Thiruvananthapuram/Mumbai : Apollo AyurVAID, India’s leading chain of precision Ayurveda hospitals and a pioneer in integrative medicine, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI), an autonomous R&D institution under the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE), to foster collaborative research in herbal drug development and standardisation.

The MoU was formally exchanged during the KSCSTE R&D Summit 2025, held in the presence of Hon’ble Chief Minister of Kerala, Shri. Pinarayi Vijayan. The summit, hosted at Hyatt Regency, Thiruvananthapuram, focused on “Translating R&D Innovations into Scalable Solutions,” bringing together policymakers, researchers, industry leaders, and innovators from across the state and country.

Through this collaboration, Apollo AyurVAID and JNTBGRI will undertake joint R&D initiatives that span in silico drug design, raw herb authentication, phytochemical and pharmacological standardisation. The two institutions shall co-create frameworks for translational research that link discovery science with product development and therapeutic practice. The partnership also includes mutual support in applying for funding proposals, knowledge exchange, and scientific dissemination through lectures and seminars.

Commenting on the development, Mr. Rajiv Vasudevan, Founder, MD & CEO, Apollo AyurVAID, said, “This alliance represents a strategic leap forward in our mission to build a clinically robust, evidence-led ecosystem for Ayurveda-based care. By integrating JNTBGRI’s deep scientific expertise with Apollo AyurVAID’s two decades of precision Ayurveda experience, we are laying a stronger foundation for enhanced safety and efficacy of Ayurveda classical, proprietary and OTC products. Raw herb authentication, standardization and product development that meet contemporary clinical and regulatory standards is envisaged under the partnership. The agreement marks a significant milestone in Apollo AyurVAID’s vision of creating a science-anchored, credible, safe integrative care ecosystem.”

Dr, V. Arunachalam, Director, KSCSTE-JNTBGRI, added, “This MoU reflects our vision to share scientific expertise in herbal drug research with credible partners across the healthcare ecosystem. In collaboration with Apollo AyurVAID, we aim to foster the sustainable use of biodiversity in developing Ayurvedic healthcare solutions by combining cutting-edge science such as in silico approaches, pharmacology, traditional Ayurvedic practices, and animal model testing with time-honored wisdom. Together, we look forward to advancing research that upholds the highest standards of consistency, quality, and scientific rigour in herbal therapeutics.”

The MoU will be in effect for an initial period of three years.