The National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) Explained

The National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) is the apex body of the Government of India, set up in November 2000 and now under the Ministry of AYUSH, that coordinates all matters relating to medicinal plants, including their cultivation, conservation, trade and sustainable use. Based in New Delhi, the Board supports growers, gatherers, researchers and state agencies so that the Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and herbal industries can get a reliable supply of quality raw material without exhausting wild plant populations.

India’s forests, farms and mountains hold thousands of plant species that have traditional medicinal uses, and the demand for herbal raw material is rising at home and abroad. The National Medicinal Plants Board exists to link that demand with organised cultivation and responsible harvesting. This explainer describes the Board’s origins, functions, schemes, certification efforts and the issues it deals with. It was last reviewed on 22 October 2026.

Key Takeaways

• The National Medicinal Plants Board was established in November 2000 as the central coordinating agency for medicinal plants in India and is now administered by the Ministry of AYUSH.
• The National Medicinal Plants Board is based in New Delhi and works through State Medicinal Plants Boards, which are set up by individual state governments.
• The National Medicinal Plants Board offers financial support to growers for cultivating priority medicinal plant species, usually as a percentage of the cost of cultivation.
• The National Medicinal Plants Board promotes herbal gardens, conservation areas and in-situ and ex-situ conservation to protect threatened medicinal plants.
• A voluntary certification scheme for medicinal plant produce, developed with the Quality Council of India, aims to promote good agricultural and collection practices.
• Medicinal plants form the raw material base of the Ayurveda and herbal industry, so sustainable supply is central to the National Medicinal Plants Board’s work.

What is the National Medicinal Plants Board?

The National Medicinal Plants Board is a central government body that acts as the nodal agency for medicinal plants in India. It does not itself grow or sell plants on a large scale, but it frames policy, finances projects, coordinates the work of states and agencies, and provides a platform where growers, industry and researchers can interact.

The Board is chaired by a senior government functionary, traditionally the Union Minister in charge of AYUSH, and has members from relevant ministries, research bodies, state governments, industry and the herbal trade. A Chief Executive Officer and a secretariat handle day-to-day work, and the Board’s decisions are carried out through project proposals, grants and partnerships.

Why was the National Medicinal Plants Board set up in 2000?

The National Medicinal Plants Board was set up in 2000 because medicinal plant matters were spread across several ministries and agencies, with no single body responsible for coordinating them. Forests, agriculture, health, commerce and environment departments each handled part of the issue, which made it hard to plan supply or protect declining species.

Concerns were also growing about over-harvesting of wild plants, loss of habitat and uncontrolled trade. At the same time, interest in traditional medicine and herbal products was increasing. The Board was created to bring these strands together and to give medicinal plants a clear institutional home, first within the Department of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy and later within the Ministry of AYUSH when that ministry was formed in 2014.

What gaps did the Board aim to fill?

• Lack of a single agency to coordinate policy, research and trade for medicinal plants.
• Pressure on wild populations of plants collected from forests and mountain regions.
• Variable quality and authenticity of raw herbal material in the market.
• Limited organised cultivation of high-demand species.
• Weak data on the availability, demand and trade of medicinal plants.

What does the National Medicinal Plants Board do?

The National Medicinal Plants Board does the following: it advises on policy, supports cultivation, promotes conservation, encourages research and quality standards, and helps build market linkages. These functions come together in a set of schemes funded through the Ministry of AYUSH.

• Coordinates policy and programmes on medicinal plants among central ministries, state agencies and institutions.
• Provides financial assistance for cultivation of selected medicinal plants through farmers, groups and agencies.
• Supports conservation of medicinal plants in forests and other habitats, and ex-situ conservation in gardens and nurseries.
• Funds establishment of herbal gardens and nurseries for raising quality planting material.
• Promotes quality assurance, including voluntary certification and good practices.
• Supports research, training, awareness and documentation on medicinal plants.
• Facilitates linkages between growers, traders and the herbal industry, including information on demand and prices.

Which medicinal plants does the Board prioritise?

The National Medicinal Plants Board prioritises a list of medicinal plant species that are in high demand and, in some cases, under threat, and it offers support mainly for those species. The list has been revised over time and covers well over a hundred species, drawn from the large number of plants used in Indian traditional medicine.

Estimates of how many plant species are used in Indian systems of medicine vary widely, and figures of several thousand are commonly cited. A much smaller number are traded in significant volume, and those are the main focus of cultivation support.

The Board’s approach differs between plants that can be cultivated easily, which are promoted through farming support, and those that grow only in specific wild habitats, which are protected through conservation and regulated collection.

How does the National Medicinal Plants Board support growers?

The National Medicinal Plants Board supports growers by giving financial assistance, typically a percentage of the cost of cultivation for prioritised species, along with planting material, training and market information. The level of support has varied by species, and it has generally been set at a higher share for plants considered more difficult or expensive to cultivate.

The support was historically offered at levels such as 30, 50 or 75 per cent of the cost of cultivation, depending on the species and its category, with limits per hectare. Because schemes have been restructured and merged into the National AYUSH Mission and other umbrella programmes, farmers should check current guidelines on the Ministry of AYUSH and NMPB websites for up-to-date rates.

Typical support steps for a grower

• Choose a prioritised species suited to the local climate and soil, ideally with a buyer in view.
• Apply through the State Medicinal Plants Board or the designated implementing agency.
• Obtain quality planting material from approved nurseries or herbal gardens.
• Follow good agricultural practices and keep records of cultivation.
• Claim support after verification by the implementing agency.

