Budget facts · Top colleges · Admissions · WHO upgrade · Career paths — short, clear, complete
| AYUSH 2026 — Key Facts at a Glance | |
| AYUSH Full Form | Ayurveda · Yoga & Naturopathy · Unani · Siddha · Homoeopathy |
| Ministry Established | November 2014, Government of India |
| AYUSH Budget 2026–27 | ₹4,408.93 crore (10% rise from ₹3,671.82 crore in FY25–26) |
| New AIIAs Announced | 3 — locations to be decided via State proposals |
| Existing AIIAs | AIIA New Delhi (2014) + AIIA Goa Satellite Centre (2022) |
| WHO Centre | WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre, Jamnagar — to be upgraded |
| Medical Tourism Hubs | 5 Regional Hubs — AYUSH integrated |
| Caregiver Training Target | 1.5 lakh under NSQF-aligned yoga & wellness programme (FY26–27) |
| India Medical Tourism | USD 12 billion (2026), projected USD 35 billion by 2027 |
| AYUSH Practitioners | 7.75 lakh+ registered across India |
1. What Is AYUSH?
AYUSH is India’s umbrella framework for six traditional and alternative medicine systems, overseen by the Ministry of AYUSH (est. November 2014):
- Ayurveda — 5,000-year-old system based on balancing Vata, Pitta, and Kapha doshas through herbs, diet, and therapies
- Yoga & Naturopathy — breath, posture, and nature-based healing for physical and mental wellness
- Unani — rooted in ancient Greek and Islamic medicine; balances four bodily humours
- Siddha — ancient Tamil system using plants, metals, and minerals; widely practised in South India
- Homoeopathy — uses highly diluted substances to stimulate the body’s natural healing response
India has 7.75 lakh+ registered AYUSH practitioners, ~28,000 AYUSH hospitals, and 5.2 lakh+ dispensaries — one of the world’s largest traditional medicine networks.
2. AYUSH Budget 2026–27: The Numbers
The Union Budget 2026–27 allocated ₹4,408.93 crore to AYUSH — a 10% rise from ₹3,671.82 crore (RE) in FY 2025–26. For reference, the allocation was just ₹1,428 crore in FY 2015–16. The sector has grown more than threefold in a decade.
| Where Is the Money Going?3 new AIIAs · AYUSH pharmacy upgrades · New drug-testing labs · AYUSH pharmacist & nurse courses · WHO Centre Jamnagar upgrade · 5 Regional Medical Tourism Hubs · 1.5 lakh caregiver training under NSQF |
3. The 3 New AIIAs — What You Need to Know
What Is an AIIA?
An All India Institute of Ayurveda is the Ayurveda equivalent of AIIMS — a fully government-funded centre for Ayurvedic education, advanced research, and tertiary clinical care. The first AIIA opened in New Delhi in 2014–15; a satellite centre followed in Goa in 2022. The 2026 budget adds three more.
Courses Expected (Based on AIIA Delhi Model)
- BAMS — Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine & Surgery (5.5 years including internship)
- MD Ayurveda — 3 years across 12+ specialisations: Kayachikitsa, Panchakarma, Dravyaguna, Rasashastra, Stree Roga, Kaumarbhritya, and more
- PhD in Ayurvedic disciplines
- Diploma in Panchakarma and specialised therapies
Admission Process
- BAMS (UG): NEET-UG → AACCC centralised counselling
- MD (PG): NEET-PG → AIAPGET counselling
- PhD: UGC NET + institutional interview
For the three new AIIAs, the same national framework will apply once they are operational — expected 2029–30. Watch nta.ac.in and ayush.gov.in for updates.
Timeline
- 2026 — Ministry invites State proposals (all states are competing)
- 2026–27 — Site selection and finalisation
- 2027–29 — Construction, faculty recruitment
- 2029–30 — First academic session (estimated)
4. Top Ayurveda & AYUSH Colleges in India
A quick reference for students planning BAMS or MD admissions in 2026:
| # | College / Institute | State | Courses | Admission |
| 1 | AIIA New Delhi (Premier Govt. Institution) | Delhi | BAMS, MD (12 specs), PhD | NEET-UG / NEET-PG / UGC NET |
| 2 | AIIA Satellite Centre, Goa | Goa | BAMS, PG Programmes | NEET-UG / NEET-PG |
| 3 | National Institute of Ayurveda (NIA), Jaipur | Rajasthan | BAMS, MD, PhD | NEET-UG / NEET-PG |
| 4 | Gujarat Ayurved University (GAU), Jamnagar | Gujarat | BAMS, MD, PhD, Diplomas | NEET-UG / NEET-PG |
| 5 | BHU — Institute of Medical Sciences, Varanasi | Uttar Pradesh | BAMS, MD, PhD | NEET-UG / NEET-PG |
| 6 | SDM College of Ayurveda & Hospital, Hassan | Karnataka | BAMS, MD, PhD | NEET-UG / PGCET |
| 7 | Ch. Brahm Prakash Ayurved Charak Sansthan | Delhi | BAMS | NEET-UG |
| 8 | Govt. Ayurvedic College & Hospital, Patiala | Punjab | BAMS | NEET-UG |
| 9 | Uttarakhand Ayurved University, Dehradun | Uttarakhand | BAMS, MD, PhD | NEET-UG / NEET-PG |
| 10 | AMU — Unani & Ayurveda Dept., Aligarh | Uttar Pradesh | BUMS, BAMS, MD (Unani) | NEET-UG / NEET-PG |
| ★ | 3 New AIIAs (Locations TBA — 2029–30 expected) | TBA | BAMS, MD, PhD (Planned) | NEET-UG / NEET-PG |
Fees and seat counts change annually. Always cross-check with the official college website and respective state/central counselling portal before applying.
