Homeopathy braces to be Rs26bn industry: AssochamThe current homeopathy market in India is estimated to be around Rs12.5 billion and its size in the global market has gone up to Rs135 billion

livemint.com

 

New Delhi: By 2010, domestic homeopathy market is expected to be more than double and touch the

Rs26 billion size as it would continue to grow @ between 25-30% against 13-15% of pharmaceuticals

industry since users of homeopathy are multiplying not only within the country but through out the

world.

According to a report brought out by Assocham, the current homeopathy market in India is estimated

to be around Rs12.5 billion and its size in the global market has gone up to Rs135 billion. France,

contributes the largest to the world Homeopathy market at an estimated Rs45 billion.

Nearly 5000 patients were randomly surveyed in metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai,

Bangalore and other satellite towns like Chandigarh, Hyderabag, Lucknow.

The study found a huge gap between homeopathy and healthcare industry. This gap they felt would

continue to persist due to lack of hospitals and institutions. There are very few institutions for

hospitalization and distribution of products in homeopathy continues to be very poor. A major reason is

that these are not easily available as compared to allopathic medicines.

Key Findings

* Over 55% said they had faith in homeopathy; they also admitted that it took longer to identify

aliments through homeopathy, but the treatment was relatively safe and physiologically more

satisfactory, with no side effects

* Being easily available and effective for treating chronic aliments it is accessible online to over one

crore patients across the country

* Online homeopathy connectivity worldwide is spread over 95 countries and interestingly majority of

them are economies of scale in which allopathy until recently has been more prevalent

* In 2006-07, patients diagnosing aliments with homeopathy in India numbered approximately 4-5

crore; this is likely to exceed about 10 crore in next 2-3 years

* 80% of them felt that homeopathy is increasingly becoming an alternate to allopathic medicines

because of their fake content and patients including doctors losing confidence

* There are over four lakh registered homeopaths in the country currently, with approximately 13,000

more being added every year

* Another reason for homeopathy’s popularity has been the growing disillusionment with conventional

allopathic medicine, which has, for many years, been the first line of treatment for most patients. Many

feel its more personalized treatment, with greater one-on-one interaction between the patient and the

physician

* In India, there are 2860 hospitals, with a total of 45,720 beds, providing traditional Indian systems of

medicine and homeopathy and 22,100 dispensaries of traditional medicine. The number of registered

traditional medicine practitioners and homeopaths comprise 587,536, that are both institutionally and

non-institutionally qualified

* Homeopathy is found to be effective in treating chronic ailments (hair & skin problems, respiratory

problems, arthritis and other miscellaneous treatments like thyroid, bed-wetting, diabetes, and

obesity)

Homeopathy pops a growth pill in GujaratSohini Das / Mumbai/ Ahmedabad March 30, 2011, 0:19 IST

While the homeopathy industry in the country clocking a 30 per cent growth rate, the homeopathic clinics in the state seem to have received a shot in the arm, with some of them reporting even 100 per cent growth in the last two years.

Apex industry chamber Assocham (Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India) has recently said in its report that the overall homeopathy industry in the country is likely to reach a size of Rs 4,600 crore as the number of takers is growing fast within India. Globally, the homeopathy market is estimated at Rs 26,300 crore with France being the largest contributor, according to the study by Assocham. Last year, the domestic homeopathy market size was about Rs 2,758 crore.

 Click here to visit SME Buzz 

 

  Also Read

  Related Stories News Now

- UK industry body names Cridland as new DG

- Ficci wants tax concessions; says no to mandatory CSR

A Batra of Dr. Batra's Clinic, which operates four clinics in Gujarat including two at Ahmedabad, one each at Vadodara and Surat, said, "Our initial years in the state witnessed slow growth rates, around 5-10 per cent. But, in the last two years we have managed to grow by over 100 per cent. The interest in homeopathy has been steadily been on the rise, especially with the state chief minister Narendra Modi saying that he is a user himself."

Buoyed by the response, Dr. Batra's is now planning to start a fifth clinic at Rajkot within the next five to six months. Batra feels that this renewed interest in homeopathy is indeed a significant development in the context of Gujarat which is one of the major allopathic pharmaceutical manufacturing hubs in the country. Another city based clinic, Happy Homeo Store and Clinic said, that one of the main reasons why people are now taking interest in homeopathy is that it is a relatively safer mode of treatment for children.

Almost one in three children in India suffer from some kind of allergy, and homeopathy can offer safe and long-term solutions to allergies, said a Happy Homeo official.

The Assocham reports cites reasons for growing homeopathy market in India, saying that homeopathy, besides providing for effective means treating chronic aliments is also available and easily accessible online to over 1.5 crore patients across the country.

The online homeopathy connectivity worldwide is available in more than 95 countries and interestingly a majority of them are economies of scale in which allopathy until recently has been more prevalent and in vogue.

In 2009-10, patients diagnosing their aliments with homeopathy throughout the country were estimated at 10-12 crore, whose number is likely to exceed to about 16 crore in the next two to three years in view of its popularity and acceptability among the general masses, says the study.

There are over 5 lakh registered homeopaths in the country currently, with approximately 20,000 more being added every year.

