News- India and Brazil exchanged the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) access Agreement during President Lula’s State Visit to India in February 2026.
About Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL)
- It is a globally unique database of Indian traditional knowledge.
- Established by: It was established in 2001 by the Government of India.
- Ministry involved: The Ministry of AYUSH was involved in its establishment in collaboration with Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
- Objective: Its primary objective is to prevent the erroneous grant of patents on Indian traditional knowledge and to safeguard the country’s knowledge heritage from misappropriation.
Key Features
- Comprehensive Database: It contains information on over 5.2 lakh formulations and practices from Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Yoga, sourced from authoritative traditional texts.
- Structured and Translated Content: Knowledge from multiple languages and disciplines is translated, structured and linked with modern scientific and technical terminology.
- Multilingual Access: The database is available in English, German, French, Japanese and Spanish.
- Controlled Access:
- Access to the TKDL database is provided to patent offices through Non-Disclosure Agreements to ensure controlled use.
- With the inclusion of the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) of Brazil, the total number of patent offices worldwide that have access to the TKDL has increased to eighteen.
