New Delhi: Government-run Jan Aushadhi stores, which sell generic medicines at lower prices, are set to expand their Ayurvedic range and begin stocking prescription-based Ayurvedic medicines, with the network eventually aiming to offer up to 100 Ayush products, a senior government official involved with the programme told ThePrint.
The move is part of the Centre’s effort to take Ayurvedic medicines beyond the nutraceuticals—products taken for health benefits rather than to treat a specific disease—and over-the-counter products currently available through the network. The decision comes as the government expands its focus on Ayurveda research, education and healthcare infrastructure.
Jan Aushadhi Kendras are affordable-medicine outlets set up under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), a scheme launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals in November 2008 to make quality generic medicines available at lower prices.
As of March this year, more than 19,000 Kendras are functional across the country, according to the scheme’s official website.
According to the official quoted earlier, the network currently sells around nine nutraceutical Ayurvedic products, including Ashwagandha,Triphala, Shilajit, and Chyawanprash.
“We will introduce a few more nutraceuticals from the Ayurvedic category, as well as some therapeutic drugs,” the official, who did not want to be named, said.
The decision to expand the basket has already been taken, although the exact products are still being finalised. “The eventual aim is to take the number of Ayush products up to 100, with additions made in phases,” the official added.
Identifying medicines
Selecting prescription-based Ayurvedic medicines, however, is more complicated than adding commonly used health products.
The official said the government is working to “rationalise” the list because prescribing patterns and demand for Ayurvedic medicines differ across states.
Such differences reflect regional variations in Ayurvedic practice, including differences in the formulations and treatment approaches commonly used by practitioners, as well as local availability and preferences. Research has documented significant differences in Ayurvedic practice across regions of India.
In other words, the government does not want to stock a medicine across the entire Jan Aushadhi network if it is prescribed mainly in a particular region and has limited demand elsewhere. A medicine that is commonly prescribed in Kerala, Tamil Nadu or Karnataka may therefore not make commercial sense to stock uniformly across the country, the official explained.
“If we keep a product that is prescribed by a doctor in Kerala, Tamil Nadu or Karnataka, we can supply it easily, but it will not benefit people elsewhere,” he said.
The concern, therefore, is about where a medicine is commonly prescribed and demanded, rather than whether the medicine itself would work differently in different parts of the country.
The aim is to identify Ayurvedic medicines that have wider prescribing patterns and availability across states, he said.
Market demand will also be a factor in deciding which medicines are added to the basket, he added.
“We will increase the basket with at least those products whose market annual turnover is high,” the official said.
Jan Aushadhi stores have already expanded beyond generic medicines. The outlets also sell over-the-counter products including aloe vera gel, sunscreen and ginseng.
The additional Ayurvedic products could generate Rs 100-200 crore in business in the first year, the official estimated. The network recorded business of about Rs 2,250 crore last year and has set a target of Rs 2,400 crore this year, he said.
The expansion comes as Ayurveda and other Ayush systems have received greater government funding and institutional support over the past decade.
The Ministry of AYUSH was set up in 2014. Since then, the government has funded research programmes, expanded Ayush teaching and clinical institutions and begun integrating Ayush services into some government hospitals.
The 2026-27 Union Budget allocated Rs 4,408 crore to the Ministry of AYUSH and announced three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda. It also provided for strengthening Ayush pharmacies and drug-testing laboratories and the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre in Jamnagar.
Government-funded research has also expanded. Under the Ayurgyan scheme, research projects have been supported across Ayush systems, while institutions including AIIMS, IIT Delhi, NIMHANS and the Tata Memorial Centre have received support for research involving Ayush and modern medicine.
The government has also established Ayush departments in some government hospitals and backed international collaborations around traditional medicine.
(Edited by Vidhi Bhutra)