Despite Western attack, homeopathy mkt growsKounteya Sinha, TNN Mar 21, 2011, 02.06am IST

Tags:

homeopathy

NEW DELHI: Western countries like Britain may persist with their scathing attacks on homeopathy, calling it unscientific and for which dozens of systematic reviews have failed to produce convincing evidence of effectiveness. Despite the carping critics, homeopathy, which is around 250 years old, continues to be tremendously popular.

A study has said Indian homeopathy treatment market is likely to grow 30% annually and pegged at Rs 4,600 crore in the next few years. Globally, the homeopathy market is estimated at Rs 26,300 crore, with France being the largest contributor.

Last year, the size of domestic homeopathy market was around Rs 2,758 crore, according to a study by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM). Union health ministry officials said over 100 million Indians depend solely on homeopathy. This figure is likely to exceed 16 crore in the next three years. India has over five lakh registered homeopaths and around 20,000 more are being added every year. There are 185 homoeopathic colleges, which offer 33 PG courses. Besides, there are 11,000 homoeopathic hospital beds.

D S Rawat, secretary general of ASSOCHAM, pointed out to a practical problem. Homeopathic medicines are hardly available in 15-25 outlets in a city as compared to the reach of allopathic drugs. But abroad, the situation is different. Though there are very few practitioners of homeopathy, the medicines are well distributed. This explains a big market across France, the UK and the US.

In the UK, the homeopathy market is pegged at 46 million pounds by 2012. World Health Organiation says homeopathy is practiced in 66 countries and treatment is individualized

Homeopathy Industry Likely to be Rs. 4,600 cr. by 2012: ASSOCHAM

Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India said :Indian homeopathy treatment market is likely to grow 30% annually and reach a size of Rs. 4,600 crore as the number of takers is growing fast within and outside the country.

Globally, the homeopathy market is estimated at Rs. 26,300 crore with France being the largest contributor, according to the study by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM). Last year, the domestic homeopathy market size was about Rs. 2,758 crore.

Releasing the study, Mr. D S Rawat, Secretary General ASSOCHAM said that homeopathy which a few years ago was not considered a long lasting solutions has lagged behind allopathy in many respects as it kills the roots of aliments without any side effects. In one to one and personalized treatment with greater private interactions both homeopathy physician and its patients derive the utmost satisfaction with the least cost for consultation. This is another reasons as to why the Indian traditional treatment called the homeopathy has been spreading in every nook and corner of the country and world as well.

It has been stated that the growth of homeopathy is not only confined to India but world over, its size has gone beyond Rs.263 billion and interestingly the growth rate is almost on par and that is around 25%. France, Interestingly contributes the largest size in world Homeopathy market, points out the ASSOCHAM study.

It cites reasons for growing homeopathy market in India, saying that homeopathy, besides providing for effective means treating chronic aliments is also available and easily accessible online to over 1.5 crore patients across the country. The online homeopathy connectivity worldwide is more than in 95 countries and interestingly majority of them are economies of scale in which allopathy until recently has been more prevalent and invouge.

In 2009-10, patients diagnosing their aliments with homeopathy throughout the country were estimated at 10-12 crore, whose number is likely to exceed about 16 crore in next 2-3 years in view of its popularity and acceptability among the general masses, says the ASSOCHAM study. 

Mr. Rawat made a mention of the ASSOCHAM recent assessment on “Homeopathy Demand on the Rise” in which it was found out that in metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and other satellite towns like Chandigarh, Hyderabad and Luknow. Over 75% of patients surveyed spoke very high for homeopathy, arguing that though it takes longer to root out aliments but the treatment is safe and physiologically satisfactory for, there are no side effects.

Majority of them held that homeopathy users switch on to allopathy only on exceptional cases and in acute emergencies, otherwise homeopaths are best to be consultated for removal of majority of physical and other aliments. Many of them also said that homeopathy is increasingly becoming an alternate to allopathic medicines.

There are over 5 lakh registered homeopaths in the country currently, with approximately 20,000 more being added every year. The size of the homeopathic drugs market is also expanding very fast even though these medicines cost only a fraction of allopathic or even ayurvedic medicines.

Another reason for homeopathy’s popularity has been the growing disillusionment with conventional allopathic medicine, which has, for many years, been the first line of treatment for most patients. Many patients also feel that homeopathy is a more personalised treatment, with greater one-on-one interaction between the patient and the physician.

There is a huge gap between homeopathy and healthcare industry. This gap will continue to persist due to the lack of hospitals and institutions. There are very few institutions for hospitalisation and that is where a lot of money comes from. To add to this, the distribution of products in homeopathy is very poor. This is because homeopathy medicines are hardly available in 15-25 outlets in a city, compared to the reach of allopathic medicines. But abroad, this is not the case. There are very few practitioners of homeopathy but the medicines are well distributed and hence, there is a big market in France, UK and USA.

Homeopathy is an effective means of treating chronic ailments. These ailments include hair & skin problems, respiratory problems, arthritis and other miscellaneous treatments like thyroid, bed-wetting, diabetes, and obesity.

Facts about Homeopathy - Global

As part of its global strategy ‘Health for All’ in the 21st Century, WHO (World Health

Organization) has supported the integration of conventional and alternative medicines to

improve the quality of health care.

Some famous patrons of Homeopathy include Mahatma Gandhi, Tony Blair, Pope Pius X, Paul

McCartney, Richard Branson, Martina Navratilova, Boris Becker, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Whoopi

Goldberg, Pamela Anderson, The Chili Peppers and Tina Turner to name a few.

