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Oushadhi

Overview

Oushadhi, formally The Pharmaceutical Corporation (Indian Medicines) Kerala Ltd., is an Indian pharmaceutical company that manufactures Ayurvedic medicines. A public sector undertaking under the Government of Kerala, it is one of the largest manufacturers of Ayurvedic and herbal products in the country, supplying medicines to government hospitals, dispensaries and the open market.

Name Oushadhi (The Pharmaceutical Corporation (Indian Medicines) Kerala Ltd.)
Type State Public Sector Undertaking
Industry Pharmaceuticals (Ayurveda)
Headquarters Thrissur, Kerala, India
Owner Government of Kerala
Administrative ministry Department of Ayush, Kerala

Background

Oushadhi operates in the traditional medicine sector, producing classical Ayurvedic preparations as described in standard Ayurvedic texts, along with proprietary formulations. Its product range covers kashayams (decoctions), arishtams and asavams (fermented preparations), lehyams (herbal jams), medicated oils (thailams), ghritams, choornams (powders) and tablets.

The company is owned by the Government of Kerala and functions under the state's Ayush administration. It supplies medicines extensively to the network of government Ayurveda hospitals and dispensaries in Kerala, and also distributes products through its own outlets and authorised dealers across India.

Operations

The corporation is headquartered at Kuttanellur in Thrissur district, where its principal manufacturing facility is located. The plant produces a wide range of classical Ayurvedic medicines on an industrial scale, while sourcing raw drugs and medicinal herbs from cultivators and forest-based suppliers.

Oushadhi has obtained Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certification for Ayurvedic drug manufacture and has progressively modernised its production lines to handle bulk processing of herbal formulations. The company also engages in research and development of standardised Ayurvedic preparations and supplies medicines for state-run health programmes.

Significance

Oushadhi plays a central role in Kerala's public Ayurveda healthcare system, where Ayurveda is part of the mainstream medical infrastructure alongside allopathy. By producing standardised classical formulations at scale, the company supports affordable access to traditional medicine and contributes to the wider Ayush sector in India. It is frequently cited as a model state-owned enterprise in the traditional medicine industry.

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