AIIA in association with Startup India launches 'Ayush Start-up Challenge'

New Delhi: The India Institute of Ayurveda, in association with Startup India, has launched the 'Ayush Start-up challenge' to encourage early-stage startups to work on innovations in the Ayurveda sector and alternative healing. The winners of the challenge will receive a cash prize and incubation support from AIIA.

In a statement, the AIIA said the Ayush market stands at a whopping USD 10 billion and is projected to see an impressive 50 percent increase in the next five years.

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The Ayush sector offers massive potential for exponential growth at a time when there is growing global interest in the field of alternative medical practices, it said. AIIA Director Prof Tanuja Manoj Nesari said, ''We are building AIIA as an institution of eminence under the guidance of Ministry of Ayush with three key wings of medical science under one roof – academics, scientific research, and clinical practice.'' ''To fully realize the potential of the Ayush science we need a thriving ecosystem with players operating across the entire value chain.'' The 'Ayush Start-up Challenge' is open for participation from both early-stage startups as well as individuals as a group.

There are three entry categories for participating start-ups -- Ayush food innovations, Ayush bio-instrumentation, and Ayush IT Solutions.

There will be two winners in each of the three categories with a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh for the winner and Rs 50,000 for the runner-up, the AIIA statement said.

Also, the winners will receive incubation support that would entitle them to tap into the vast knowledge and resource pool of the AIIA.

AYUSH is the acronym for Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy. These are the six Indian systems of medicine practiced in India and some of the neighboring Asian countries.

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