According to WHO, Homeopathy is the 2nd largest system of medicine with a growth rate of 20-

25% every year. The growing popularity of Homeopathy and its legal acceptance has been seen

in 66 countries.

The British Royal Family has been under homeopathic care since 1980. The Queen carries her

‘black box’ of homeopathic remedies on her travels.

15% of the British population trusts homeopathy and consults homeopathic physicians.

France is the largest Homeopathy market in the world (over 300 million euros) followed by

Germany (200 million euros).

Homeopathy is the leading alternative medicine in the US.

Over 40% of British physicians refer patients to homeopaths, and almost 50% of Dutch

physicians consider homeopathic remedies to be effective.

Homeopathy has made major advances in regions like the Mediterranean basin, South America,

Eastern Europe, and India.

In Pakistan, almost half of the 10,000 doctors registered prescribe Homeopathy on a regular

basis.

Facts about Homeopathy in Australia

Australia has a long history in Homeoopathy with the first hospitals opening in Sydney in 1858,

Adelaide in 1879, Melbourne in 1895 and Tasmania in 1899.

To read more about the Homeopathic history in Australia click here.

Homeopaths were the first of the complementary medicine professions to develop government-

endorsed National Competency Standards (NCS) for the education of homeopaths in Australia.

AROH the Australian Register of Homeopaths was set up in 1999 to accredit Australian

Homeoapathic Courses and register qualified Homeopaths for practice.

There are Australian associations of Homeopaths. One of those is the Australian Homeopathic

Association which publishes the peer reviewed journal Similia which has world wide readership.

Facts about Homeopathy in India

Homeopathy came to India courtesy Maharajah Ranjit Singh of Punjab.

Homeopathy constitutes approximately 14% of the total alternative market with an annual

growth rate of 20-25% as compared to pharma, which has a 10% growth rate.

The Homeopathy market in India is worth Rs. 12.5 billion.

In Mumbai, 52% of the population uses Allopathy, 39% of the population uses Homeopathy, and

9% of the population uses other medicines such as Ayurvedic or Unani medicines.

The Government of India developed the homeopathic system of medicine by setting up a

homeopathic enquiry committee way back in 1948, and today it is accepted as one of the

National Systems of Medicine.

There are over 3,00,000 qualified homeopath practitioners, 7,500 government clinics, 307

hospitals, and 180 Teaching Institutes affiliated to Universities existing in India specific to

Homeopathy.

A current survey in 7 Indian cities revealed that 48% people trust Homeopathy as the preferred

option of treatment

Homeopathy market to grow by 30% annually 

Kounteya Sinha TNN 

New Delhi: Western countries like Britain may persist with their scathing attacks on homeopathy,calling it unscientific and for which dozens of systematic reviews have failed to produce convincing evidence of effectiveness.Despite the carping critics,homoeopathy,which is around 250 years old,continues to be tremendously popular.A study has said Indian homeopathy treatment market is likely to grow 30% annually and pegged at Rs 4,600 crore in the next few years.Globally,the homeopathy market is estimated at Rs 26,300 crore,with France being the largest contributor.Last year,the size of domestic homeopathy market was around Rs 2,758 crore,according to a study by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM ).Union health ministry officials said over 100 million Indians depend solely on homeopathy.This figure is likely to exceed 16 crore in the next three years.India has over five lakh registered homeopaths and around 20,000 more are being added every year.There are 185 homoeopathic colleges,which offer 33 PG courses.Besides,there are 11,000 homoeopathic hospital beds.D S Rawat,secretary general of ASSOCHAM,pointed out to a practical problem.Homeopathic medicines are hardly available in 15-25 outlets in a city as compared to the reach of allopathic drugs.But abroad,the situation is different.Though there are very few practitioners of homeopathy,the medicines are well distributed.This explains a big market across France,UK and US.In the UK,the homeopathy market is pegged at 46 million pounds by 2012.World Health Organiation says homeopathy is practiced in 66 countries and treatment is individualized.

India bans 2 drugs for side-effects 

New Delhi: India has prohibited the manufacture,sale and distribution of two drugs Gatifloxacine and Tegaserod for side-effects.Gatifloxacine,an antibiotic is known to cause blood sugar levels to shoot up and dip.Tegaserod,used for irritable bowel syndrome,was banned globally after it showed a 10-fold increased risk of heart attacks and stroke.TNN 

Four years after norms,apex body to regulate stem cell studies in place 

New Delhi: Stem cell use in the country will now be completely regulated.Four years after putting in place guidelines for stem cell research,prescribing stringent measures to regulate its use by research and medical institutions,the Union health ministry has finally set up the National Apex Committee for Stem Cell Research and Therapy (NAC-SCRT ).A 12-member committee headed by Dr Alok Srivastava,haematologist from CMC-Vellore,will review all controversial and ethically sensitive stem cell research proposals and oversee,monitor and make policies on stem cell use in India. TNN

 

History

Homoeopathy came to India as early as 1810 when a French traveler Dr. Honigberger who studied Homoeopathy under Dr. Samuel Hahnemann visited this country and began treating people with Homoeopathic medicine. In the year 1839, he treated successfully the then ruler of Punjab, Maharaja Ranjit Singh for the paralysis of his vocal cords. He was rewarded and was made officer-in-charge of a hospital. This royal patronage helped Homoeopathy take root in India. He later went to Kolkata and started homoeopathic practice there. A large number of missionaries, amateurs in Indian civil and military services practiced Homoeopathy extensively and spread this system mostly in Bengal and South India. Father Augustus Muller was one such missionary who provided homoeopathic treatment at Mangalore. The system continued to flourish under the British rule across the country.