What is the role of State Medicinal Plants Boards?

State Medicinal Plants Boards are state-level bodies that implement medicinal plant programmes in their own regions, working in coordination with the National Medicinal Plants Board. Many states have constituted such boards, usually under the forest, agriculture, AYUSH or horticulture departments, to reach growers and collectors on the ground.

The national Board also supports Regional-cum-Facilitation Centres, which are institutions that provide technical advice, training and information in particular regions. This two-tier setup recognises that medicinal plants are largely a state subject in practice, since forests, land and agriculture fall within the domain of state governments.

What are herbal gardens and conservation areas?

Herbal gardens are plantations of medicinal plants established for education, conservation and supply of planting material, while conservation areas are protected habitats where medicinal plants are managed so that wild populations can survive. Both are supported by the National Medicinal Plants Board as part of its conservation strategy.

Conservation work links to India’s biodiversity laws, including the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, which regulates access to biological resources and requires benefit sharing, and to rules governing the collection and transit of forest produce.

What is the voluntary certification scheme for medicinal plants?

The voluntary certification scheme is a quality assurance programme, developed by the National Medicinal Plants Board with the Quality Council of India (QCI), that certifies medicinal plant produce grown or collected according to good agricultural and collection practices. Participation is voluntary, and the scheme is meant to give buyers confidence that raw material is authentic, traceable and sustainably sourced.

Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) cover issues such as correct plant identification, safe use of inputs, proper harvest timing, hygienic drying and storage, and recording of the source of material. For wild-collected plants, the practices stress harvesting in ways that allow regeneration.

• Certification improves the credibility of herbal raw material for manufacturers and exporters.
• It helps growers who follow good practices to seek better prices for certified produce.
• It supports traceability, which is increasingly important for exports and for regulators of herbal medicines.

How do medicinal plants link to the Ayurveda and herbal industry?

Medicinal plants link to the Ayurveda and herbal industry as the raw material from which herbal medicines, supplements, cosmetics and foods are made. A reliable and sustainable supply of authentic plant material is therefore a precondition for the industry’s growth.

The Ministry of AYUSH oversees the traditional medicine systems, while manufacturing of Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani drugs is regulated under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and its rules. The National Medicinal Plants Board focuses on the upstream side, the plants themselves, rather than on drug regulation.

Demand for herbal products has risen with interest in wellness and traditional medicine, which increases both the opportunity and the pressure on plant resources. This is why the Board promotes cultivation alongside conservation: farming meets the volume needs, while protected habitats and regulated collection safeguard wild species.

What challenges does the medicinal plants sector face?

The medicinal plants sector faces challenges including over-harvesting of wild species, adulteration and poor quality raw material, unstable prices, limited organised markets and shortage of quality planting material. These problems affect growers, collectors and the industry alike.

• Over-collection from forests, especially of slow-growing Himalayan species, which threatens wild populations.
• Substitution and adulteration of raw drugs, which affects the safety and efficacy of herbal products.
• Sharp price fluctuations that make farmers hesitant to adopt cultivation without assured buyers.
• Limited agronomic knowledge for many species, as many have never been farmed on a large scale.
• Dispersed collection networks involving many small gatherers and middlemen.
• Need for standardisation and testing facilities for raw material.

The National Medicinal Plants Board addresses these issues through cultivation support, conservation programmes, certification and information systems, working alongside state governments, forest departments and research institutes.

Bottom Line

The National Medicinal Plants Board is India’s apex agency for medicinal plants, set up in 2000 and now part of the Ministry of AYUSH. By combining grower support, herbal gardens, conservation efforts and voluntary certification, it tries to ensure that the Ayurveda and herbal industry can rely on authentic raw material that is sourced sustainably.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the National Medicinal Plants Board?

The National Medicinal Plants Board is the central government agency that coordinates the development, cultivation, conservation and trade of medicinal plants in India. It was set up in November 2000 and works under the Ministry of AYUSH from New Delhi. It acts through state boards, grants and partnerships rather than by running plantations itself.

Which ministry does the National Medicinal Plants Board come under?

The National Medicinal Plants Board comes under the Ministry of AYUSH. It was originally set up under the Department of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and it moved to the Ministry of AYUSH after that ministry was created in 2014. The Ministry funds the Board’s schemes.

How does the National Medicinal Plants Board help farmers?

The National Medicinal Plants Board helps farmers by giving financial assistance for cultivating prioritised medicinal plants, along with planting material, training and market information. The assistance has historically been a percentage of the cost of cultivation, with higher shares for certain species. Farmers usually apply through State Medicinal Plants Boards or designated agencies.

What is the voluntary certification scheme for medicinal plants?

The voluntary certification scheme is a quality assurance programme developed with the Quality Council of India for medicinal plant produce. It certifies that plants have been grown or collected following good agricultural and collection practices. Participation is optional, and the scheme is meant to give buyers confidence in authenticity and sustainable sourcing.

Why are some medicinal plants endangered?

Some medicinal plants are endangered because they have been collected heavily from the wild, often faster than they can regrow, and because their habitats have shrunk. Slow-growing Himalayan herbs and species such as Sarpagandha are examples of plants under pressure. Cultivation, conservation areas and regulated collection are the main tools used to reduce the pressure.

What is a herbal garden under the National Medicinal Plants Board?

A herbal garden is a plantation of medicinal plants established for conservation, education and the supply of quality planting material. The National Medicinal Plants Board has supported such gardens as part of its ex-situ conservation work. They also help the public and students to identify plants used in traditional medicine.

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