President Murmu Invokes Sushruta's Legacy As Global Experts Showcase Ayurvedic Surgery At AIIA, Delhi

If Ayurveda is often perceived as being confined to medicinal plants and herbal remedies, the three days international conference Saushrutam 2026, which kicked off from July 15 at the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in the national capital, seeks to challenge that notion.

Surgeons from nine countries, including India, are demonstrating procedures ranging from keyhole and robotic-assisted surgeries to wound reconstruction, cancer care and minimally invasive interventions, highlighting a lesser-known facet of Ayurveda—its centuries-old surgical tradition rooted in the teachings of Acharya Sushruta, widely regarded as the father of surgery.

Inaugurating the international conference, President Droupadi Murmu recalled how India's surgical heritage had influenced medicine long before reconstructive surgery became an established discipline in the modern era.

Referring to an 18th-century account in which an Indian surgeon successfully reconstructed the nose of a man using techniques derived from the Sushruta Samhita, she said the episode reflected the scientific depth of India's ancient medical knowledge and demonstrated that the country's contributions to surgery have a long and distinguished history.

The mega event organised by the Union Ministry of Ayush on the occasion of Sushruta Jayanti, has brought together surgeons, researchers, academicians and policymakers from India, Thailand, Israel, Austria, the United Kingdom, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Nepal and Greece to deliberate on evidence-based Ayurvedic surgery and explore its integration with modern surgical sciences.

Highlighting the enduring relevance of Acharya Sushruta's work, the President said the Sushruta Samhita remains one of the world's oldest and most comprehensive surgical treatises. She noted that centuries before modern surgery evolved, Sushruta had described sophisticated procedures relating to reconstructive surgery, cataract surgery, oncology and ENT disorders.

Calling for Ayurveda to evolve through scientific validation, President Murmu said the integration of traditional knowledge with modern diagnostics, advanced technologies and clinical research was essential to strengthen its global credibility.

She also underlined the importance of biodiversity conservation for ensuring the sustainable availability of medicinal plants, describing environmental protection as integral to the future of Ayurveda.

The President released a study by the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) titled “Assessment of the Professional Life of Women Ayurveda Graduates: An Observational and Exploratory Study". Referring to its findings, she expressed concern that while women's enrolment in Ayurveda colleges has increased steadily, many do not remain in professional practice.

"I hope the recommendations of this report will contribute to increasing women's participation in the field of Ayurvedic medicine," she said, emphasising the need for policy support and institutional mechanisms to enable women to build long-term careers.

She also urged young researchers and practitioners to embrace scientific inquiry while remaining committed to ethics and compassionate patient care.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu said, as health systems across the world increasingly embrace preventive, holistic and lifestyle-based approaches alongside modern medicine, there is a pressing need to strengthen scientific research, generate robust clinical evidence and deepen international collaboration to enhance Ayurveda's credibility and global acceptance.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ayush Prataprao Jadhav said the government was intensifying efforts to generate scientific evidence and strengthen research to improve public confidence in Ayurveda.

"People usually go to modern medicine first. Ayurveda becomes the second choice. We want people to have confidence that Ayurveda can also provide treatment," he told reporters.

He said the government was investing in research, practitioner training and evidence generation to expand the acceptance of Ayurvedic surgical practices.

Ayush Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha pointed out that postgraduate Ayurvedic surgeons have been legally authorised under the NCISM regulations since 2020 to perform a defined range of surgical procedures after completing MS (Shalya Tantra) and MS (Shalakya Tantra) programmes. But public awareness of this remains limited, he said.

However, reflecting the overall growing demand for Ayurveda, he said, the AIIA in New Delhi now records 1,500-2,000 outpatients daily, with its annual OPD attendance crossing four lakh patients.

Describing the conference as a milestone, Prof. (Vaidya) PK Prajapati, Director of AIIA, said Saushrutam 2026 seeks to create a global platform for academic collaboration, high-quality evidence-based research and clinical excellence in Ayurvedic surgery.

According to Prof. Yogesh Badwe, Head of the Department of Surgery at AIIA, the conference has been designed to promote dialogue between Ayurvedic and modern surgeons through live surgical demonstrations, workshops and scientific deliberations.

The programme itself reflects the breadth of contemporary surgical practice being discussed under the umbrella of Ayurveda. Alongside sessions on Sushruta's surgical principles, Kshara Sutra therapy, Agnikarma, Marma therapy, Ayurvedic wound healing and leech therapy, delegates will witness demonstrations of laparoscopic surgery for appendicitis and hernia, robotic gallbladder surgery, laser treatment for varicose veins, skin grafting for complex wounds, cystoscopic procedures and paediatric hernia surgery.

Scientific sessions also cover breast cancer surgery, chronic wound management, vascular disorders, integrative oncology and robotic-assisted surgery, illustrating the organisers' attempt to position Ayurvedic surgery within an evidence-based and technologically advanced healthcare framework.

Bhanu Pratap from Marriyan Health Science Pvt Ltd., engaged in the manufacturing of advanced wound care products and dressings, such as the SuperHeal wound dressing, welcomed the AIIA initiative, adding that the conference is intended to reinforce that Ayurveda extends beyond herbal medicine and wellness therapies. He said their wound dressing technology was invented by Professor Pralay Maiti (School of Materials Science and Technology, IIT BHU) and Padma Shri Professor Manoranjan Sahu (Faculty of Ayurveda, BHU), combining an Ayurvedic medicine, Panchvalkal (a mix of five healing tree barks), with polymers to create biodegradable patches, gels, and sprays.

At the same time, Pushpa Gond, Associate Professor from State Ayurvedic College and Hospital said, the event places Sushruta's surgical legacy alongside modern operating rooms, robotics and minimally invasive techniques and shows how Ayurveda as a discipline continues to evolve through research, innovation and collaboration while drawing upon one of the world's oldest surgical traditions.