By Manu Sharma
The Wellness Summit 2026 was organized by Karnataka Tourism Forum (KTF) on July 12 at the Soul Nest Retreat, Pyramid Valley International, Bengaluru. There were several experts from Ayush services as well as leading traditional and alternative medicine systems. They discussed the growth, challenges and the road ahead for Ayurveda drugs in India and abroad.
Ayurveda is a traditional system of medicine with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. It focuses on balancing the mind, body, and spirit through herbal medicines, dietary changes, yoga, and purification therapies. In spite of this it has not been able to penetrate the overseas market, says Dr Dr Narendra Shetty, Chief Wellness Officer At Kshemavana.
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.
“There is a credibility gap for ayurveda drugs and ayurveda faces difficulty getting acceptance abroad and no Ayurveda drug has received foreign approval., China on the other hand has been successful in positioning its traditional medicines more effectively. The proposal from Dr. Shetty was to inculcate the need for evidence-based treatment protocols. This will make the research behind traditional systems visible to customers. This is particularly important for international visitors who are concerned about whether a treatment is scientifically supported.”
FDA 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 had unclear standards. He urged the need for stronger protocols and clearer evidence. There have been cases of radical remission of cancer and these make a strong argumentt that health and well-being are better in some cases than standard medical treatment.
Wellness Centres In India
Primary wellness travelers come to India specifically for healing and these account for 20% of the segment. Secondary wellness travelers visit for family or business reasons and add wellness to the trip. ; The second category accounts for the larger 80% segment. The opportunity exists to serve both, while building stronger support and promotion for travelers whose primary purpose is to seek treatment.
Karnataka The Preferred State
Karnataka’s climate provides advantage over regions in India which have more extreme summers and winters. Wellness centers have 80% to 90% occupancy during six to seven months of the season and the off-season occupancy drops to 30% to 40%.
Institutions With Integrated Medicine Departments
Johns Hopkins, MD Anderson, Mayo Clinic, and Harvard Medical School are examples of institutions with integrated medicine departments, including spiritual medicine. In contrast there is an absence of a spiritual medicine department at the All India Institute of Medical Science. There is a need for 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 needed in Karnataka.
Research On Yoga
The speaker described work by a team of 10 doctors over 10 two years collecting research on yoga and naturopathy. Intertestingly, 92% of the research had been conducted by allopathy doctors rather than non allopathy practitioners. There needs to be reduction in e the confusion caused by having by 40 to 50 treatment modalities. There needs to be a more intelligible protocol instead of asking customers to choose from an overwhelming and complicated menu.
The Five Pillars Of Human Body
Dr Shetty proposed a framework that 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
Stress is 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. Lack of quality sleep was linked to exposure to blue light from televisions, phones, laptops, and LED lighting. The practical emphasis should be 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. There is a need 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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