Its boom time for the Indian Ayurvedic drug industry!

Frustrated by short term remedies and side effects of chemical drugs, more and more people are turning to alternative medicinal systems like Ayurveda for cures. This has fuelled a resurgence of interest in traditional medicine.

Yet, not everybody knows what ayurveda is all about. More importantly, there is a need to interpret traditional knowledge of Ayurveda in the language of modern science, which is what most of us are comfortable with.

In other words, Ayurveda needs a makeover! Even in its country of birth, it continues to be surrounded by a sense of mysticism.

If ayurveda is to make a meaningful contribution to healthcare, it is important to back this knowledge with scientific, empirical and modern research.

This is just what Himalaya set about doing with its Infoline campaign. As strong believers in scientifically backed herbal healthcare, Himalaya initiated a nationwide educational campaign, aimed at raising the bar for Ayurvedic students. The awareness-building program involves free distribution of Himalaya published Infoline , a magazine containing information on developments in ayurveda, to over 230 Ayurvedic colleges across India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The focus of this educational drive is to mainstream ayurveda by bringing it into the fold of modern science.

Started in 2001, the program has been a roaring success with students, who are learning more about Ayurveda in action through this information-loaded magazine.

With this campaign we want to instill a sense of scientific research into ayurveda by encouraging students to relate traditional knowledge to modern science. Students who recognize the science behind Ayurveda can contribute towards developing this medicinal form in the future.

Another aspect of this program involves an Infoline quiz contest, which aims at widening the scope of student involvement in the initiative by giving it an interactive feel. Winners of the quiz competition are given educational CDs on ayurvedic science to help them understand the subject inside out!

Infoline is also distributed to pharmacists and other Himalaya franchisees in Malaysia and Singapore to give them in-depth information on recent ayurvedic trends, snippets of latest news within the industry and information on different ayurvedic herbs and their medicinal properties. Through this initiative we want our employees and distributors to understand ayurveda from a practical and scientific perspective rather than a rigid textbook angle. This also helps when talking to customers, who are interested in knowing the benefits of each herbal ingredient in the product.

Himalaya has also instituted the Jivika and Ayurvishrada awards, to recognize and reward academic excellence in 82 prominent Ayurvedic colleges across India. The awards are granted to the first and second rank holders respectively, in each of these colleges.

For Himalaya this is a great opportunity to interact with young curious minds, brimming with fantastic ideas, and acquire some refreshing insights into this traditional science. As for the students, their initiation into world of modern and scientifically researched ayurveda is a top scorer on the 'must do' charts!