PCIM&H and IPC Renew MoU to Advance ‘One Herb, One Standard’ Initiative
Inter-Ministerial Partnership to Strengthen Harmonised Scientific Standards for Medicinal Plants
Renewed Three-Year Framework Builds on 50 monographs Developed in First Phase
The MoU will Establish a Stronger, Coordinated Framework for Standardisation of Medicinal Plants: Prataprao Jadhav
NEW DELHI, AUGUST 12, 2026: The Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H), Ministry of Ayush, and the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the implementation of the “One Herb, One Standard” initiative today.
The MoU was exchanged by Dr. Kousthubha Upadhyaya, Director I/c, PCIM&H, and Dr. V. Kalaiselvan, Secretary-cum-Scientific Director, IPC, in the august presence of Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Ayush and Minister of State, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Shri Prataprao Ganpatrao Jadhav, and Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, at Kartavya Bhavan, New Delhi.
Addressing the gathering, Union Minister Shri Prataprao Jadhav said that India’s traditional systems of medicine—Ayurveda, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa, Unani and Homoeopathy—are an integral part of the country’s rich knowledge traditions and medicinal plant heritage. He emphasised that ensuring the quality, purity and standardisation of medicines and medicinal plants through scientifically developed standards is essential for strengthening the quality and credibility of traditional medicines.
Shri Prataprao Jadhav highlighted the significance of the “One Herb, One Standard” approach, which seeks to establish a common, clear, scientific and reliable standard for the same medicinal plant used across different systems of medicine. He said that harmonised standards would help address potential confusion among stakeholders and establish a stronger and coordinated framework for the standardisation of medicinal plants.
Shri Jadhav further said that the monographs developed under the collaboration would take into consideration Indian standards as well as international quality requirements. He noted that strengthening Indian standards in line with global benchmarks would enhance the quality and reliability of Indian medicinal plants and products and contribute to their wider international acceptance. He also highlighted that common and clear quality standards would contribute to Ease of Doing Business by making processes more streamlined, transparent and effective for manufacturers, exporters, testing laboratories, regulatory institutions and other stakeholders.
Union Minister Shri Jadhav congratulated the leadership, scientists and officials of PCIM&H and IPC for their continued efforts towards the initiative and expressed confidence that the renewed three-year MoU would give fresh momentum to the standardisation of medicinal plants. He said that the inter-ministerial cooperation demonstrates how coordinated efforts among Ministries and institutions can strengthen the standardisation of medicinal plants and traditional medicines. He added that the initiative would contribute to protecting India’s rich biodiversity and traditional medicine heritage, while strengthening India’s position as a trusted global standard-setter in medicinal plants, traditional medicines and their quality standards.
The renewed MoU will continue the inter-ministerial cooperation for a further period of three years, with the objective of developing uniform, reliable and scientifically robust quality standards for single drugs of plant origin used across Ayurveda, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa, Unani and Homoeopathy systems of medicine. Under the renewed partnership, the monographs will take into account Indian standards as well as international quality requirements, strengthening Indian standards in line with global benchmarks and enhancing the quality and credibility of Indian medicinal plants and products in international markets.
The cooperation builds upon the MoU initiated in 2022 to promote and facilitate the “One Herb, One Standard” concept, under which 50 monographs of medicinal plants were successfully developed during the first phase. The renewed partnership will further expand this framework by harmonising standards for the same medicinal plant across different traditional systems of medicine, thereby reducing ambiguity among stakeholders and establishing a stronger and more coordinated standardisation mechanism. By bringing together the scientific and standard-setting expertise of PCIM&H and IPC, the initiative will strengthen quality assurance, support ease of doing business and contribute to safeguarding India’s rich biodiversity and traditional medicinal heritage, while enhancing India’s position in global pharmaceutical standardisation.
The renewal of the MoU reaffirms the continued commitment of both institutions towards advancing scientific excellence, quality, reliability and global acceptance of India’s traditional systems of medicine through a harmonised approach to botanical standardisation. The partnership is expected to further strengthen India’s position as a trusted global standard-setter for medicinal plants, traditional medicines and their quality standards.
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