In an exclusive interview with NewsX’s A-List, Monica B. Sood, Ph.D. The CEO of Navjeevan Group along with host editor Uday Pratap Singh, she has expertise in Ayurvedic medicine and surgery and also holds a Masters in Business Administration with specialisation in Human Resources, International Business and Law.
She is an epitome of multidisciplinary excellence and boasts of numerous accolades and honours including the Bharat Jyoti award, Glory of India Medal, Lifetime Achievement Award from Steive Awards USA, Woman of Excellence award from Indian Achievers Forum and Global Health Awards 2021 in honour of her outstanding and noteworthy contribution to the health sector.
At the beginning of the interview, she spoke at length about how her journey with Navjeevan Group began and what inspired her to pursue Ayurveda. She mentioned that Navjeevan Group was founded in 1923 by my late grandfather, Dr. Amarnath Sood. At that time, India was struggling for independence and my grandfather had a totally different vision. He popularized Ayurveda at a time when it was not recognised in India or any other foreign country. He was the first person to introduce Ayurveda to the world in 1923. So, I started taking an interest in medicine as a family legacy at the age of five. She further added, “It was not an easy journey but it was a satisfying one.”
She further elaborated on her views on how Ayurveda can contribute to the development of the Indian economy and the empowerment of Indian women, on which she frankly stated, “Ayurveda has a huge potential to develop the Indian economy. In fact, it is a gold mine for India.”
She further explained the benefits of establishing Ayurveda and herbal cultivation in rural areas and said, “Establishing Ayurveda and herbal cultivation involving the women population in rural areas along with setting up small scale industries based on Ayurveda and medical colleges and research institutes in the same direction will strengthen the rural structure of our country, boost our economy by developing infrastructure, develop medical and educational facilities and develop rural areas which will be beneficial for rural women too.”
Continuing the interview, she also spoke about PM Modi’s vision for Ayurveda, saying, “PM Modi has a fully committed vision for Ayurveda. He is the only person at the helm of the mission to promote Ayurveda globally,” adding, “For him, Ayurveda is a key component of the Indian healthcare system and this can be seen in the allocation of funds given to AYUSH in the past few years.”
Finally, she spoke about how Ayurveda can generate foreign revenues and said, “Exporting medicines, setting up universities and world-class research centres, all of this combined will generate huge revenues for India,” adding, “If we start subsidising our domestic manufacturers, whether in rural or urban areas, it will definitely boost exports and be beneficial for the country.”
Finally, the host Uday Pratap Singh said, Monica B. Sood, Ph.D. She continues to enjoy success and he praised her passion for her work and expertise in the field of Ayurveda.
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