GMCL is a spin-off of the medicinal plants conservation network (MCPN). The network is supported by Bangalore based foundation for the Revitalisation of Local health Traditions (FRLHT), making GMCL part of a conservation strategy for medicinal plants through in situ and ex situ means. GMCL was inspired by Amul, where the producers are owners of the company. The gatherer and cultivator sanghas become members in the company. Today GMCL has 5.02 lakh subscribed shares among 44 gatherer sanghas and 12 cultivator sanghas in virudhnagar district.

GMCL lays a huge premium on the quality of plants supplied. It avoids collecting species on the road side and tank bunds which may be contaminated. The company has given informal training to sangha members on the kind of plants to collect. Presently GMCL sources more than 300 tonnes of medicinal plants for pharmaceutical and herbal companies. The main attraction in selling to GMCL is that the villagers can sell directly from their village at pre-announced prices and the weighment is totally transparent. GMCL encourages sustainable harvesting and it has also initiated cultivation in a few villages. The price GMCL offers, while stable and fair, isn't always competitive, especially when rival agents offer higher prices for a product in demand.