global markets.

The call was made during a two-day National Seminar on “Design and Development of Tools for Quality Assessment of Medicinal Plants at Farm Gates”, held at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, bringing national attention to one of the most critical gaps in the Ayush value chain—assured quality, traceability, and standardisation of raw materials at the point of origin.

The high-level forum brought together policymakers, scientists, technologists, industry leaders, farmers’ representatives, and global health experts, positioning farm-gate quality systems as the foundation for the sustainable growth, export readiness, and global credibility of India’s medicinal plant and Ayush sector.

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). They outlined a clear national vision focused on quality-driven growth, emphasising the integration of cutting-edge technology, regulatory frameworks, and validated traditional knowledge systems to build international trust in Indian medicinal plant raw materials.

Day One featured in-depth technical sessions examining the entire medicinal plant value chain—from sustainable cultivation and regenerative agriculture to AI-enabled quality diagnostics, digital phenotyping, and supply-chain integration. Experts from ICAR–Directorate of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research (DMAPR), IIT Delhi, the World Health Organization (WHO), Ministry of Ayush, Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Himalaya Wellness, and Herbalscape Crops shared evidence-based research and field-level implementation insights.

Discussions highlighted that India is both technically and institutionally ready to adopt AI-based diagnostics and integrated digital quality frameworks, reinforcing the credibility and competitiveness of Indian medicinal plant raw materials in domestic and international markets.

Day Two focused on actionable roadmap development through structured expert brainstorming sessions on the integration of AI in the medicinal plant industry and the use of blockchain technology for supply-chain transparency and traceability. Participants reached a strong consensus that digital farm-gate tools—including portable quality-testing devices, AI-driven decision-support systems, and blockchain-enabled traceability platforms—are no longer optional but essential infrastructure for ensuring authenticity, safety, and export compliance.

The seminar delivered clear, implementation-ready 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, scalable solutions rather than fragmented interventions.

Participants unanimously stressed that quality must be built at the point of origin, directly supporting NMPB’s mandate to empower farmers, collectors, and primary producers. The deliberations validated the role of AI and digital tools in reducing adulteration, variability, farmer losses, and supply-chain inefficiencies, while establishing blockchain-enabled end-to-end traceability as critical for exports and pharmacopoeial compliance.

A distinctive highlight was the integration of traditional knowledge systems such as Vriksha Ayurveda with modern quality-control frameworks, demonstrating how India’s heritage can be scientifically validated, digitised, and globally positioned. Strong emphasis was placed on capacity building, exposing participants to advanced tools, emerging standards, and evolving policy directions.

The seminar laid a robust foundation for a national framework for AI-enabled, traceable, and standardised medicinal plant supply chains, directly supporting the priorities of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India, while reinforcing India’s leadership in the global Ayush and herbal medicines market.

Call to Action for Innovators, Startups, and Agritech Players:

The Ministry of Ayush and NMPB are encouraging AI startups, agritech innovators, hardware developers, blockchain solution providers, and research institutions to partner in pilot projects, technology deployment, and farmer-level capacity building. Early adopters have the opportunity to shape India’s next-generation medicinal plant infrastructure—unlocking export readiness, regulatory confidence, and global market access from the farm gate onward.