The action plan is likely to look into the preparations for launching a country-wide campaign to protect patent rights of processes, technologies and products derived from medicinal and aromatic plants. The plan would also chalk out strategies to increase India's share in international trade in medicinal and aromatic plants, as also their cultivation and development on a sustainable basis.

The decision to set up the task force was taken at an inter-ministerial meeting convened by the Planning Commission. Commission deputy chairman KC Pant told the meeting that it was necessary to identify plant species which have the most potential. At the meeting, various issues relating to the development of medicinal and aromatic plants were discussed. Value-added products -- including drugs,pharmaceutical food supplements and cosmetics -- from such plant species were also deliberated upon.

Pant said that an integrated approach was needed to look into the present methodology for survey of medicinal and other plant species, inventorisation and documentation of potentially active plants, conservation and cultivation of such plants in different regions and present level of work for development of value-added products.