Ramdev Denies Medicine Ban, Calls for Overhaul of India’s Drug Advertising Laws
In a high-profile press conference held in New Delhi on Wednesday, yoga guru Swami Ramdev strongly dismissed allegations of adulteration in Patanjali ghee and categorically refuted reports claiming that several of the company’s medicines had been banned by regulatory authorities. Addressing journalists with characteristic bluntness, Ramdev asserted that a coordinated campaign of misinformation was being orchestrated against his consumer goods and wellness empire, which has grown into one of India’s most recognisable brands. He insisted that the Supreme Court had not banned any Patanjali medicine, directly countering widespread speculation that had circulated in recent weeks, and boldly claimed that every product manufactured by the company meets stringent international quality standards. Ramdev went further, stating that no agency in India or abroad has ever found any Patanjali drug to fall below required parameters, and challenged critics to subject the company’s ghee to laboratory testing at any accredited facility of their choosing, expressing complete confidence in the purity and safety of his products.
The press conference came amid a turbulent period for Patanjali, which has faced mounting scrutiny from medical bodies, consumer groups, and even the judiciary over its aggressive marketing claims and the safety of its ayurvedic formulations. Ramdev took particular aim at allegations that Patanjali ghee contained animal fat or bone, a charge that he described as wholly baseless and driven by rivals seeking to tarnish the company’s reputation. He traced part of the controversy to earlier statements made by former MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who had publicly raised the animal fat issue based on hearsay rather than verified evidence. Ramdev revealed that he had subsequently met with Singh, clarified all misconceptions, and noted that Patanjali had voluntarily withdrawn the defamation case it had previously filed against the former parliamentarian. This conciliatory move, Ramdev explained, was intended to demonstrate the company’s willingness to correct misunderstandings while still standing firmly behind the quality of its products. He used the moment to reiterate that Patanjali ghee remains one of the most tested and trusted products in the Indian market, and that any laboratory verification would confirm its authenticity.
Beyond defending his company’s products, Ramdev pivoted to a broader critique of India’s regulatory framework, singling out the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act as an outdated piece of legislation that urgently needs revision. This act, which dates back to 1954, was originally designed to prohibit advertising of certain drugs and treatments that claimed to cure specific diseases, and has long been criticised by ayurvedic practitioners and wellness brands as being ill-suited to modern healthcare reality. Ramdev argued that the law is a relic of the colonial era and fails to recognise the scientific advancements in traditional Indian medicine, thereby placing unnecessary restrictions on legitimate businesses. He disclosed that Patanjali has already raised this demand with the Prime Minister’s office and pledged to continue pressing the government for legislative changes that would allow ayurvedic companies to communicate their products’ benefits without fear of prosecution. The statement signals a potentially contentious showdown between Patanjali and the medical establishment, which has repeatedly accused the company of making unsubstantiated therapeutic claims and undermining evidence-based medicine. Ramdev, however, framed the issue as a fundamental clash between conservative regulatory thinking and India’s ancient healing traditions, insisting that reform is essential for the sector to flourish.
Turning to the company’s economic impact, Ramdev presented an optimistic picture of Patanjali’s role in job creation and national development. He reminded the audience that as a monk, he had spent years taking yoga and Ayurveda to nearly 200 countries, building a global network that ultimately gave birth to Patanjali’s commercial ventures. According to Ramdev, the company has already created employment for approximately five lakh people across its various operations, ranging from manufacturing and agriculture to distribution and retail. He announced ambitious plans to add another five lakh jobs in the coming years, positioning Patanjali as a major contributor to India’s employment landscape. The yoga guru framed this expansion not merely as a business achievement, but as a patriotic mission to give India’s ancient heritage a modern global identity by pairing traditional knowledge with contemporary science. He acknowledged that critics had long anticipated the company’s decline, but insisted that he would continue building Patanjali with unwavering determination, regardless of the obstacles placed in its path. This jobs claim, while difficult to verify independently, reflects Ramdev’s consistent narrative of empowerment and self-reliance, echoing the broader political and economic themes that have made him a polarising yet influential figure in Indian public life.
Ramdev also used the occasion to position Patanjali as a champion against foreign corporate dominance, calling for equal opportunity rather than efforts to hold Indian enterprises back. He argued that indigenous companies like his are being unfairly targeted while multinational corporations enjoy far greater latitude in their operations, a disparity he attributed to a combination of colonial-era laws and influence from international competitors. In a particularly provocative remark, Ramdev challenged the World Health Organisation and India’s Ministry of Health, claiming that Patanjali could treat a condition he referred to as “type-3 diabetes,” a term that is not recognised in mainstream medical literature. He invited interested parties to approach the company directly to learn about this treatment, but notably, this claim has not been independently verified by any scientific body or regulatory authority. The statement is likely to reignite criticism from medical professionals who have long condemned Patanjali’s therapeutic claims as dangerous pseudoscience. However, Ramdev remained unapologetic, framing his remarks as a challenge to the biases of Western medicine and asserting that India’s traditional systems have solutions that modern healthcare has yet to acknowledge. The controversy surrounding these statements underscores the deep divide between Patanjali’s enthusiastic supporter base and the sceptical medical community that views the company’s marketing practices with considerable alarm.
The broader context of Ramdev’s press conference points to a widening battle between Patanjali and the institutional structures of Indian healthcare and regulation. Over the past year, the Supreme Court has repeatedly admonished the company over misleading advertisements, and even issued orders seeking to restrain its promotional activities until it complied with court directives. While Ramdev maintains that no medicine has been banned, the legal pressure on Patanjali has increased substantially, with the contempt of court proceedings ongoing in several cases. His calls for revising the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act are likely to meet resistance from the Union Health Ministry and the Indian Medical Association, both of which have advocated for stricter regulation of ayurvedic and traditional medicine claims. At the same time, Ramdev’s job creation assertions and his populist rhetoric resonate with millions of his followers, making him a formidable voice in public discourse. As Patanjali continues to navigate this complex landscape of legal scrutiny, commercial expansion, and political influence, Ramdev shows no signs of retreat. His defiance at Wednesday’s press conference suggests that the company will rely heavily on public support and political connections to weather the storm, while simultaneously pushing for legislative changes that could reshape the regulatory environment for traditional medicine in India. Whether these tactics will succeed remains uncertain, but Ramdev has made it clear that he will not quietly accept what he perceives as an unjust assault on Indian enterprise and heritage.