5. Allopathy & AYUSH: Partners, Not Rivals
Minister Prataprao Jadhav has been clear: ‘Allopathy and AYUSH complement each other — they are not competitors.’ This is now policy, not just rhetoric.
- AYUSH centres are being co-located in Primary Health Centres under the National AYUSH Mission
- AIIMS and AIIA are conducting joint clinical research projects
- NCISM is developing evidence-based practice guidelines for Ayurvedic practitioners
- Traditional healers will be formally documented to ensure standardised, accountable treatment
Critics from the IMA continue to flag the need for more RCT-based validation. The government’s answer: more drug-testing labs, more research funding, and an upgraded WHO centre — all in this budget.
6. World Unani Day 2026 — Mumbai Conference
Every year on February 11, India celebrates World Unani Day to honour Hakim Ajmal Khan’s birth anniversary. In 2026, the Ministry organised a two-day national conference in Mumbai (February 14–15) under the Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM).
- Chief Guest: Union AYUSH Minister Prataprao Jadhav
- Guests of Honour: Maharashtra Minister Babasaheb Patel · AYUSH Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha
- Focus: scientific validation of Unani therapies, evidence-based innovation, and clinical documentation
- Theme: Strengthening Unani medicine’s role within the Viksit Bharat 2047 health vision
7. India Goes Global — IACE 2026, Dubai
At the 3rd International Ayush Conference and Exhibition (IACE 2026) in Dubai, India represented its AYUSH vision before delegates from 28 countries.
- Minister Jadhav inaugurated and addressed the valedictory session
- A draft international White Paper on Ayush mind-body health interventions was deliberated
- Goal: shift AYUSH from experience-based to evidence-based global acceptance
- Outcome: long-term institutional partnerships to be formalised in 2026
| India’s Medical Tourism Numbers (2026)2 million+ international patients annually · 78+ source countries · USD 12 billion industry (2026) · Projected USD 35 billion by 2027 · AYUSH integration into 5 Regional Medical Tourism Hubs will accelerate this further |
8. WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre, Jamnagar
Established in 2022 in Jamnagar, Gujarat, the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC) was the world’s first WHO centre dedicated exclusively to traditional medicine. Budget 2026 has earmarked funds to upgrade it for:
- Deeper international research collaboration with WHO member states
- Training programmes for traditional medicine professionals from around the world
- Evidence generation and global policy development
Jamnagar is already home to Gujarat Ayurved University (GAU) — one of Asia’s oldest and most respected Ayurvedic universities with 50+ years of teaching and research history. The combination of GAU and the upgraded WHO centre makes the city the undisputed global capital of Ayurvedic knowledge.
9. Career Opportunities in AYUSH (2026 Onwards)
The 2026 policy push creates real, expanded career pathways for AYUSH professionals:
- Clinical practice — Government AYUSH hospitals, PHCs, private clinics, wellness centres
- Research — CCRAS, CCRUM, CCRYN, CCRS, university labs (more positions being added)
- Medical tourism hubs — practitioners, Panchakarma therapists, yoga trainers, wellness coaches
- AYUSH product industry — quality control, R&D, export (domestic market: ₹1.2 lakh crore+)
- Academia — AIIAs, NIA Jaipur, GAU Jamnagar, state Ayurvedic colleges (faculty demand rising)
- International — Middle East, Southeast Asia, Europe — growing demand for AYUSH professionals
- NSQF caregiver training — new formal entry point for diploma-level wellness and yoga workers
Final Word
The 2026 AYUSH story is straightforward: three new premier institutions, a 10% budget jump, a global WHO centre upgrade, five medical tourism hubs, and a training mission for 1.5 lakh caregivers. Individually, each is meaningful. Together, they form a coherent national strategy to make traditional medicine a serious, evidence-backed, globally respected pillar of Indian healthcare.
If you are a student, the window for BAMS and MD admissions remains competitive — but the new AIIAs will soon add significant capacity. If you are a practitioner, the integration into the mainstream health system is now policy. And if you are a patient, the direction is toward better quality, standardised, and evidence-supported Ayurvedic care.
India’s traditional medicine sector is no longer just a heritage asset — it is being built into a modern, scalable healthcare system.