Lucknow | Yawar Ali Shah, Co-Founder and CEO of AMA Herbal Group of Companies and former Co-Chairman of the Indian Industries Association, has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy (Honoris Causa PhD) along with a gold medal by Maryland State University. The prestigious recognition was conferred for his historic global contributions to the herbal industry, natural dyeing, and sustainable technology.
According to the confirmation letter issued by the University’s Doctoral Monitoring Board, the honour acknowledges Shah’s pioneering work in innovation within the herbal and natural dyeing sectors, environmental conservation, rural employment generation, and international expansion. The convocation ceremony was held on January 11, 2026, at Gulmohar Hall, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, in the presence of eminent academicians, scientists, and senior representatives from industry, both from India and abroad.
Shah developed herbal hair colour in 2003 and went on to create the world’s first PPD-free natural hair colour, Vegetal Bio, in 2005, which was launched in the United States. The product later entered markets in Dubai in 2006 and India in 2010. In India, it became the first herbal hair colour to be included in dermatologists’ prescription lists, making it the world’s first doctor-prescribed herbal hair colour. Today, brands such as Vegetal Bio and Safe Color are available in India and international markets.
In the field of natural dyeing, AMA achieved a landmark technological breakthrough by reducing the traditional indigo dyeing process time from four hours to just 40 seconds. AMA became the world’s first company to successfully apply natural indigo in the industrial rope dyeing process. Currently, 12 of the world’s top 20 denim manufacturers are AMA’s clients, and the company is recognised as the largest producer and exporter of natural indigo globally.
Under Shah’s “best-of-waste” philosophy, innovative dyes have been developed from pomegranate peels, waste black catechu from khair wood, and residual mud left after extracting shellac from lac insects. These initiatives have significantly reduced waste while generating new employment opportunities in rural areas. Local women have also been employed in the collection of forest produce such as harad, bahera, and majuphal, contributing to social and economic empowerment.
Shah has played a key role in transforming indigo into a new cash crop in India. When he began working in this sector, indigo cultivation in North India was limited to 70–80 acres; today, it has expanded to nearly 15,000 acres. Indigo farming provides year-round employment, with each acre supporting two people annually. Over the past three years, AMA has been actively promoting indigo cultivation in Uttar Pradesh, collaborating with agricultural scientists to expand cultivation further. Compared to mentha, indigo offers nearly 20 percent higher earnings, and with AMA as the largest buyer, farmers are assured of a stable market.
An advocate of sustainable agriculture, Shah highlighted that indigo improves soil fertility through nitrogen fixation and higher carbon dioxide absorption, benefiting both farmers and the environment.
Yawar Ali Shah has been representing India on the ISO TC-38 panel since 2015 and is also a panel member of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). He has presented internationally acclaimed research papers, including one on energy-efficient dyeing with natural dyes at ITMA Milan, Italy. Under his leadership, AMA Herbal Laboratories Pvt. Ltd., Vegetal Bioactivities Pvt. Ltd., and Vegetal Wellness Pvt. Ltd. are actively engaged in natural dyes, Ayurveda, derma, pharma, and wellness sectors.
Expressing gratitude, Shah said the honour symbolises global recognition of the Indian herbal industry and reaffirmed AMA’s commitment to advancing human health, environmental protection, and the rural economy through natural and herbal solutions.
