Ayurveda is a traditional system of medicine with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent and it focuses on balancing the mind, body, and spirit through herbal medicines, dietary changes, yoga, and purification therapies but still unable to penetrate the overseas market, says Dr Narendra Shetty, Chief Wellness Officer At kshemavana.
Addressing a large gathering at the Karnataka Tourism Forum (KTF) - Wellness Summit 2026 on July 12 at the Kabir Bhavan, Soul Nest Retreat, Pyramid Valley International, Bengaluru, Dr Shetty highlights that while India remains the undisputed hub for authentic practice and exports, the system is deeply ingrained in the culture and traditional medicine of several other South Asian nations like Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
“In respect to the credibility gap for ayurveda drugs, it's true that ayurveda faces difficulty abroad because no Ayurveda drug has received foreign approval, while China has positioned its traditional medicines more effectively. The proposed response was evidence-based treatment protocols that make the research behind traditional systems visible to customers, especially international visitors concerned about whether a treatment is scientifically supported,” remarks Dr Shetty.
USFDA Views On Ayurveda Drugs
Ayurvedic medicines often contain heavy metals like lead, mercury, and arsenic. They are either added intentionally for supposed healing benefits or enter as contaminants from the soil. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that these metals can cause severe poisoning, kidney injury, and high blood pressure.
Dr Shetty recalls that early wellness facilities struggled with hygiene, accreditation, and unclear standards; the proposed answer was stronger protocols and clearer evidence. There have been cases of radical remission and its account of cancer remission cases to argue that health and well-being involve more than medical treatment.
Wellness Centres In India
Primary wellness travelers come to India specifically for healing and were described as about 20% of the segment. Secondary wellness travelers visit for family or business reasons and add wellness to the trip; they were described as the larger 80% segment. The opportunity proposed was to serve both, while building stronger capability for primary travelers seeking treatment.
Karnataka The Preferred State
Why Karnataka should be preferred over others. Karnataka’s climate was presented as a practical advantage over regions with more extreme summers and winters. Wellness centers were described as reaching 80% to 90% occupancy during six to seven months of season, while off-season occupancy was described as 30% to 40%.
Institutions With Integrated Medicine Departments
The institutional opportunity. Johns Hopkins, MD Anderson, Mayo Clinic, and Harvard Medical School were cited as examples of institutions with integrated medicine departments, including spiritual medicine. The talk contrasted this with the absence of a spiritual medicine department at an All India Institute of Medical Science and proposed more collaboration between public and private organizations. A global capability center for health and well-being, stronger yoga and naturopathy development, and a library for yoga research were also proposed for Karnataka.
Research On Yoga
The speaker described work by a team of 10 doctors over 10 two years collecting research on yoga and naturopathy, with the claim that 92% of the research had been conducted by allopathy doctors rather than yoga therapists. The resulting aim was to reduce the confusion created by 40 to 50 treatment modalities and offer a more intelligible protocol instead of asking customers to choose from an overwhelming menu.
The Five Pillars Of Human Body
The five pillars proposed framework centers on mind-body medicine, sleep as medicine, energy medicine, nutrition as medicine, and gut health. Its underlying explanation was that stress can switch off the body’s ability to heal itself, so the program aims to shift people from a stress response to a relaxation response.
Sleep & Stress Management
In respect to stress and sleep, stress was a major contributor to lifestyle-related disease, with protocols matched to different stress levels: breathing exercises and relaxation at one level, meditation at another, and clinical psychologist or psychiatric intervention at higher levels. Sleep was linked to exposure to blue light from televisions, phones, laptops, and LED lighting. The practical emphasis was on going to bed early, getting up early, reducing late-night screen exposure, and using a gratitude journal before sleep and again the next morning.
Nutrition And Diet
Nutrition was linked to an anti-inflammatory diet, and gut health was presented as another important part of the model. The final invitation was for wellness providers in Karnataka to work together, add spiritual and evidence-based dimensions to existing offerings, and develop the state as a destination for yoga, research, and broader health and well-being.
Now Ayurveda Medicine Is Covered By Insurance In India
Dr Shetty highlights that ayurveda is now covered under health insurance in India. Insurance companies bundle this as AYUSH benefits ( Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy). The General Insurance Council even created a cashless network. It links top centers like the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) to 32 major insurers.
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About Kshemavana
Kshemavana is a 20-acre forest wellness and naturopathy retreat located in Nelamangala on the outskirts of Bengaluru, Karnataka. It offers holistic, drugless healing therapies including Ayurveda, mud therapy, hydrotherapy, and Panchakarma.
Kshemavana is owned and managed by the SDME Trust (Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Educational Trust) under the vision of philanthropist and hereditary administrator Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade. It operates as part of the SDM group of naturopathy and yogic sciences institutions.
Soul Nest Resort At Pyramid Valley International
Soul Nest is a luxury holistic wellness retreat located within Pyramid Valley International on Kanakapura Road in Bengaluru. Surrounded by wilderness, it features air-conditioned rooms, a large auditorium, outdoor swimming pool, on-site vegetarian restaurant, and a spa. Proceeds fund the center's charitable activities.
Others who spoke at the summit included Mr Patrik, President of Karnataka Tourism Forum (KTF) and Mr Nishant of Soul Nest Resort, Bengaluru, the host of the day long event and the event was moderated by Meenakshi Gupta, Editor-in-chief @Corporate Outbound.
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