In recent years, awareness regarding the physical and mental benefits of Yoga has skyrocketed among Indian youngsters and the elderly. The credit for this significant change goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who in 2014 proposed a day dedicated to Yoga at the United Nations. Following his suggestion the UN adopted a resolution on December 11, 2014, recognising the 21st of June as the International Day of Yoga. The Yoga Day was first celebrated in 2015. PM Modi had back then appealed to the people to turn up in large numbers at the Yoga programmes to celebrate the day dedicated to health and well-being. His appeal had such a profound impact that Yoga gained prominence in schools, colleges and other institutions. The real impact of Yoga was observed when humanity faced the Covid pandemic.
During the Covid period, people professed trust in Yoga to keep their bodies and minds sound. Consequently, when the lockdown was relaxed, the number of yoga classes in parks spiked, several yoga centres emerged in offline mode, and many people began to adopt it online too. On the one hand, these initiatives benefitted those who required yoga as part of their fitness journey; on the other hand, Yoga enabled those who would never have believed that the field of yoga would unexpectedly emerge as a career or profession.
Women making successful careers in Yoga
Deepti Kulshrestha, a senior yoga teacher who has taught at Rishikesh Yoga Peeth for 15-20 years, told OpIndia that yoga is spiritual to her and that she is grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the surge in its popularity. Deepti opines that only those who practise yoga from the heart may truly practice it. Deepti also said that she started her online yoga courses after the Covid pandemic. She has formerly trained numerous foreigners in yoga as a senior yoga instructor.
In a similar vein, 30-year-old Yogacharya Preeti Verma of Nityam Yoga Centre in Laxmi Nagar says that 5 batches of yoga are held at her centre. Each batch has at least 10-12 learners. In this manner, she teaches yoga to more than fifty people per day at a fixed amount. Preeti, who has been working in the arena of Yoga for the past 12 years, says that people used to conceive of Yoga as an old concept associated solely with sages and spiritual beings.
However, once Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked about Yoga and its significance, people’s awareness and passion for yoga increased, whereas, after the Covid, people began to feel a need for it on their own. She adds that she provided free yoga classes to people during the Corona outbreak and observed that those who practised yoga recovered quicker from the Coronavirus.
We may further assess the continued importance of yoga and its rise as a profession by the fact that people working in various sectors see distinct possibilities in it today. Sissy Auguston, for example, who works in public relations, began teaching yoga lessons a while ago. In a conversation with OpIndia, she stated that she recalls yoga becoming more popular after the year 2015.
Sensing the increasing health challenges among people, Auguston started giving yoga classes, and as the number of people learning yoga with her grows, she plans to run her yoga classes in a separate space.
Formation of Ministry of AYUSH
While the history of Yoga in India dates back five to ten thousand years, India was assumed to be ‘backward’ in terms of being modern. The paradigm shift in this regard came about in 2014 when the Modi government took measures in this direction. Apart from awareness campaigns, one game-changing measure taken by the Modi government in 2014 was the establishment of the AYUSH Ministry.
The Ministry of Ayush was established on November 9, 2014, with the objective of revitalising our traditional medical systems and facilitating the optimal development and proliferation of Ayush healthcare systems. The Ministry prioritised education and research in Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy, as well as supporting startups in these areas.
Following its formation, the Prime Minister in the year 2015 announced the observance of Yoga Day, and then came about unprecedented growth in the industry of Yoga. According to statistics on pages 12-13 of the Ministry of AYUSH’s Annual Report (2022-23), there was a substantial rise in the AYUSH manufacturing industry from 2014-15 to 2020. The Ayush manufacturing industry was only valued at Rs 21, 697 crores in 2014-15. By 2020, it expanded sixfold to 1,37,800 crores. Additionally, preliminary data from the AYUSH service sector shows a revenue collection of Rs 1,66,797 crore.
Last year, Sarbananda Sonowal, India’s Union AYUSH Minister, had stated that by 2023, the Indian AYUSH sector will secure a market of at least US $ 23 billion. He stated that the Ministry of AYUSH is also implementing numerous initiatives to allow India’s AYUSH sector to meet this aim within the desired time frame.
WHO recognises the mettle of Yoga, craze surges in the United States
Moreover, in the yoga sector alone, the prominence of yoga has grown significantly in recent years, both locally and nationally, as well as internationally. In collaboration with the Ministry of AYUSH, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has also launched the WHOmYoga app to take yoga to a global scale, and facilitate people in any corner of the world to practice Yoga.
As a result of these efforts, the popularity of yoga extended beyond India to countries such as the United States. According to a report, over 36 million Americans practice yoga now, and over 48 thousand pilates and yoga facilities have opened in the United States. There, an average yoga practitioner spends $62,640 on yoga classes, workshops, and equipment. Consequently, the yoga sector in America is growing in a remarkable fashion.
In terms of the global yoga market, the report asserts that the business of yoga reached Rs 8 lakh crore in 2022, with the prospect of a 9 percent increase to Rs 9.6 lakh crore (96,42,18,86,40,000) between 2023 and 2028.
Annual Yoga Day enabling the generation of employment
In a similar fashion in India, not only are those who practise and teach yoga boosting the industry but so are those who manufacture yoga-related equipment, such as mats. Apparently, the Modi government is fully committed to assisting such startups.
In a similar fashion in India, not only are those who practise and teach yoga boosting the industry but so are those who manufacture yoga-related equipment, such as mats. Apparently, the Modi government is fully committed to assisting such startups. According to an article published in the Economic Times on 20 June 2023, the Ministry of AYUSH collaborated with the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) to offer 34,000 yoga mats ahead of the International Day of Yoga. This remarkable endeavour is understood to be aimed at uplifting indigenous artists and showcasing their exceptional skills.
Moreover, MS Srinath, head of Noida-based yoga studio Pranav Yoga, told DNA last year that Yoga Day boosts his company by 30-40% every year in June and July. More than 300 yoga students were enrolled with him until last year, with 112 enrolling for permanent membership in these two months last year. Srinath also mentioned that the number of people signing up for yoga classes has increased in recent years.
