NEW DELHI: On the eve of International Yoga Day, a study has revealed that India is facing a shortage of about three lakh yoga instructors, as against the requirement of over 5 lakh.
The findings of the report, released by industry body Assocham, assume significance as there is growing awareness about the benefits of yoga and the government is making efforts to promote it as a means of healthy living.
The current demand for yoga gurus is about 5 lakh in India and this has also translated into greater enthusiasm to take up yoga as career, says the report.
The scope of yoga as career is a wide canvas from opportunities to work in nature resorts to schools, to fitness centres to your own studios to even becoming personal yoga instructors of celebrities, noted the report prepared by Assocham Social Development Foundation (ASDF) on the basis of feedback from major metropolitan cities.
A majority of the people are ready to shell out from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000 a month for yoga classes, as they consider it an investment for their physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, revealed the paper.
According to the report, the demand for yoga teachers is at an all-time high in Southeast Asia and India has emerged as one of the biggest yoga teachers’ exporters to Southeast Asia as well as China.
An estimated 3,000 Indian yoga teachers are teaching in China and most of them belong to Haridwar and Rishikesh, which are said to be the yoga capitals and home to various yoga schools.