BRICS Needs a Traditional Knowledge Alliance, Not Just De-Dollarisation: Why It Matters

Source: Business Today | Original Published At: 2026-09-13 22:05:02 UTC

Key Points

• The article argues that BRICS should broaden its agenda from reducing dependence on dominant currencies to addressing knowledge sovereignty.
• It states that BRICS countries hold traditional and indigenous knowledge systems, but much of this knowledge is absent from dominant digital datasets or inadequately represented.
• The New Delhi Declaration recognised traditional and indigenous knowledge within BRICS cooperation and supported academic collaboration and a thematic group under the BRICS Network University.
• A proposed BRICS Expert Working Group on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine is referenced as part of existing BRICS initiatives.
• The article proposes a Traditional Knowledge Alliance to coordinate documentation, translation, scientific testing, and responsible application of traditional knowledge.
• It highlights potential economic opportunities in sectors such as preventive healthcare, mental well-being, nutrition, sustainable agriculture, and climate resilience.
• The proposal emphasises intellectual property protections, community ownership, benefit-sharing, and safeguards against biopiracy, particularly for AI datasets.