As India records 8 million coronavirus cases, demand for home remedies is booming

The rising interest in ayurveda and other therapies has been encouraged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party

Experts believe that, because of under-testing and under-reporting, the number of cases and deaths is much higher than officially reported

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A customer drinks Mother Dairy’s Haldi Milk (turmeric milk) as a preventive measure against the spread of the coronavirus. Photo: AFP

Published: 2:03pm, 29 Oct 2020Updated: 3:34pm, 29 Oct 2020

New Delhi housewife Sashi scoops Covid-19 “immunity-boosting” powder into a jug of water every morning for her family, joining a growing number of Indians who believe traditional supplements will help ward off the pandemic.

As India passes 8 million cases – second in the world behind the United States – and the death toll exceeds 120,000, people are increasingly turning to ancient Hindu “ayurvedic” medicine. And modern Indian consumer companies are cashing in on growing demand for alternative approaches, turning home-made therapies into packaged products such as turmeric milk and holy basil drops.

Sashi, 50, saw adverts on television for a herbal drink made by ayurveda and yoga tycoon Baba Ramdev “that can keep my family safe from the coronavirus”.

“I thought that since it’s been on TV, it must be good,” she said.

The pandemic has increased nervousness about the fragile state of India’s health care system.

Experts believe that, because of under-testing and under-reporting, the number of cases and deaths is much higher than officially reported.