India and Iran explored opportunities to deepen cooperation in traditional medicine, research and knowledge exchange as the Embassy of India in Tehran marked Ayurveda Day 2026 with a press briefing, interactive session and lecture series on Wednesday.
The event, held at the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre of the Embassy of India, brought together officials from Iran’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education, members of Tehran’s diplomatic corps, Ayurveda practitioners and Iranian media representatives.
Indian Ambassador Vishvesh Negi, Italian Ambassador Paola Amadei and Arman Zargaran, International Affairs Adviser at Center for Iranian and Complementary Medicine, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, were the main speakers.
The gathering highlighted the long-standing cultural links between Iran and India and examined how traditional medicine could provide another avenue for scientific, educational and institutional cooperation between the two countries.
Ayurveda and the pursuit of preventive health
In his opening remarks, Negi said World Ayurveda Day is observed annually to promote awareness of Ayurveda, an ancient Indian system of medicine centered on natural healing, prevention and holistic well-being.
He noted that the Government of India initiated the observance in 2016 and that 2026 marks the 11th Ayurveda Day, held under the theme “Ayurveda for a Healthier Tomorrow.”
Explaining the origins of the term, Negi said Ayurveda combines the Sanskrit words Ayur, meaning life, and Veda, meaning knowledge. He described it not only as a system for treating disease but also as an approach to maintaining balance among the body, mind and spirit.
“A well-lived day is itself a form of medicine,” he said, emphasizing prevention, daily routines, digestion and sleep as elements that Ayurveda seeks to integrate into everyday life.
Negi stressed that the future development of Ayurveda would require stronger links between traditional knowledge and modern research, quality standards and international healthcare frameworks.
He said the challenge was not simply to expand Ayurveda internationally, but to establish the scientific evidence, institutional structures and professional standards needed to support its responsible global development.
India seeks global standards for Ayurveda
According to Negi, India’s Ayurveda sector has undergone substantial economic expansion over the past decade. He cited figures showing that the Ayurveda economy grew from $2.85 billion in 2014 to $43.4 billion in 2023.
He also pointed to a Strategic Roadmap for Making Ayurveda Global, released by the Indian government in July 2026, as an effort to establish the infrastructure needed for the sector’s international expansion.
The roadmap focuses on areas including quality standards, research, professional training, infrastructure, product consistency and regulatory frameworks that can be understood and recognized internationally, he said.
Negi also referred to India’s engagement with the World Health Organization on traditional, complementary and integrative medicine, including the second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine, held in New Delhi in December 2025.
The summit addressed issues including scientific evidence, integration into health systems, regulation, biodiversity, indigenous knowledge, intellectual property and innovation, according to the Indian envoy.
Iran, India build on traditional medicine ties
The ambassador highlighted existing institutional cooperation between India and Iran, noting that the two countries have signed a memorandum of understanding between India’s Ministry of AYUSH and Iran’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education concerning traditional medicine.
He also referred to an agreement reached at the 16th BRICS Health Ministers’ Meeting in Chandigarh in July 2026 to expand cooperation in traditional medicine alongside broader pharmaceutical cooperation.
Zargaran provided a detailed account of the development of Iran-India cooperation in the field over the past decade.
He said Iran and India have maintained extensive historical and cultural relations and that similarities between Persian and Indian terminology and medical traditions reflect centuries of interaction.
He noted that the first ministerial-level memorandum of understanding on traditional medicine between Iran and India was signed in 2018. Further agreements have since been concluded at institutional and academic levels, including a 2024 agreement involving India’s Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine and the School of Iranian Medicine at Tehran University of Medical Sciences.
Zargaran said the two countries have also collaborated on scientific programs, university projects, international health initiatives and mutual academic visits.
BRICS cooperation highlighted
Among the recent areas of cooperation, Zargaran cited efforts by Iran and India to establish an expert group on traditional medicine within the BRICS framework.
He said cooperation between Iranian and Indian officials helped overcome technical and procedural challenges surrounding the proposed expert group and contributed to approval of its terms of reference.
He also referred to Iran’s participation in the WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine in New Delhi in December 2025 and to continuing scientific exchanges between Iranian and Indian institutions.
Zargaran said traditional medicine could serve as an important area of cooperation because of the historical connections between the two countries’ medical traditions.
He noted that Iranian medicine was transmitted to the Indian subcontinent through centuries of migration and intellectual exchange and subsequently contributed to the development of Unani medicine in India.
Zargaran said Iranian medicine is the principal traditional medical system formally regulated and integrated into Iran’s health system, while other complementary approaches, including Chinese medicine, acupuncture, naturopathy and homeopathy, are also practiced in the country through relevant professional structures.
He outlined Iran’s institutional framework for Persian and complementary medicine, including structures within the Ministry of Health and the country’s pharmaceutical regulatory system.
He also pointed to the incorporation of Persian medicine into higher education. According to the Iranian official, academic programs in Iranian medicine and traditional pharmacy have been offered for more than 15 years, while traditional medicine is also represented in the curricula of medicine, pharmacy and other medical fields.
Specialized traditional medicine clinics operate across the country, he said, while universities conduct research and educational programs in the field.
Zargaran argued that the historical foundations shared by Iranian and Indian medical traditions provide a basis for expanding cooperation in research, education, professional exchanges and international initiatives.
“Traditional medicine,” he said, can provide an opportunity for the two countries to strengthen their friendship and cooperation in health and wellness.
Italy’s ambassador shares personal Ayurveda experience
Italy’s Ambassador to Iran, Paola Amadei, also addressed the gathering, describing her longstanding interest in Indian culture and her personal experience with Ayurveda.
Amadei said her interest in India began nearly 25 years ago through her appreciation of Indian music, classical dance, culture and traditions. During an early visit to Kerala, she was introduced to Ayurveda, including through a stay at an Ayurvedic clinic.
She said subsequent visits to India provided opportunities to experience Ayurvedic treatments, dietary practices, yoga and other aspects of the tradition.
While stressing that she was not a medical professional and therefore was not speaking from a scientific perspective, Amadei described Ayurveda as an approach that emphasizes a connection between the individual, the body and nature.
She also drew parallels between Indian and Italian traditions involving the therapeutic use of plants and herbs and respect for nature.
For Amadei, her personal experience with Ayurveda underscored the importance of setting aside time for personal well-being amid modern, fast-paced lifestyles.
Cultural exchanges as a bridge
In his closing remarks, Ambassador Negi said the session had expanded his own understanding of Ayurveda and highlighted the knowledge and experience of Iranian practitioners and participants.
He described Ayurveda and other indigenous medical traditions as examples of the historical exchange of knowledge between India and Iran.
Negi said the event demonstrated that the two countries’ relationship extends beyond government-to-government ties and includes centuries of people-to-people and cultural exchanges.
He encouraged further cultural and professional interactions involving the Embassy of India, Iranian practitioners and institutions, saying there remained “much more” to explore in the historical relationship between the two countries.
The event concluded with an emphasis on expanding dialogue and practical cooperation in traditional medicine, including research, education, institutional exchanges and participation in international health initiatives.
The discussions underscored how the shared history of Persian and Indian medical traditions is increasingly being complemented by contemporary efforts to establish formal frameworks for scientific cooperation, regulation and knowledge exchange.