Contrary to the developments in the western world, the Government of India soon after Independence made rigorous efforts to develop all the systems being practiced at that point of time. The setting up of the Homoeopathic Enquiry Committee in 1948, appointment of the Homoeopathic Advisory Committee in 1952 and the Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia Committee in 1962 were the initial steps. On the recommendation of these Committees, the Government of India accepted homoeopathy as one of the National Systems of Medicine along with other Indian systems of medicine and enacted specific legislation.

In the Indian society, the traditional systems- collectively recognized as AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy), are well established and widely accepted due to their historical and cultural significance. The Indian health care delivery system has a unique feature of medical pluralism wherein AYUSH systems are being given equal status with the Allopathic system of medicine. They also enjoy government patronage. A separate policy has been formulated to encourage these systems vertically in the field of education and research. A large number of hospitals, dispensaries, teaching institutions and registered practitioners are under the AYUSH system. In 2007, there were 3360 hospitals, with 68155 beds, 21765 dispensaries, 485 colleges and 725568 practitioners under AYUSH in the entire country, with considerable regional variations (AYUSH report 2007). Independent research councils and institutions of these systems have been established as autonomous organisations. The clinical practice is being integrated following a cafeteria approach in the Health sector, wherein the patient has an option of choosing a health system according to his conviction. Inter-system referrals are encouraged and adequate knowledge of these systems is provided to allopathic doctors and vice versa for proper co-ordination. It is expected that AYUSH will play a more significant role in the coming years. (www.indianmedicine.nic.in)

Homoeopathic Education

The Homoeopathy Central Council Act that was passed by the Parliament of India in 1973 granted formal recognition of homoeopathic education and allowed the legalised registration of homoeopathic physicians at the Central as well as the State levels. In accordance with the provisions of this Act, the Government constituted the Central Council of Homoeopathy (www.cchindia.com) in the year 1974 to maintain the Central Register of Homoeopaths and to regulate Homoeopathic education in India.

With the approval of the Government of India, the Central Council formulated the Homoeopathy (Degree Course) Regulations, 1983 of 5 ½ years duration including one year compulsory internship; Homoeopathy (Post Graduate Degree Course) Regulations, 1989 and Homoeopathy (Minimum Standards of Education) Regulation, 1983 for setting up norms and standards of homoeopathic education. At present there are 186 homoeopathic colleges (including 36 also providing Post-Graduation) with an intake capacity of about 13,425 students every year. These institutions are affiliated to different Universities and provide uniform homoeopathic education according to these regulations.

Prior to the Central legislation and concurrently, some of the Indian states made their own contribution to homoeopathy by the enactment of State legislations for the registration of homoeopathic doctors and regulation of education. At present there are about 30 State legislations and State Boards/Councils for the control of clinical practice and to address any issue related to homoeopathy.

Drug Control and Drug Safety Legislation

For laying down standards for quality control of homoeopathic medicines, the Govt. of India constituted a Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia Committee in 1962 and the Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia Laboratory (HPL) was set up in the year 1975, to undertake work related to laying down standards of homoeopathic drugs, their verification, and

for testing the purity and quality of homoeopathic products. HPL is recognized by the Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India as a scientific, technological and research institution (http://hplism.nic.in/index.htm).

Standards as worked out by the laboratory, after vetting by the Homoeopathy Pharmacopoeia Committee, are published by the Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India in the form of Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia of India (HPI), of which so far nine volumes consisting of standards of 916 drugs have been published.

Homoeopathic drugs manufacturing, licensing and all other matters connected therewith are covered under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules notified in the official Gazette. The system of regulation, monitoring and enforcement is clearly laid down for homoeopathic drugs and is enforced by Drug Control departments of the State Governments. In the year 2006, Govt. of India has notified the standards of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP guidelines) (http://www.cdsco.nic.in). 

There are more than 600 manufacturers of Homoeopathic drugs. Apart from these considerable amount of drugs are imported from Germany. According to an estimate, in 2010, the size of Homeopathic market in India was about INR 26 billion and the demand is growing at an annual rate of 25-30% (ASSOCHAM 2007).

Popularity and Clinical Practice

Although Homeopathy is not indigenous to India, it is the second most acceptable medical system after Allopathy in a majority of Indian states. Homoeopathy in India has been fully integrated in the public health and its practice is legal. India is a dreamland for those who wish to learn and undertake research in homoeopathy.

Currently, there are 234 hospitals with 10,933 beds and 5,910 Government dispensaries and 217,860 registered practitioners. The Central as well as State Governments are following a policy of co-location (Cafeteria approach) in health sector for providing an option to the public for taking treatment from the system of one’s choice. A study by the Government of Delhi has revealed that homoeopathic dispensaries are very popular and are providing effective and efficient primary health services (www.homeo.delhigovt.nic.in).

