AIIA Hosts National Shalya Tantra Conference; Highlights integrative Ayurvedic surgery

New Delhi: The All-India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi, under the Ministry of Ayush, successfully inaugurated Shalyacon 2025, the 3rd National Conference on Shalya Tantra, held from July 13th to 15th,  2025 to mark the occasion of Sushruta Jayanti.

Organised by the Department of Shalya Tantra at AIIA, under the leadership of Prof. (Dr.) Yogesh Badwe along with his organizing committee and in collaboration with the National Sushruta Association, this national seminar formed a part of the 25th Annual Conference of the NSA. The event brought together over 500 participants, including scholars, Ayurvedic and modern surgeons, researchers, academicians, and students from India and neighboring countries like Nepal and Sri Lanka.

The inaugural ceremony, held today, was graced by the presence of Prataprao Ganpatrao Jadhav, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Ayush, Government of India. In his address, the hon’ble minister emphasized the need for advancing research in Ayurveda in alignment with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He said: “Promotion of research must remain our foremost priority. Through rigorous scientific inquiry, the efficacy of our traditional systems can be established globally. The Government of India has already authorized Ayurvedic practitioners to perform 39 surgical procedures and 19 additional operations, thereby strengthening the integrative approach to healthcare.” Additionally, the standardisation of surgical protocols is essential to uphold the quality and safety of treatments.

The Guests of Honour at the programme included Padmashri Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, and Also present were Shri Satyajit Paul, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Ayush; Padmashri Prof. Manoranjan Sahu, President, National Sushruta Association; and Prof. P. Hemantha Kumar, Secretary, NSA.
In addition, and Prof. (Dr.) Manjusha Rajagopala, Director (I/C; Prof. Mahesh Vyas, Dean of PhD Programs, AIIA; Prof. M. M. Rao, Medical Superintendent, AIIA;), AIIA, Prof. (Dr.) Yogesg Badwe, Dean PG along with other senior faculty and administrative staff of AIIA, were also in attendance.

Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, highlighted India’s leadership in innovation through Ayurveda and technology. He recalled that a global technical meeting hosted by AIIA and WHO in September 2024 led to the release of a technical brief on Artificial Intelligence in Traditional Medicine. Ayush is also advancing AI applications with tools like indigenous chatbots, a unified Ayush Master Application, and integration of over 22 digital platforms such as AHMIS, Ayush e-LMS, Ayush Research Portal, and Namaste Yoga App. India is also contributing to global AI governance through participation in the WHO-ITU FG-AI4H initiative.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. (Dr.) Manjusha Rajagopala noted that the event reflected AIIA’s mission to integrate classical Ayurvedic surgical principles with modern healthcare delivery systems. She added that Shalyacon 2025 provided a vital platform for young Ayurvedic surgeons to observe and engage with evolving surgical practices.

During the event Live surgical demonstrations on July 13th and 14th,  including 10 laparoscopic/endoscopic procedures and 16 anorectal surgeries successfully done .Apart from that Scientific sessions, poster presentations, and expert panel discussions on standardization and innovation in Shalya Tantra.

Prof. (Dr.) Yogesh Badwe, Organizing Chairman, shared that AIIA now caters to over 2000 patients daily, with its Shalya Tantra department routinely conducting general, laparoscopic, breast, anorectal, and urological surgeries. These developments underline Ayurveda’s relevance in delivering patient-centered integrative care.
With the theme “Innovation, Integration, and Inspiration,” Shalyacon 2025 is set to accelerate research, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing in Ayurvedic surgical practice, reinforcing India’s leadership in integrative healthcare.

National Sushruta Felicitations was done in the prestigious inaugural ceremony where eminent personalities related to Ayurveda were awarded. A Conference Souvenir book release was also done by the hands of the Chief Guests, also a PG summary was done.