• The board will address all issues connected with the conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants leading to remunerative farming, regulation of medicinal farms and conservation of biodiversity.
• The work would continue to be carried out by the respective departments and organizations, but the board would provide a focus and a direction to the activities. In pursuance of the guidelines of the National Board, all the 35 Indian states and union territories have constituted State Medicinal Plant Boards to implement the schemes of NMPB and to explore the medicinal plant wealth of their states.
• The National Board will coordinate the efforts at the central and state levels to facilitate inter- ministry, interstate and institutional collaboration to avoid duplication of efforts.

Functions of the board

Coordination with ministries/departments/organizations/state/UT governments for development of medicinal plants in general and specifically in the following fields:

1. Assessment of demand/supply position relating to medicinal plants both within the country and abroad;
2. Advise concerned ministries/departments/organization/state/UT governments on policy matters relating to schemes and projects for development of medicinal plants;
3. Identification of market and market segmentation to address issues relating to import/export and establishment of an export authority;
4. Provide guidance in the formulation of proposals, schemes and projects by agencies with cultivable land and infrastructure for collection, storage and transportation of medicinal plants;
5. Identification, inventorying and quantification of medicinal plants;
6. Promotion of ex situ and in situ cultivation and conservation of medicinal plants;
7. Promotion of cooperative effort among collectors and growers and assisting them to store, transport and market their produce effectively;
8. Through its statutory status, the board will regulate registration of farmers, cooperative societies and transporters towards effective marketing of medicinal plants, their proper procurement and supply to the pharmaceutical industry;
9. Encouraging the protection of patent rights and IPR and facilitating the prevention of patents being obtained for medicinal use of plants which are in the public domain;
10. Matters relating to import/export of raw material, as well as value-added products either as medicine, food supplements or as herbal cosmetics including adoption of better techniques for marketing of products to increase their reputation for quality and reliability in the country and abroad;
11. Undertaking and awarding scientific, technological research and cost-effectiveness studies;
12. Development of protocols for cultivation and quality control.

The board offers various promotional and commercial schemes for the overall development of the designated 32 medicinal plants and even other plants of well-assured market to government organizations, registered growers, association/federations of growers, traders, manufacturers, societies, pharmaceutical companies, NGOs and recognized private research institutes or any group of people who have three years’ experience in the medicinal plants sector.

The board considers promotional and commercial schemes relating to survey and inventorying, in situ conservation and ex situ cultivation, creating region-specific or species-specific herbal gardens, improved agro techniques including germplasm generation, awareness generating communication-related activities, demand-based marketing strategies, value addition or semi-processing products of medicinal plants and other research and development activities of medicinal plants for financial assistance.