**Executive Summary**
On February 21, 2026, India and Brazil signed an agreement granting Brazil's National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) access to India's Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL). This agreement, exchanged during a State Visit of the President of Brazil from February 18-22, 2026, aims to strengthen cooperation in traditional knowledge and intellectual property rights. The agreement will improve the quality and efficiency of Brazil's patent examination process.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Agreement Overview:**
* The National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), Brazil, and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India, have entered into a cooperation arrangement.
* Brazil gains access to the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL), a database of Indian traditional knowledge.
* The agreement was exchanged on February 21, 2026, during the Brazilian President's visit to India (February 18-22, 2026).
* **Purpose and Benefits:**
* The cooperation strengthens bilateral ties in traditional knowledge (TK) and intellectual property rights (IPR).
* The Brazilian Patent Office will utilize the TKDL for patent examination and grant procedures.
* The TKDL helps prevent the misappropriation and erroneous patenting of Indian traditional knowledge.
* The agreement supports India's efforts to prevent biopiracy and aids Brazil in improving patent examination.
* **TKDL Details:**
* Established in 2001 by the Government of India (CSIR and Ministry of AYUSH).
* Aims to prevent incorrect patent grants and protect India's knowledge heritage.
* Contains over 5.2 lakh formulations/practices from Indian medicine systems, plus Yoga.
* Accessible in five languages (English, German, French, Japanese, and Spanish).
* With Brazil's inclusion, 18 patent offices now have TKDL access.
* The TKDL has significantly impacted the revocation, rejection, amendment, withdrawal, or abandonment of over 375 patent applications worldwide.
* **Implementation:**
* The agreement will be implemented under the guidance of key individuals from INPI, Brazil, and CSIR, India.
**Impact Analysis**
**Brazilian Patent Office (INPI):**
* **Impact:** Gains access to the TKDL database, a valuable resource for patent examination.
* **Action Required:** Utilize the TKDL in patent examination and grant procedures to improve accuracy and prevent erroneous patents.
**India (CSIR):**
* **Impact:** Strengthens its efforts to protect traditional knowledge from misappropriation and biopiracy.
* **Action Required:** Continue to maintain and expand the TKDL to ensure its effectiveness in preventing erroneous patenting.
**Patent Examiners Worldwide:**
* **Impact:** Increased access to prior art information, aiding in more accurate patent assessments.
* **Action Required:** Utilize TKDL (where accessible) to improve patent examination quality and reduce erroneous patent grants.
Key Entities Referenced
Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL): A prior-art database of Indian traditional knowledge, used to prevent misappropriation and erroneous patenting.
National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), Brazil: The Brazilian patent office, which will gain access to the TKDL database.
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR): An Indian research organization, which collaborated on the TKDL.
Ministry of AYUSH: An Indian ministry that collaborated with CSIR on the TKDL.
Brazil: Country which signed the TKDL Access Agreement to strengthen protection of traditional knowledge and patent examination cooperation.
Ministry of Science & Technology
India and Brazil Sign TKDL Access Agreement to
Strengthen Protection of Traditional Knowledge
and Patent Examination Cooperation
Posted On: 23 FEB 2026 3:10PM by PIB Delhi
The National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), Brazil and the Council of Scientific and Industrial
Research (CSIR), India have entered into a cooperation arrangement on access to the Traditional
Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL), a first-of-its-kind prior-art database of Indian traditional knowledge.
The Agreement was exchanged in the august presence of H.E. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of the
Federative Republic of Brazil, and Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, on 21 February
2026.
H.E. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is on a State Visit to India from 18–22 February 2026 for the
India AI Impact Summit 2026 and bilateral engagements with the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India. The
two leaders welcomed the exchange of the TKDL Access Agreement between INPI, Brazil and CSIR,
India, which further strengthens bilateral cooperation in the areas of traditional knowledge (TK) and
intellectual property rights (IPR).
The Agreement was exchanged by H.E. Márcio Fernando Elias Rosa, Deputy Minister of Development,
Industry, Trade & Services, Brazil, and Shri Periasamy Kumaran, IFS, Secretary (East), Ministry of
External Affairs, Government of India. Through this cooperation, the Brazilian Patent Office will gain
access to the TKDL database for use during patent examination and grant procedures. The TKDL serves as
a key mechanism to prevent the misappropriation and erroneous patenting of Indian traditional knowledge
as intellectual property.
The signing of the TKDL Access Agreement with INPI, Brazil marks the beginning of a new partnership
that will strengthen India’s global efforts to prevent biopiracy and misappropriation of traditional
knowledge, while supporting Brazil in improving the quality and efficiency of its patent examinationprocess by facilitating better assessment of novelty and prior art.
The Agreement will be implemented under the guidance of Mr. Júlio César Moreira, President, INPI,
Brazil; Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Director General, CSIR and Secretary, DSIR; and Dr. Viswajanani J. Sattigeri,
Scientist-H and Head, CSIR-TKDL Unit, India.
About TKDL
The Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL), a globally unique initiative, was established in 2001
by the Government of India through a collaboration between CSIR and the Ministry of AYUSH. 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.
The TKDL currently contains information on over 5.2 lakh formulations and practices drawn from Indian
systems of medicine such as Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Sowa Rigpa, as well as Yoga, sourced from
authoritative traditional texts. Knowledge from multiple languages and disciplines is translated, structured
and linked with modern scientific and technical terminology.
The database is available in five international languages—English, German, French, Japanese and Spanish
—thereby overcoming language and format barriers and enabling effective use by patent examiners
worldwide. Access is provided to patent offices through Non-Disclosure Agreements.
With the inclusion of INPI, Brazil, the number of patent offices worldwide with access to the TKDL rises
to eighteen.
The TKDL is widely regarded as a global benchmark for the defensive protection of traditional
knowledge. Its impact has been significant, with over 375 patent applications worldwide revoked,
rejected, amended, withdrawn or abandoned based on prior-art evidence sourced from the TKDL.
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