New Delhi, March 22 -- In a push for alternative medicines, India is planning to direct allopathic drug wholesale dealers to stock and distribute homeopathy medicines in the world's third-largest pharmaceutical market by volume, according to two officials and documents reviewed by Mint.

The development is significant for India's pharmaceutical market, valued at $50 billion and largely dominated by allopathic medicines. By comparison, the homeopathy segment is worth around $847 million.

A proposal from the Ayush ministry was discussed last month by the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) of the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to promote homeopathy medicines across the country. The plan is to amend Schedule K of the ...