Research & Development

In India, the private as well as public sectors are striving hard to undertake organized research in homoeopathy. The Government of India has established an autonomous research council- The Central for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH), for undertaking this task. At present various researches are being undertaken in India which can have a great impact on the prospects of Homoeopathy all over the world. Please visit CCRH official site at www.ccrhindia.org to know more about research activities in India in Homoeopathy.

Homoeopathic Associations in India

India is one of the biggest countries in whole world to have qualified practitioners and followers of Homoeopathy. There are numerous Homoeopathic associations, practitioners and followers who work in collaboration with each other for the benefit of Homoeopathy. These associations work at different levels of society to make Homoeopathy popular amongst masses. Some of the most active associations are:

Homoeopathic Medical Association of India (HMAI). Click here to learn more.www.hmaiseminar.info Indian Institute of Homoeopathic Physicians (IIHP). Click here to learn more.http://www.iihp.co.in/ Indian Homoeopathic Medical Association (IHMA). Click here to learn more. http://www.ihma.in The Institution of Homoeopaths Kerala (IHK), Click here to learn more. http://www.theihk.org Dr. Sehgal's School of Revolutionized Homoeopathy. For more details please visit the

link,http://www.ssrhindia.com

ndian Homeopathy market to be $650mn industry - Sunday, December 09, 2007 at 14:10

Indian Homeopathy market to be $650mn industry within 3 years

New Delhi, Dec 9: The Indian homeopathy market is expected to top Rs.26 billion ($650 million) by 2010 and outpace the growth of pharmaceutical industry in the country, says a study by a leading industry chamber.

"Users of homeopathy are multiplying not only within the country, but throughout the world as it roots out aliments for good," says the study by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham), released Sunday.

The market of this traditional medicine in India, estimated around Rs.12.5 billion, would continue to grow at around 25-30 percent, against 13-15 percent for the pharmaceuticals industry, the study says.

In the year 2006-07, about 50 million people opted for homeopathy. This number would exceed 100 million by the end of 2010, according to the study.

Citing reasons for the growth of country's homeopathy market Assocham President Venugopal N. Dhoot said: "It is not only effective in treating chronic aliments like respiratory diseases, arthritis, diabetes and thyroid problems to name a few, but without any side effects."

"Also patients derive utmost satisfaction due to better consultation with the physician at a highly affordable cost," he added.

Not only in the country, but also across the globe the homeopathy market has has expanded and crossed a whopping Rs.135 billion, growing at the rate of no less than 25 percent. Out of this, the French homeopathy market has a lion's share of about Rs.45 billion, the study says.

"One of the biggest reasons for its escalation in market size both in the country and globally is that homeopathic treatment is easily accessible online to over 10 million patients across the country and in 95 countries globally," added Dhoot.

Currently India has over 400,000 registered homeopaths giving their services in 2,860 hospitals, with a total of 45,720 beds, providing traditional Indian systems of medicine and homeopathy besides 22,100 dispensaries of other traditional medicine.

The country churns out no less than 13,000 homeopaths every year. The number of registered traditional medicine practitioners and homeopaths stands at 587,536, which include both institutionally and non-institutionally qualified.

Even though homeopathic drugs cost only a fraction of allopathic or even ayurvedic medicines, there is a huge gap between homeopathy and healthcare industry, due to the lack of hospitals and institutions.

"There are very few institutions for hospitalisation and that is where a lot of money comes from."

"Moreover, the distribution of products in homeopathy is very poor. Homeopathy medicines are hardly available in 10-15 outlets in a city, compared to the reach of allopathic medicines," concluded Dhoot

The 'Sweet' Pill

The market for Homeopathy is poised for a steady growth with established players now even expanding globally. Nancy Singhtracks this silent transition

It is no longer Allopathy's poor cousin. Homeopathy, the third most popular method of treatment in India after Allopathy and Ayurveda, is consolidating its position in India. The Rs 12.5-billion Homeopathy market in India, growing at a phenomenal pace of 25 per cent annually, is slated to become Rs 26 billion market by 2010, states a study by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM). Homeopathy is also making its mark globally. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has termed Homeopathy as the second largest system of medicine. According to US-based The National Centre for Homeopathy, by 2017 the Homeopathy market will be equivalent to the alternative healthcare market, which is Rs 52,000 crore currently. Approximately 500 million people worldwide receive Homeopathic treatment and around 100 million at present use Homeopathy in India, various estimates suggest. With Homeopathy being practiced in 66 countries of the world, the world Homeopathy market is pegged at Rs 135 billion. France is a leader in this segment with its Homeopathy market pegged at Rs 45 billion. Studies reveal that in 2006-07, around five crore patients diagnosed their ailments with Homeopathy. This number is likely to exceed about 10 crore in next two-three years in view of Homeopathy's popularity and acceptability among the general masses.

Market Dynamics- India

There are over four lakh homeopaths in the country currently, with approximately 13,000 more being added every year, the highest in the world. However, the number of established players in Homeopathy in this country are few. It is rather the local clinics that are fuelling this growth story.

