Himalaya recently signed a MoU with the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore (UAS, B) to facilitate collaborative research on medicinal herbs and plants with a view to discovering new therapeutic drugs, building a corpus of knowledge on herbs and preserving endangered herbs and plants.
The research tie-up leverages the academic resources and research capabilities of the UAS, B and the R&D strength of Himalaya to promote better understanding of herbs, their actions and benefits and hopefully develop new therapeutic drugs that will benefit a large number of people.
Signed by Dr. S. K. Mitra, Executive Director, (R&D), The Himalaya Drug Company and Dr. P.G. Chengappa, Vice-Chancellor, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, the agreement extends for a period of 5 years from the date of signing.
Under the agreement Himalaya will take up research based projects on location specific problems and prepare joint research projects beneficial to both parties.
UAS will provide Himalaya with necessary information and research guidance to set up a repository of diversified group of plants with special reference to rare, endemic, endangered, ornamental, medicinal and economic plants. The University will also facilitate joint research projects on specific new cultivars of economic plants for commercial exploitation by tissue culture.
In addition, UAS will provide training to farmers under Himalaya’s contract farming programme, assist Himalaya in setting up a botanical garden which would serve as a centre for national and international research activities and provide technical assistance and education to Himalaya scientists as the company moves towards its process of organic certification.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. S.K. Mitra, Executive Director, (R&D) The Himalaya Drug Company said, “This is a time of great excitement for all of us at Himalaya, especially the scientific and agricultural teams. With the world moving towards all things natural, herbal healthcare is being embraced like never before. The possibility of discovering remedies through augmented botanical research that will help people live richer, fuller and healthier lives is surely something to look forward to.”
“UAS is one of the country’s most revered research institutions and as such is equipped with the necessary skills and facilities to assist Himalaya in its research. The partnership will facilitate knowledge transfer, resource sharing, training and exchange of ideas. The focus will be on taking research out of the lab and into the market, where its full potential can be realized. We believe this collaboration will help us take research on herbs and plants to new levels,” added Dr. Mitra. |
