Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is giving acute focus and emphasis on promoting traditional Indian practice of Yoga by organizing a grand event to mark International Yoga Day on June 21.
This initiative has promoted Indian Yoga in a big way across the globe and all big nations are eyeing on India’s big Yoga celebration.
According to the recent reports of leading business daily, The Economic Times, Indian Tourism Ministry has spent about Rs10 crores on marketing the grand Yoga Endeavour around the world with 14 daylong brand building exercise including TV & Radio commercials, bill boards, broachers and much more to promotional stunts.
Moreover, the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry has been allotted Rs5.5 crore from the ministry of AYUSH, which is spearheading the Yoga event on June 21st, says media reports.
The increased focus on yoga by PM Modi and his government, coupled with growing awareness and implementation of workplace Yoga practices at big corporates has opened new avenues of earnings for yoga practitioners.
According to an ASSOCHAM paper, with commensurate demand, Yoga practitioners and trainers are set to grow by 30-35 per cent in the years to come.
"Today, Yoga has millions of practitioners worldwide. It promises to become multi-billion dollar market in the form of health clinics, Ayurveda resorts, holiday camps, corporate training etc.," said D S Rawat, Secretary General of ASSOCHAM.
Commenting on the same, Pallavi Aggarwal, Director, Bikram Yoga Delhi, exclusively told WI Bureau, “Modi has got Midas touch, whatever he touches turns into gold we strongly support Mr. Modi for what he is doing for Yoga. This shows his commitment and confidence in this ancient Indian practice. We are lucky to have Modi on Yoga’s side. We have all to gain nothing to lose in this.”
She further added, “Yoga is integral part of our civilization and with time it has lost its sheen, all it needs is recognition and awareness of the benefits. To reach a level at which it contributes to Indian economy it needs right medium and promoters who have belief and strength to back it up. Finding a Brand Ambassador like Narendra Modi will help in reinstating the confidence in the concept and future of Yoga. Need of the hour is to commercialize the benefits of Yoga and recognize and organize Yoga as an Industry.”
Expectedly, various big celebs and Bollywood stars like Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Anil Kapoor and Manisha Koirala would be seen promoting Yoga across the country with PM Modi in their own way. Reportedly, Kundra has received a specialinvite from PM Modi to join the grand endeavour with him at Rajpath in national capital.
Meanhwile, WI Bureau spoken to Celebrity Yoga Practitioner, Gunjan Kochhar, who is currently hosting a hit show ‘Fit Rahe India’ (India remains fit) on NDTV India, to find out herreaction over PM Modi’s efforts to promote Yoga in a big way.
“I totally believe that this move would bring positive developments to the Indian economy. Certainly yoga can be one of the big supporters in the GDP and does require more support and encouragement,” said the Celebrity Yoga Practitioner.
She also unveiled her big plans to not only spread Indian Yoga across the globe, but to promote it in the whorehouse to prevent health issue among women.
“My plan is to connect with more and more studios worldwide and do workshops in promoting the same. Also, encouraging the teachers from across the world to stay in India for few weeks and study more about Indian traditional practice ofYoga. I have already been brining my yoga friends in other countries to teach in my studio. I am also creating programmes to reach at grassroots levels where those people who really are willing to learn, teach and train at nominal fees and start teaching every where they desire to. Even in Red light areas, I am also looking at tremendous support from companies who would be willing to support me in promoting Yoga to improve health of women in big way,” informed Kochhar.
Reportedly, about 14.3 million people practiced yoga in the India in 2013, up from 6.3 million in 2001. Its popularity among celebrities makes teaching yoga a lucrative profession, from Rs400 to Rs1,500 per hour charges of Yoga Practitioners in big metros depending upon the policy of the institution and experience, the paper said.
In fact, PM Modi himself performs Yoga on a daily basis to improve his health and combat high pressure of his current designation.
Thus, Wellness India urges all its followers to support PM Modi to participate in International Yoga Day by taking out couple of minutes from your busy life and start with deep breath exercise today.
