The Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) and the Research and Information System for Developing Countries signed an agreement on Tuesday, February 27, for undertaking research, policy dialogue and capacity building in the field of Indian traditional medicines.

The MoU will help bring out an overview of the AYUSH service sector and will be a continuation of academic cooperation and collaboration with the RIS, an autonomous policy research institute of the Ministry of External Affairs, the Ayush Ministry said in a statement.

Ayush Secretary Rajesh Kotecha and RIS Director General Sachin Chaturvedi signed the MoU, said a report by PTI.

Highlighting a report of RIS titled AYUSH Sector in India: Prospects and Challenges, Kotecha stated that the AYUSH manufacturing sector has grown eight times in the last nine years.

Sachin Chaturvedi said that the AYUSH sector has the potential to become a key driver of medical tourism.

He further added that the growth of the AYUSH sector is closely linked with safeguarding and maintenance of biodiversity and there is a need to think in new terms regarding the Biological Diversity Act-2002.

"From AYUSH perspective, it is not only that we use biodiversity but also safeguard biodiversity for coming years," he said.