The health department has approved the use of cinnamon as a treatment for asthma, arthritis, and a range of other common ailments.
The medicine, which is made by an Indonesian firm, has been widely used by patients for more than two decades to treat respiratory problems such as coughs and wheezes, and has been shown to help treat asthma, as well as some other diseases, such as heart disease.
The ministry said the medicine is safe and effective and it can be used by people with respiratory problems as well.
“This is the first medicinal product approved for use by the Indian Health Service in India,” the department said in a statement on Tuesday.
The company, which has a base in Indonesia, had raised about $1.5 million in crowdfunding, which it expects to raise up to $5 million.
India is home to more than 80 percent of the world’s population, but only a quarter of its annual revenue.