Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL)
Why it Matters?
WHO’s 2025 brief recognises India’s leadership in using AI to modernise AYUSH systems through platforms like TKDL, Ayurgenomics, SAHI, and Ayush Grid.
What You Should Know?
TKDL was established in 2001 by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Department of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy (ISM&H), now part of the Ministry of AYUSH.
The primary objective of TKDL is to prevent misappropriation of Indian Traditional Knowledge (TK) by safeguarding it against wrongful patents at international patent offices.
TKDL digitizes and documents knowledge from Indian systems of medicine, including Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa, and Yoga.
Information from ancient Indian texts written in Sanskrit, Hindi, Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Tamil, Bhoti, etc., is translated into five international languages: English, French, German, Spanish, and Japanese.
TKDL serves as a prior art database, enabling patent examiners to access and understand traditional Indian medical knowledge to assess patent claims.
Access to TKDL is provided to 16 international patent offices under a Non-Disclosure Access Agreement (NDAA) with CSIR.
TKDL is considered a global model for safeguarding traditional knowledge and is recognised by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).