In a big push for the nation's booming ayurvedic products sector and its exports, the Government is exploring the establishment of a dedicated AYUSH Export Promotion Council (AEPC) as a joint initiative of the Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of Commerce and Industry, reports Livemint.

The development comes as after the Government is said to have realised the potential of AYUSH products in the global market after these products gained immense popularity amidst covid-19 pandemic. The Government is now looking to tap on the demand and push exports from the sector. The Government is likely to house the proposed council at the Ministry of AYUSH.

As a priority step to push exports from the sector, the Government is considering the standardisation of HS codes related to export. Also, the Ministry of AYUSH will work in collaboration with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to develop international standards for the sector's products and services.

Union Minister for AYUSH Shripad Naik had said, "There is a growing global interest in AYUSH- based solutions for disease resistance and treatment during the difficult times of the Covid -19 pandemic. The trade and commerce in the AYUSH Sector needed to upscale quickly to meet the growing demands from India and abroad, and to serve the larger number of people who are now looking up to these systems for maintaining their health."

Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal had also stated that the spurt in exports of AYUSH products in recent months is a direct reflection of their growing popularity in many countries.