Why 5% on Churan is a Masterstroke”
Before we rage against the GST slabs, pause. There’s a method to this madness. 12% on antibiotics, 5% on Ayurvedic churnas. On the surface, it screams unfair. But look deeper—it’s a long-term play.
Antibiotics are lifelines today, but they are also double-edged swords. Overuse is driving us into the nightmare of antimicrobial resistance. If every cold, cough, and infection gets bombed with antibiotics, the day isn’t far when no pill will work. A slightly higher GST is more than revenue—it’s a brake. A way to nudge rational use.
Churan, on the other hand, is not imported, not patented, and not chained to Chinese raw materials. It is grown in indian soil, packed in indian factories, sold in indian markets. A 5% GST isn’t charity—it’s strategy. It makes traditional wellness affordable, fuels rural jobs, and builds an export-ready ayurveda industry.
Critics sneer: “But antibiotics save lives, ayurveda is optional.” True—for emergencies. But health cannot be reduced to firefighting diseases. Preventive care, lifestyle balance, and herbal supplementation are part of reducing the very burden that antibiotics now carry.
The GST Council isn’t blind. It knows people need antibiotics. But it also knows a nation cannot depend forever on imported pharma. Taxing antibiotics higher isn’t punishing patients—it’s funding the shift towards health sovereignty.
In a world where wellness is the new gold rush, india has chosen to back its own treasure trove. And if that means antibiotics cost a little more today so Ayurveda
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