Indigenous Medicine as Commodity

Abstract

This article explores how indigenous medicine, ayurveda in particular, has been transformed into health products for middle-class consumers in a modern Indian society. Consumerism has been developed and the patients and the general public become the ready consumers of ayurvedic health products. In this process of commodification, large pharmaceutical companies have appreciated ayurveda and redefine the nature of ayurvedic drugs and drug production for profit maximization. There is steady growth of local and international market for herbal-based drugs, health supplements and beauty products. As a result of this demand, ayurveda has been propagated as a natural healing system, and ayurvedic medicine/health products are featured as natural remedies, which equates ‘herbal’ with ayurveda, and people often misunderstand herbal products as ayurvedic products. The article concludes that the entire situation has ideologically contaminated ayurveda, and that ayurveda has lost ground as a complete way of healthy life to restore and maintain health.