 Early Times Report
JAMMU, Feb 20: The four-day hands-on training programme on extraction and formulation of medicinal plants under current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) concluded at CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Jammu, reinforcing the institute's commitment to skill development in India's fast-growing phytopharmaceutical and herbal sector.
Organised under the CSIR Integrated Skill Initiative, the programme brought together 15 participants from across the country, including PhD scholars, postgraduate students, research associates and startup founders working in herbal and skincare products. The training provided end-to-end exposure to the value chain - from raw material handling and solvent extraction to formulation development, quality control, packaging and regulatory compliance in a cGMP-regulated pilot plant environment.
Addressing the valedictory session, Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, Director, CSIR-IIIM Jammu, emphasized the urgent need to modernize India's traditional medicine systems and align them with global regulatory frameworks.
He encouraged participants to move beyond theoretical knowledge and focus on quality, safety, authenticity and standardization of herbal products.
He highlighted that India possesses immense biodiversity wealth, particularly in medicinal plants, but must integrate traditional systems such as Ayurveda with modern drug discovery frameworks, including phytopharmaceutical guidelines issued by the Government of India.
Stressing the importance of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), he said such regulatory adherence is essential to position Indian formulations in the global market.
Dr. Ahmed also welcomed critical feedback from participants and acknowledged suggestions for extending the duration of such courses and expanding modules to include additional formulations such as skincare products.
He informed that the institute has already initiated long-duration skill development programmes ranging from three to six months in analytical techniques, medicinal chemistry and cGMP operations for deeper industrial exposure. Earlier, Dr. Rajkishor Rai, Senior Scientist and Head of the Quality Management & Instrumentation (QMI) Division, noted that the training successfully bridged the gap between academic knowledge and industrial herbal processing.
He said participants gained practical understanding of extraction types, solvent selection, formulation techniques for tablets, capsules and syrups, stability studies and regulatory compliance aligned with national and global standards. |