The corporate leader in this segment is undoubtedly Dr Batra's Positive Health Clinic which is present on a pan-India basis and most recently has gone international, For the current financial year, the company has plans to set up 10 more centres across globe. In Muscat, the group has already opened up a new centre and plans to set-up one more. In the near future, it also plans to open a clinic in London. The remaining new seven centres will be at Bangalore, Goa, Surat and Indore. "We are definitely the leaders in this market and the earliest starter in this space as we have been present for almost 30 years. Today, we are growing at a phenomenal pace of 60-80 per cent," informs Dr Akshay Batra, CFO, Dr Batra's. Critics, however, dismiss Dr Batra's as a classical 'homeopathic' clinic because they feel that the kind of services it provides are more 'cosmetic' in nature than 'curative.' Dr Batra's concentrates basically in segments like trichology, obesity, diabetes etc.

Another significant player in the Homeopathy scene is Dr Satinder Pal Singh Bakshi's 'Bakson Homeopathy' which is more prevalent in Northern India and has around six clinics

"People are now looking out for long-term cures and because Homeopathy is safe and permanent, there is a shift from Allopathy to Homeopathy"

- Dr Mukesh BatraManaging Director

Dr Batra's Positive Health Clinic

"Sometimes, I get to treat five patients from five continents in a day. It's quite amazing"

- Dr Rajesh ShahManaging Director

Life Force Center

"Homeopathic drugs are most eco-friendly. One can treat the global population with a kilo of basic drug substance"

- Dr Mahendra KabraHomeopath

Jalgaon, Maharashtra

across India. He is also the President of Central Council of Homeopathy (CCH). But his growth story has been marred after him being arrested by Kolkata police for allegedly mixing steroids in medicine.

Going Virtual

Not ignoring the fact that there are not many established players in the industry, Homeopathy still has quite an interesting mix of models. While Dr Batra's has been following the traditional model of standalone clinics as well as thinking about franchisee models to expand in tier II cities, interestingly the model that is a big hit is cyber clinic. In fact, Homoeopaths seem to be quite tech-savvy as most of them have exploited this medium to the core. And these doctors don't just think local, but global as well. Just by operating through their small clinics they are able to reach a huge population base.

One of the best example of this model is Dr Rajesh Shah's clinic in Mumbai whose website claims to 'Asia's largest homoeopathic clinic,' even though it's a 5,000 square- feet clinic located at Chembur in the suburbs of Mumbai. It has a team strength of nine doctors. But from that one clinic, he has successfully managed to reach an audience in around 145 countries! That's the power of cyber pace. Whilst talks of telemedicine is just doing the rounds now, Dr Shah was one of the trendsetters who set-up his cyber clinic way back in 1995 when internet just came to India. His team helps run a global clinic in an offline-online format. His clinic receives patients from countries as far as Nigeria, Japan and Sweden. He has expanded his cyber clinics to include 'askdrshah.com' that caters real-time to patient queries on a variety of ailments as well as many disease specific websites. "Sometimes, I get to treat five patients from five continents in a day. It's quite amazing," exclaims Dr Shah. Patients can even chat with doctors 24-7 on web.

The motive behind Dr Batra, starting cyber clinics was to reach out those NRI population who travel once in a while in India but are unable to follow up. Says Dr Mukesh Batra, Chairman and Managing Director, Dr Batra's, "We back up Homeopathy through online clinics. Online clinics have opened up good business opportunities. They provide us hardcore visibility in the field. We have treated patients from 86 countries." In fact, Dr Batra's has gone a step ahead and started tele-homeopathy centres across India to bring about some effective integration as well as interaction amongst the doctors present in all its clinics.

Indian Encounter

Homeopathy first came in India in 1810 when German missionaries started distributing homeopathic medicines. However, it became popular only after Dr John Hoenigberger came to treat Maharaja Ranjit Singh who was suffering from paralysis of vocal chords and edema.

"Homeopathy always enjoyed the majestic support. Apart from Maharaja Ranjit Singh, even Mahatma Gandhi was a staunch advocate of Homeopathy," informs Homeopath Dr Mahendra Kabra.

Dr Hoenigberger later shifted to Kolkata where he practiced for quite some time.

Homeopathy became officially recognised in India in 1937 with the passing of the first resolution by the Government, followed by another in 1948. However, according to Dr Kabra, the real recognition came in when a Central Act was passed in 1973. The Central Council of Homeopathy (CCH) was established in 1973 to oversee the standards for homeopathic education and practice.

CCH later set minimum standards of education related to graduate and post-graduate courses and only approved colleges can provide education in Homeopathy. There are also councils like Central Council of Research in Homeopathy ((CCRH) and Ayurvedic,Yunani,Siddha and Homeopathy Department set by Government of India.

Correspondence courses are not recognised and any practice on this basis is illegal.

Growth Drivers

There are several factors pumping the growing Homeopathy market in India. Until recently, Homeopathy had no platform for advertising or popularity. But with players like Dr Batra's who explored this medium aggressively, the popularity of this stream soared. However, reportedly the group has been slapped with many notices for breaking advertising regulations which prevail for healthcare organisations.

