WHO Hails India's Global Leadership in AI-Driven Ayurveda

By siliconindia  |  Monday, 14 July 2025, 09:37 IST

WHO Hails India's Global Leadership in AI-Driven Ayurveda
  • WHO has recognized India's pioneering use of AI in traditional medicine, especially in Ayurveda, through its first technical brief on AI in traditional systems.
  • Innovations like Ayurgenomics, AI-based Prakriti diagnostics, and the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) have positioned India as a global leader in tech-integrated classical medicine.
  • WHO’s acknowledgment affirms India’s model of combining ancient healing with AI-driven innovation, aligning with the government’s vision of “AI for All” and boosting the $43.4 billion Ayush industry.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has formally acknowledged India's pioneering work in combining Artificial Intelligence (AI) with classical systems of medicine, particularly its pluralistic Ayush disciplines, in its first-ever technical brief 'Mapping the Application of Artificial Intelligence in Traditional Medicine'. This recognition resonates with India's WHO proposal that led to the development of a global map for incorporating AI in traditional medicine.

AI-based diagnostic platforms in India now combine centuries-old methods like pulse reading, tongue diagnosis, and Prakriti (constititional) evaluation with cutting-edge machine learning algorithms and deep neural networks. These have greatly improved the accuracy of diagnosis and advanced personalized preventive medicine. A very notable example is the Ayurgenomics program, which combines Ayurvedic constitutional paradigms with genomics using AI to identify predictive markers of disease and personalize recommendations for health.

The brief also commends India for trying to unravel the genomic and molecular basis of herbal preparations, bringing scientific empirical endorsement to age-old medicines. Efforts such as the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) have set the world standard for the preservation of indigenous medical heritage. AI-based tools are currently being used to document and semantically process centuries-old literature, dramatically enhancing access to therapeutic knowledge.

Other technological advancements involve the emergence of chemical sensors that measure classical Ayurvedic attributes Rasa, Guna, and Virya marrying ancient knowledge with quantifiable contemporary standards. AI is also supporting drug discovery pathways, comparison of drug action across systems such as Ayurveda, Unani, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and standardisation of herbal products.

India’s digital infrastructure under the ‘Ayush Grid’, launched in 2018, supports platforms such as SAHI, NAMASTE, and the Ayush Research Portal. These facilitate online consultations, upskill Ayush practitioners, and integrate traditional medicine within mainstream healthcare aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “AI for All” and inclusive digital health innovation.

In economic terms, the Ayush industry worth US?$43.4?billion contributes substantially to national development. WHO's recognition highlights AI-driven assessments of Ayush not only as the harbinger of preventive, personalized, and affordable healthcare but also as a factor in economic growth.

Union Minister Prataprao Jadhav called this WHO acknowledgment a "testament to India's commitment towards strengthening traditional medicine with technology", while Ayush Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha pointed to innovations from Prakriti-based diagnostics to Ayurgenomics, reaffirming India's position in verifying and globalizing its traditional knowledge.

In short, WHO's historic technical brief solidifies India's position as a world leader in integrating AI with conventional medicine, exemplifying a visionary model where ancient healing and science converge to define future healthcare.

 

 

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