AAPI and Cadila Pharma Examine Ayurveda’s Integration into Modern US Healthcare
Vishwa Ayurved Samvad Highlights Preventive Ayurveda as Answer to Rising US Healthcare Costs
Experts at AAPI–Cadila Forum Call for Integrative Medicine Models Combining Ayurveda and Allopathy
Ayurveda’s Preventive Promise in Focus at AAPI–Cadila Global Healthcare Dialogue
AAPI, Cadila Pharma spotlight Ayurveda’s integrative potential at global healthcare forum
- Bilkul Online | By Rafat Quadri
- Ahmedabad | 13 January 2026
The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), in partnership with Cadila Pharmaceuticals, hosted Vishwa Ayurved Samvad, an academic forum examining how Ayurveda can be meaningfully integrated with modern medicine to address escalating healthcare costs and clinical challenges in the United States.
Discussions centred on the mounting financial strain of US healthcare—now nearing 18 per cent of GDP—largely driven by chronic illnesses, treatment complications and expensive interventions. Speakers highlighted Ayurveda’s preventive orientation and lifestyle-based approach as a complementary pathway that could enhance patient outcomes while curbing long-term costs when combined with contemporary medical care.
Dr. Charles Elder, Executive Director of the Fellowship in Integrative Medicine and Ayurveda at Maharshi International University, underscored the importance of structured integration. “Our experience shows that Ayurveda and modern medicine can work together to deliver better patient outcomes,” he said, adding that the focus must be on transmitting this knowledge through scientific, well-defined frameworks. He noted growing interest among US physicians and progress toward formal models to support integrative practice.
Dr. Amit Shah, Chairman of AAPI’s Ayurveda Consortium, said the initiative responds to an urgent need to rethink healthcare delivery in the US. “This is not Ayurveda versus allopathy,” he explained. “Patient well-being is the priority. If an approach benefits patients, it deserves a place in care.” Drawing parallels with yoga’s widespread acceptance in the US over the past two decades, he said Ayurveda holds similar potential as a holistic therapeutic tool.
Dr. Shah added that the Consortium is advancing work across three key pillars—education and training, research, and quality-focused product development. “Ayurveda’s strength lies in prevention. Integrated science is no longer optional; it is essential,” he said, pointing to opportunities for rigorously researched, high-quality Ayurvedic medicines in regulated markets.
Participants also addressed concerns around product quality and contamination, calling for coordinated action by regulators, industry and the medical community. In response, a state-level working group has been established in Gujarat, bringing together allopathic and Ayurvedic practitioners, researchers and industry representatives to develop globally acceptable standards for Ayurvedic products and integrated care models.
Emphasising the industry’s role, Dr. Manjul Joshipura, President of Cadila Pharmaceuticals, said international acceptance of Ayurveda depends on trust built through quality and safety. “To succeed in regulated markets like the US, we must strengthen standards through collaboration between industry, academia and medical professionals,” he said.
The forum drew participation from Ayurvedic scholars, researchers and leading practitioners from both Ayurveda and modern medicine, reinforcing a shared commitment to evidence-based, patient-centric integrated healthcare.
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