The debilitating side effects of Allopathy became a boon for Homeopathy. Says Dr M Batra, "Anyone who takes an Allopathic drug always has a reaction to it at some stage or another. This is the reason why people are moving away to safer and surer alternatives. People are now looking out for long-term cures and because Homeopathy is safe and permanent, there is a shift from Allopathy to Homeopathy." In fact, research conducted by Dr Batra's four years back revealed that Homeopathy is now the first option for chronic diseases. Earlier, Homeopathy was considered the last option. Also, in the alternative segment, Ayurveda is moving neck to neck with this segment, but Homeopathy seems to have certain distinctive advantages. Practicing Homeopath as well as a research scientist in Homeopathy, Jalgoan-based Dr Mahendra Kabra who has 10 research centres in London and runs his cyber clinic gives an insight. "It is true that Ayurveda is quite popular because it's a stream that originated in the country. But, off late the rising cost of Ayurvedic medicine due to paucity of herbal plants and extinction of various species are some limitations affecting Ayurveda. On the other hand, Homeopathic drugs are most eco-friendly. One can treat the global population with a kilo of basic drug substance. It's truly 'nano."

Concurs Dr Satinder Pal Singh Bakshi, CMD, Bakson Homeopathy, "Homeopathy is an effective means of treating chronic ailments, especially hair and skin problems, respiratory problems, arthritis and other miscellaneous treatments like thyroid, bed-wetting, diabetes and obesity."

A recent ASSOCHAM's survey on 'Homeopathy adoption on rise' found that in metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and other satellite towns like Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Lucknow of nearly 5,000 patients randomly surveyed, over 55 per cent preferred Homeopathy as the treatment is safer and physiologically satisfactory with no side effects. The study also found that nearly 80 per cent of them held that Homeopathy users switch on to Allopathy only on exceptional cases and in acute emergencies, otherwise homeopaths are best to be consulted for removal of majority of physical and other aliments. Many of them also said that Homeopathy is increasingly becoming an alternate to allopathic medicines because of their fake contents and patients including doctors loosing confidence in them, the study stated. Many patients also feel that Homeopathy is a more personalised treatment, with greater one-on-one interaction between the patient and the physician.

Facts and Figures

Today around 100 million people use Homeopathy.

Homeopathy is currently used in over eighty countries, mainly in Europe. It is also highly represented in South America (Brazil, Argentina), India and Pakistan

In India, there are 2860 hospitals, with a total of 45,720 beds, providing traditional Indian systems of medicine and Homeopathy and 22,100 dispensaries of traditional medicine. The number of registered traditional medicine practitioners and homeopaths comprise 587,536 that are both institutionally and non-institutionally qualified.

Over 2500 homeopathic medicines are made from sources such as minerals, vegetables, animal, chemicals, etc. Hence homeopathic remedies with its ultra minute dose are non-toxic and bring about safe cure.

All Homeopathic remedies are FDA approved drugs, and are under the same regulations as Allopathic Drugs.

Roadblocks

Whilst the industry has good potential to grow, it has its own set of hurdles. To add to this, the distribution of products in Homeopathy is very poor. This is because Homeopathy medicines are hardly available in 10-15 outlets in a city, compared to the reach of allopathic medicines which is accessible in almost every nook and corner. "But abroad, this is not the case. There are very few practitioners of Homeopathy, but the medicines are well distributed and hence, there is a big market in France, the UK and the US," informs Dr A Batra. The primary reason for Europe emerging as a big Homeopathy market is because of its high referral rate. France apart from being the largest OTC Homeopathy market has allopaths referring for Homeopathy treatment, which further gives a boost to this industry. The illegal practice of Homeopaths prescribing Allopathy continues to plague this branch. "Even though India produces the largest number of Homeopaths in the world, they themselves do not have enough faith in this medicine and start illegally subscribing allopathy drugs. They need to keep themselves updated with various treatment forms. Unfortunately, there is lack of complete awareness about the potential of this therapy amongst the homeopaths themselves," opines Dr Shah.

Agrees Dr Kabra, "Majority of rural healthcare is delivered by homeopaths. But it is highly unfortunate that almost all of them prescribe allopathic medicine. Another harsh reality is the fact that there are not many job opportunities in Homeopathy as there are hardly any stand alone Homeopathy institutions." Added to this is the fact that currently there is a lack of evidence-based clinical studies in Homeopathy due to non-standardisation of drugs. There is no money invested in clinical trials or on research of these medicines.

"I have treated 22,000 patients of leucoderma which can be effectively proven through clinical trials. But I have approached so many regulatory bodies like Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) or CCH, but to no avail. It's the problem of lack of appropriate guidelines," laments Dr Kabra. He is currently working on a project of homeopathy mobile units which will go to rural areas of Maharashtra. Avers Dr Bakshi, "There is research happening in India, but the research data is not coming to the market. There is no institution which can take samples and get into research. Most of the institutions are run by the Government." Experts also opine that in spite of formation of councils and regulatory bodies like AYUSH for alternative medicine, Homeopathy still gets a step motherly treatment and is not aggressively promoted as Ayurveda or Unani.

Leaving aside regulatory matters, successful doctors believe that Homeopaths simply lack the entrepreneurial skill. They are just happy treating their loyal population base. What adds

to their woe is the fact that the doctors don't share the dose or the treatment form that they administer. There is a cloud of secrecy over what they practice.

Dr Shankar Chawala, Homepath who owns two clinics in Mumbai, sums up the lacunae that plague this industry, "Insurance companies do not have a base in this industry and additionally most corporates don't view this as a profitable sector."

Homeopathy Worldwide

Almost 70 per cent of all homeopathic drugs are sold in Western Europe.

