India Showcases Herbal GMP Leadership at WHO-SEARO Regional Workshop in Mumbai
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.
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