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India Honours Ashwagandha with Commemorative Postal Stamp at WHO Global Summit

HYDERABAD, December 20, 2025 – India’s Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, alongside WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, released a commemorative postal stamp honoring ashwagandha at the recently concluded Second WHO Global Traditional Medicine Summit in New Delhi, marking a watershed moment for traditional medicine's integration into global healthcare systems.

Root-Only Standard Emerges as Quality Imperative as Experts Address Adulteration

In his closing address, Prime Minister Modi emphasized that traditional medicine must be “evidence-based, safe and globally trusted,” specifically citing ashwagandha as a model for “advancing global acceptance through evidence-based research on safety, quality and usage.”

The three-day summit brought together global leaders, policymakers, scientists and practitioners from across the world to advance evidence-driven health systems incorporating traditional medicine.

Expert Panel Addresses Ashwagandha Adulteration, Quality Standards and Regulatory Challenges

A dedicated event titled "Ashwagandha: From Traditional Wisdom to Global Impact" was organized by the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre in collaboration with the Ministry of Ayush, Govt. of India, convening international authorities to deliberate on scientific validation, regulatory standards, safety assessment and quality standardization necessary for ashwagandha's responsible global adoption.

Moderated by Dr. JB Gupta, Secretary of the World Ashwagandha Council, the expert panel identified critical quality challenges and evolving regulatory frameworks that must be addressed to ensure ashwagandha's credible integration into global healthcare.

Mr. Roy Upton of the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia stressed that overcoming Western scepticism requires addressing quality concerns, particularly leaf adulteration, which remains a significant industry challenge requiring rigorous identification and quality control standards. Dr. Ikhlas Khan, Director of the National Center for Natural Products Research at the University of Mississippi, underscored the severity of the adulteration crisis, revealing that 60% of 25 tested formulations contained high levels of ashwagandha leaf-specific phytochemicals. He emphasized the urgent need for robust identification methods and appropriate extraction processes to ensure product integrity.

The panel reached consensus on critical quality requirements: rigorous preclinical and clinical research, safety assessment, pharmacovigilance, standardization and most fundamentally, verified root-only extraction. Experts emphasized that inclusion of leaves or other non-root plant material constitutes adulteration that alters phytochemical profiles, safety parameters and therapeutic properties, calling for industry wide adoption of root-only extraction as the non- negotiable standard.

KSM-66®’s Research Portfolio Aligns with Summit Vision

KSM-66^®Ashwagandha, manufactured by Ixoreal Biomed Inc., is backed by 70+ clinical studies conducted at leading research institutions across five continents. Studies examine stress reduction, cognitive enhancement, sleep quality, athletic performance, male and female reproductive health and overall vitality.

“In 2022, Prime Minister Modi recognized our commitment to quality manufacturing and raising global awareness about ashwagandha in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’, the monthly program where he addresses the nation on the last Sunday of each month,” said Kartikeya Baldwa, CEO, Ixoreal Biomed. “Today, as India positions ashwagandha as a flagship of evidence- based traditional medicine globally, our rigorous research on safety and efficacy, conducted at leading institutions worldwide, represents exactly the scientific foundation he's calling for. The commemorative stamp symbolizes India's gift to global wellness. Our job is ensuring the substance matches the symbol.”

About KSM-66® Ashwagandha

KSM-66® is a full-spectrum ashwagandha root -only extract manufactured by Ixoreal Biomed. Made exclusively from certified organic ashwagandha roots grown in India, KSM-66® is the most clinically researched ashwagandha brand worldwide, with over 70 clinical studies demonstrating efficacy in athletic performance, stress management, cognitive function, sleep quality, sexual health and overall wellness. The extract holds 45+ certifications and is distributed in over 60 countries. For more information, visit https://ksm66ashwagandhaa.com