KYIV. Nov 21 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Quality standards should be introduced to develop Ayurveda and yoga in Ukraine, according to Ambassador of the Republic of India to Ukraine Partha Satpathy.

Satpathy said that the standardization is need so that Ayurveda is recognized in the same way in India, Ukraine and other countries.

"The government of India pays attention to the implementation of quality and standardization. Quality applies to both Ayurvedic products and services so that the effectiveness of Ayurveda is 100%. The combination of these [standardization] principles will allow the effective distribution of Ayurveda in the world," he said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Wednesday.

The ambassador said that the government of India intends to spread Ayurveda throughout the world and make it generally accepted. "Ayurveda is a very old tradition in India. According to statistics, it is practiced by approximately 70% of families in India. Therefore, our government is focusing on spreading Ayurveda around the world to make it generally accepted," Satpathy said.

Satpathy said that in India, the business sector that promotes Ayurveda (natural medicines, Ayurvedic services, including various types of tourism: medical, anti-stress, spa) reaches $4 billion. "Ayurveda is so important because, according to our estimates, the level of this sector, when it comes to medicine and business, is about $4 billion, and this figure can grow to $10 billion by 2022," the ambassador said.

However, he said that the Indian authorities are paying much attention to the promotion of yoga, as "yoga is more popular, and Indian practice is based on a combination of yoga and Ayurveda, which will achieve harmony in life."

In turn, Board Chairman of the Ukrainian Association of Ayurveda-Yoga Kundan Sandwar said that by the middle of 2020, a Yoga Institute and an Ayurveda Institute would be created in Ukraine.

"Ayurveda and yoga are widespread in different countries. In Dubai, they created a yoga program in schools. There is a pilot in the U.K. There are many Ayurvedic centers in Europe. In Ukraine, there are about 30 Ayurveda and 150 yoga centers. Two institutions will be created by the middle of next year. One has already been created. This is the Ukrainian Institute of Yoga. We are waiting for accreditation, and there will be an Ayurveda Institute," he said.