Dr Arun Chandan
Senior Scientific & Technical Advisor · Ayurvedacharya (BAMS) | PhD
Former Principal Investigator & Nodal Coordinator, Regional-cum-Facilitation Centre (Northern Region-1), National Medicinal Plants Board, Ministry of Ayush
Dr Arun Chandan is an experienced Ayurveda and medicinal plants expert, research strategist and technical advisor with decades of professional engagement in traditional medicine, medicinal plant conservation, botanical resource development and the sustainable utilisation of herbal ingredients.
His expertise spans the entire medicinal plant value chain — from botanical identification, cultivation and conservation to sustainable sourcing, post-harvest management, quality assurance, product development, market integration and international collaboration.
He formerly served as Principal Investigator and Nodal Coordinator of the Regional-cum-Facilitation Centre for Northern Region-1, NMPB Ministry of Ayush based at the Research Institute of Indian Systems of Medicine, Joginder Nagar, Himachal Pradesh. His responsibilities extended across seven states and Union Territories: Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Chandigarh.
Through multidisciplinary programmes involving farmers, researchers, traditional healers, entrepreneurs, industry representatives and public institutions, he contributed to capacity building, medicinal plant resource development, quality planting material initiatives, improved post-harvest practices and market-oriented botanical value chains. Programmes under his coordination reached more than 25,000 stakeholders.
A strong advocate of connecting traditional knowledge with modern scientific methods, Dr Chandan has worked extensively on medicinal plant traceability, sustainable harvesting, good agricultural and collection practices, traditional knowledge documentation, quality assurance and herbal raw-material supply-chain challenges.
His professional interests include phytopharmaceutical research, standardised botanical extracts, bioactive plant compounds, formulation innovation, scientific validation, regulatory pathways and the development of evidence-informed Ayurvedic wellness products.
He has also been engaged in exploring international scientific and commercial collaborations, particularly opportunities for Indian medicinal plants and traditional healthcare systems in global wellness markets.
Areas of expertise
- Botanical identification
- Medicinal plant conservation
- Cultivation & quality planting material
- Sustainable sourcing & harvesting
- Good agricultural & collection practices
- Post-harvest management
- Traceability
- Quality assurance & standardisation
- Phytopharmaceutical research
- Standardised botanical extracts
- Bioactive plant compounds
- Formulation innovation
- Traditional knowledge documentation
- Regulatory pathways
- International collaboration
Role at Herboroot
As Senior Scientific & Technical Advisor, Dr Chandan's proposed areas of contribution include:
- Strategic guidance on botanical ingredient selection, authenticity and sustainable sourcing.
- Scientific assessment of Ayurvedic herbs, extracts and bioactive constituents.
- Technical inputs for innovative herbal and botanical wellness formulations.
- Guidance on ingredient quality, traceability, standardisation and responsible product development.
- Identification of research opportunities, institutional partnerships and international collaborations.
- Support for evidence-informed product positioning and scientifically responsible communication.
Qualifications
- Ayurvedacharya — Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS)
- PhD — impacts of climate change on biodiversity in the mountains
- Postgraduate studies in Botany and in Disaster Mitigation
Research & publications
- Swasthya ke liye Antyadhaar — A Book of Medicinal Plants for Health Care
- Shatavari: A Future Plant of Commercial Value, arunchandan.wordpress.com, 2026
- From Palm Leaves to Patents: Who Really Owns Ayurveda?, arunchandan.wordpress.com, 2025
- LokAyurved – Restoring Community Traditions in Indian Medicine, arunchandan.wordpress.com, 2025
- Fragrance of Ayurveda, Future of Wellness: Hydrosols, Arkas, and India's Herbal Renaissance, arunchandan.wordpress.com, 2025
The future of herbal wellness depends on bringing together authentic traditional knowledge, reliable botanical resources, sound scientific evidence and responsible innovation.