India, Australia Join Hands to Protect Traditional Knowledge from Patent Misuse

India and Australia have signed an agreement giving IP Australia access to the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research’s Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (CSIR-TKDL). The agreement was signed during the 3rd India–Australia Annual Summit in Melbourne on 9 July 2026, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

The TKDL Access Agreement was one of 18 key outcomes of the summit, where both countries discussed defence and security, energy security, education, skill development, science and technology, film-making, traditional knowledge, and the repatriation of cultural properties.

Under the agreement, IP Australia will use the CSIR-TKDL database to identify relevant prior art while examining patent applications under Australia’s patent laws. The move is aimed at improving patent examination and preventing patents from being granted for knowledge that already exists in India’s documented traditional heritage.

India and Australia both have centuries-old indigenous knowledge systems and traditional practices that can be vulnerable to misuse. The agreement reflects the shared commitment of both countries to protect traditional knowledge and strengthen intellectual property systems through the use of documented prior art.

The implementation of the agreement will be overseen by Andrew Wilkinson, Commissioner of Patents at IP Australia; Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Director General of CSIR and Secretary, DSIR; and Dr. Viswajanani J. Sattigeri, Scientist-H and Head of the CSIR-TKDL Unit.

Established in 2001 by CSIR and the Ministry of AYUSH, the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) is the world’s first database for protecting traditional knowledge. It contains more than 5.2 lakh formulations and practices from Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Yoga, translated into English, German, French, Japanese and Spanish. With Australia joining, 18 patent offices now have access to the database under Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs). The database has helped 375+ patent applications worldwide to be revoked, rejected, amended, withdrawn or abandoned using prior art evidence.