Southern Cross University convened a landmark bilateral health roundtable at the Australian High Commission in New Delhi.
Australia and India are deepening a bilateral relationship described as being at its highest point in history, with rapidly growing trade and shared interests in health innovation.
Southern Cross University has brought together approximately 35 senior leaders from government, industry and academia in New Delhi to explore how the two countries' complementary capabilities in traditional and integrative medicine can be converted into globally significant research and commercial outcomes.
Bridging policy and practice in New Delhi
The roundtable was held on 30 April 2026 at the Australian High Commission and was convened under the theme Integrative Health: Bridging Traditional Knowledge, Clinical Evidence and Global Markets. Co-hosted by Southern Cross University in partnership with Investment New South Wales, the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) and the Australian High Commission, the event drew participants from the World Health Organization (WHO), AIIMS New Delhi, Apollo Hospitals, Patanjali Research Institute and The Times of India.
His Excellency Mr Philip Green OAM, Australian High Commissioner to India, opened the roundtable and outlined the economic context underpinning the collaboration. He noted that India's trade with Australia has grown by 200 per cent over five years - five times the rate of India's trade growth with the rest of the world over the same period - and that from 1 January 2026, all Indian exports to Australia became fully duty- and tariff-free.
Professor Jon Wardle, Foundation Director of Southern Cross University's National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine and holder of the Maurice Blackmore Chair of Naturopathic Medicine, delivered the keynote address.
"India holds the world's richest tradition of traditional medicine knowledge. Australia brings the clinical and regulatory infrastructure to validate it globally. Together, the potential is extraordinary," he said.
Drawing on his roles as advisor to the WHO on traditional medicine policy and to the NHMRC on complementary medicine research, Professor Wardle traced the pathway from global health policy commitments, including the WHO Alma Ata and Astana Declarations, through to the commercial and regulatory realities of bringing traditional formulations to international markets.
A US$400 billion opportunity with bilateral foundations
The global traditional and complementary medicine market is currently valued at approximately US$150 billion and is projected to exceed US$400 billion by 2030. India's AYUSH sector - the traditional and complementary systems of medicine practiced in India - has ambitions to develop into a $100 billion natural medical products industry by 2040.
India and Australia hold complementary capabilities at different stages of the natural therapeutic product development value chain. India brings formulation knowledge developed over millennia through its AYUSH systems, along with large-scale manufacturing capacity. Australia contributes internationally recognised analytical infrastructure, clinical trial methodology and Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) regulatory pathways.
Discussion at the roundtable centred on two interconnected themes: natural therapeutic product development, and integrative models in maternal, child and women's health, including workforce development and curriculum innovation.
Ben Roche, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Education Impact) at Southern Cross University, moderated the roundtable and provided an overview of the university's research strengths.
"Our sector-leading work in naturopathic, integrative and lifestyle medicine aligns closely with Prime Minister Modi's strong focus on AYUSH as an integrated healthcare system rapidly globalising. Our Analytical Laboratories are equally distinctive, with one of only two facilities accredited by the TGA for natural products work. Combined with our deep expertise in plant science within our Harvest to Health Research Impact Cluster, Southern Cross University is uniquely positioned to help realise this opportunity". Ben said.
The Roundtable, co-hosted by the NSW and Australian Governments, brought together important national and international agencies – including the peak national bodies for nutraceutical development (Shefaxil) and the World Health Organisation looking to progress greater connection and collaboration across jurisdictions.
Follow-up commitments include joint clinical trial design for priority AYUSH formulations, analytical characterisation partnerships, pilot projects in herbal therapeutics and nutraceuticals, a potential joint positioning paper contributing to the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) health services and pharmaceutical cooperation agenda, and the establishment of an ongoing India-Australia Integrative Health Dialogue series.
