India’s rapidly expanding Ayush services sector is emerging as an important source of employment for women, with females accounting for 43 per cent of the overall workforce and representing more than half of employees across several organised segments.
The sector, which includes Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Homoeopathy, was estimated to be worth US$36.92 billion in FY2024-25. It has registered a robust 16.91 per cent CAGR since FY2022-23 and currently supports an estimated 1.76 million livelihoods across healthcare, wellness, education and allied activities.
With the sector projected to reach between US$216 billion and US$318 billion by 2047, its expanding economic footprint could create substantial opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship and skill development, particularly for women.
Women’s Representation Crosses 50% in Major Ayush Segments
The findings come from the Ayush Service Sector Report, a study by RIS released in connection with Ayurveda Day 2026.
The report highlights significant female participation across organised Ayush establishments. Women account for more than 60 per cent of the workforce in spas and wellness resorts, while their representation stands at approximately 58 per cent in educational institutions.
Women also constitute around 57 per cent of the workforce in day-care centres and 53 per cent in hospitals.
The figures indicate that women are playing an increasingly important role across different layers of the Ayush ecosystem, ranging from healthcare delivery and teaching to wellness services and allied professional activities.
The growing participation is particularly notable as the Ayush economy expands beyond traditional clinical practice into organised wellness, education, preventive healthcare and medical value travel.
Ayush Sector Supports 1.76 Million Livelihoods
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ayush and Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav highlighted the sector’s growing contribution to employment.
According to the minister, the expansion of Ayush services is generating meaningful livelihood opportunities across healthcare, wellness, education and allied services. He also pointed to the sector’s potential to encourage entrepreneurship and skill development while increasing women’s participation in the workforce.
The employment footprint extends well beyond large hospitals and organised institutions. More than one million livelihoods are concentrated in local and standalone clinics, reflecting the extensive presence of Ayush services in communities across both urban and rural India.
Standalone Clinics Remain the Biggest Revenue Segment
The economic scale of the sector is being driven by a range of service providers.
Standalone clinics generated an estimated US$16.21 billion in FY2024-25, representing approximately 43.9 per cent of total Ayush services revenue.
Day-care centres contributed another US$10.13 billion. Together, these two segments account for more than 70 per cent of the sector’s total revenue.
Among individual Ayush systems, Ayurveda remains the largest contributor, generating an estimated US$17.73 billion, or nearly 48 per cent of the overall services economy.
The figures underline the continuing importance of traditional healthcare services while also demonstrating the growing commercial and institutional dimensions of the Ayush ecosystem.
Wellness and Yoga Become Key Growth Drivers
Wellness is emerging as one of the fastest-growing components of the Ayush economy. The segment recorded a 21.29 per cent CAGR, reflecting rising consumer interest in preventive health, holistic care and wellness-oriented services.
Yoga centres have also experienced significant growth, recording approximately 75 per cent revenue growth over two years.
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The expansion of these segments is creating opportunities for professionals across a wide range of activities, including healthcare, fitness, therapy, education, administration and entrepreneurship.
For women in particular, the strong representation in wellness and educational establishments points to the potential of Ayush-related services to provide both formal employment and opportunities for independent enterprise.
Medical Value Travel Adds a New Economic Opportunity
Ayush is also gaining a stronger presence in India’s growing Medical Value Travel ecosystem.
The sector generated an estimated US$1.77 billion from medical value travel in FY2024-25.
Although international patients account for only around 5 per cent of patient volumes, they contribute an estimated 15–25 per cent of hospital-segment revenue.
Ayush-based therapeutic programmes for international visitors generally involve stays of between five and 11 days, creating economic activity not only for healthcare providers but also for wellness establishments and allied services.
The growing international interest could further expand demand for skilled practitioners, therapists, wellness professionals, hospitality services and other workers associated with Ayush-based healthcare programmes.
Quality, Skills and Digital Infrastructure Seen as Critical
Secretary of the Ministry of Ayush Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha stressed the importance of strengthening the organised Ayush services ecosystem.
According to him, greater investment in quality standards, skill development, digital infrastructure and institutional networks could improve both the scale and quality of employment generated by the sector.
The increasing presence of women in organised establishments is also an important indicator of Ayush’s potential to contribute to inclusive economic development.
As more services become formalised and institutionalised, the sector could create new professional pathways for women in clinical care, education, management, wellness, research and digital health.
Ayush Economy Could Reach $318 Billion by 2047
The long-term outlook for the sector is particularly significant. The assessment projects the Ayush services economy to expand from US$36.92 billion in FY2024-25 to between US$216 billion and US$318 billion by 2047.
Such growth could substantially widen the employment base across healthcare delivery, wellness, education, medical travel, research, digital health and allied industries.
The sector’s projected expansion also aligns with India’s broader Viksit Bharat@2047 development vision, where employment generation, entrepreneurship, skill development and greater participation of women in the economy remain important priorities.
With women already representing 43 per cent of the overall Ayush services workforce—and more than half of employees in several organised segments—the sector is increasingly positioned as an avenue for expanding women’s economic participation.
The combination of a US$36.92 billion current economy, 1.76 million livelihoods and a potential rise to US$318 billion by 2047 places Ayush among the emerging service-sector opportunities capable of supporting India’s healthcare transformation and inclusive economic growth.
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