India has become the first country globally to digitize its traditional medicine systems like Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa, and Homoeopathy using Artificial Intelligence (AI). This effort is part of the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL), aimed at preserving, protecting, and promoting India’s ancient medical heritage. The initiative is recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a global model.
Key Highlights
- Initiative: Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL)
- Backed by: Ministry of Ayush, Government of India
- Global Support: Recognized and acknowledged in WHO’s technical brief titled “Mapping the Application of Artificial Intelligence in Traditional Medicine”
- Technologies used: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Ayurgenomics, Digital Health Platforms
Purpose and Objectives
- Digitisation & Protection: TKDL protects India’s centuries-old oral and manuscript-based traditional medicinal knowledge from biopiracy and wrongful foreign patents.
- AI-Powered Validation: AI tools are used for:
- Cataloguing and semantic analysis of ancient texts.
- Drug action pathway mapping.
- Comparison of formulations across Ayurveda, Unani, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
- Identifying and analysing Rasa, Guna, and Virya (traditional Ayurvedic properties) using artificial chemical sensors.
- Patent Defence: Translations in multiple international languages help prevent misappropriation of traditional Indian remedies by establishing prior knowledge.
- Personalised Healthcare: Projects like Ayurgenomics integrate genomics with Ayurvedic “Prakriti” concepts to personalise treatments.
Notable AI Integrations & Platforms:
| Platform/Tool | Function |
| Ayush Grid (2018) | Digital backbone for integrating Ayush services and research |
| SAHI Portal | Standardized terminologies for Ayush systems |
| NAMASTE Portal | Workforce and service delivery tracking |
| Ayush Research Portal | Repository of Ayush-based scientific studies |
| AI in Diagnostics | Applied in pulse reading, tongue analysis, predictive diagnostics, etc. |
Global Recognition
- WHO praised TKDL and India’s AI-led integration as pioneering efforts in aligning traditional medicine with modern digital frameworks.
- TKDL serves as a model for countries like China, Indonesia, and South Korea with similar medical heritage.
Why This Matters?
- Prevents Biopiracy: Historical misuse of India’s herbal knowledge by global firms now countered with documented evidence.
- Boosts Global Positioning: Establishes India as a leader in traditional medicine digitisation and AI-healthcare convergence.
- Strengthens Ayush Systems: Validates and enhances acceptability of Indian traditional medicine internationally.
- Supports Evidence-Based Practice: AI integration helps bring objectivity to diagnostics and treatment in Ayush systems.
Significance
- Positions India as a global hub for traditional medicine research and innovation.
- Facilitates integration of Ayush with mainstream healthcare.
- Enhances India’s soft power through promotion of traditional knowledge.
Key Facts
| System | Origin Region | Key Texts |
| Ayurveda | India | Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita |
| Unani | Greece/Arab World | Canon of Medicine (Avicenna) |
| Siddha | South India (Tamil Nadu) | Agathiyar texts |
| Sowa-Rigpa | Trans-Himalayan region | Four Tantras |
| Homoeopathy | Germany | Organon of Medicine (Samuel Hahnemann) |