Homeopathy forms approximately 14 per cent of total alternative market.

France, with over 300 billion euros, is the largest Homeopathy market in the world, followed by Germany (200 billion euros).

Almost 40 per cent of French physicians and 20 per cent German physicians prescribe homeopathic medicines. Approximately 40 per cent of British physicians refer patients of homeopaths and almost 50 per cent Dutch physicians consider these natural medicines to be effective.

600 doctors practice Homeopathy on a regular basis out of 1,300 graduate members of the London School of Homeopathy practicing throughout the world.

Americans spend $48 billion on alternative health therapies including Homeopathy.

Integrated Medicine-The Future

It is a matter of time that more organised players enter this market bringing in standardisation, stricter regulation and increased awareness and then it would be no surprise that India would overtake the other market leaders in the world, considering its huge population base. Experts believe that with the era of 'integrated medicine' just ushering in, wherein all the system of medicine are available under one roof, it is the consumers who will ultimately decide the fate of Homeopathy. "Homeopathy will receive a major boost only after its integration with the mainstream medicine. The patient needs to be given a choice. If everything is available under one roof, it should be left to the patient to choose a pathy which works best for him. For, the human body is not a machine but a very interesting phenomena wherein systems keep on changing and there would never be only 'one' medicine that works. Depending on his/ her body type, he/she will be able to decide as to what works best on the body. Hence, there needs to be more synergy between mainstream doctors and homeopaths who should refer all kinds of treatments for the patient, be it naturopathy, ayurveda or allopathy," believes Dr Chawala.

He also feels that it is very unfair to always compare Allopathy with Homeopathy as the basis on which the efficacy of these treatment are benchmarked are completely different.

But as far as having trust and faith in Homeopathy goes, it has left behind allopathy way back. Just that homeopaths themselves need to be confident enough of their own therapy and hone their business skills just like their clinical acumen to make it big. Until then, it will always be a mute spectator and give hope to those for whom all other doors have been closed

World Health Organisation

According to the WHO, homeopathy is the SECOND largest system of medicine in the world and is

experiencing an annual growth of around 20 - 25%. It is estimated that by the year 2017, the world

homeopathy market would be equivalent to the size of the entire current alternative health care

market.

 

United Kingdom

Homeopathy is recognised underneath parliamentary law as a part of the National Health Care

System, with several Homeopathic Hospitals being freely accessible including the Historic Royal

London Homeopathic Hospital, for which the Queen acts as official Patron. British Medical Journal

surveys discover 42% of all UK GP’s refer to a homeopath, but 80% of recent graduates are

interested in training in Homeopathy and Acupuncture. UK visits to a homeopathic physician have

steadily increased by as much as 39% per year since the 1980’s, with around half the Scottish

population utilising Homeopathic Medicines to some degree.

 

France

A massive 70% of French GP’s utilise Homeopathic medicines themselves as a corresponding

percentage of the population incorporate homeopathy into their health care to some degree. This is

further assisted by the governments 35% subsidy on all Homeopathic Medicines. All Pharmacy

schools in France teach Homeopathy as do six Medical Colleges and four Veterinary Colleges.

Homeopathic Medicines are consequently sold in over 20 000 Pharmacies across France. The

leading cold and flu medicine sold in France is still the Homeopathic preparation ‘Oscillococcinum’.

This enormous popularity and public acceptance overall caused French President Mitterand and six

leading Deans to officially call for further research to be conducted.

 

India

India currently leads the world in terms of Government sanctioned Integrated healthcare, with

Homeopathy being formally and legally acknowledged so that Homeopathic Physicians enjoy the

same legal standing as western allopathic doctors. There are over 200 000 Homeopathic Physicians

in India having graduated from a standardised 5 ½ year degree from one of over 180 Homeopathic

Medical Colleges. Over 5000 Government run Homeopathy clinics currently operate in India, with

the WHO stating that ‘Homeopathic treatments seem well suited for treatment in rural areas’.         

America

Although the US was the centre of Homeopathic Medicine at the beginning of the 20th century with

101 accredited institutions, over 20 000 hospital beds and around 300 000 outpatients treated per

annum, after the legal attack received via the 1913 Flexnor Report and the closure of all major

Homeopathic teaching colleges its popularity fell from around 35% of the population under

Homeopathic care to less than 5%. It is only since the 1970’s that Homeopathy has begun to gain

popularity again in the states, but has done so dramatically with the FDA Consumer reporting a

1000% increase by the early 80’s.

Brazil

Homeopathy was acknowledged as a medical specialty by the Federal Council of Medicine (CFM) in

1980 (Resolution CFM 1000/80) and the Brazilian Medical Association (AMB) confers the degree of

specialist since 1990. Homeopathic physicians, thus, are a part of the medical community.

Homeopathy is taught in lato sensu post-graduation programs (1,200-hours) hosted by institutions

associated with the Brazilian Homeopathic Medical Association (AMHB). Homeopathic consultations

are covered by medical insurance companies and since 1985 were also made available at the

National Health System. It is estimated that there are about 15,000 homeopathic medical

practitioners in the country. In a survey carried out the last decade among Brazilian doctors by

Fiocruz Foundation and CFM [4], homeopathy ranked 17th among 61 medical specialties regarding

the number of doctors who defined it as their primary area of activity.