India Plans Research Push to Take Sowa-Rigpa into Mainstream Healthcare

Union Minister of State for Ayush and Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav outlined the roadmap while chairing the second Governing Body Meeting of the National Institute of Sowa-Rigpa (NISR) in New Delhi.

India is preparing to strengthen the traditional Sowa-Rigpa system of medicine through scientific research, wider healthcare access and stronger academic institutions, with the government also proposing an independent research council and a major effort to digitise centuries-old manuscripts containing traditional medical knowledge.

Union Minister of State for Ayush and Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav outlined the roadmap while chairing the second Governing Body Meeting of the National Institute of Sowa-Rigpa (NISR) in New Delhi. The next phase will focus less on physical infrastructure and more on building scientific evidence, improving education and developing standards that can support wider acceptance of Sowa-Rigpa in India and internationally.

Independent Research Council Proposed for Sowa-Rigpa

Scientific validation has been identified as a central priority, with Jadhav calling for faster research and the creation of an independent research council dedicated to Sowa-Rigpa.

The proposed approach would bring traditional medical knowledge together with evidence-based research, stronger academic institutions and internationally accepted standards, giving researchers a structured framework for studying treatments and practices that have developed over generations in Himalayan communities.

NISR is expected to play a central role in this work through its education, clinical services, research and capacity-building programmes. Ministry of Ayush Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha said the institute has already become an important institution for the development of Sowa-Rigpa and will continue receiving support for its expansion.

Himalayan Communities Could Play Bigger Role

The government also wants NISR to extend its work across the Indian Himalayan Region rather than being viewed primarily as an institution associated with Ladakh.

Greater attention is expected to be given to sustainable cultivation of rare medicinal plants, agroforestry, bio-prospecting and conservation of medicinal biodiversity, areas closely connected with the ingredients and traditional knowledge used within Sowa-Rigpa.

Jadhav said local Himalayan communities should become partners in protecting and developing this knowledge, creating opportunities to connect conservation with livelihoods while reducing pressure on naturally occurring medicinal plant resources.

Ancient Bhoti Manuscripts Set for Digitisation

Hundreds of manuscripts written in the Bhoti language could also be systematically preserved, digitised and translated as part of efforts to protect Sowa-Rigpa's intellectual heritage and make it more accessible to researchers.

Jadhav proposed digitisation as the first stage, followed by transcription and translation so the material can eventually reach a wider audience. NISR could work with the Gyan Bharatam Mission, other specialist institutions and, where necessary, the Ministry of Culture to accelerate the project.

Making these manuscripts digitally accessible could support future research while reducing the risk that knowledge contained in fragile historical material is lost over time.

NISR Envisioned as Global Wellness Centre

NISR Director Dr Padma Gurmet presented the institute's progress in academics, clinical care, research, medicinal plant conservation and outreach, along with proposals for expanding its institutional capacity and presence across the country.

The Governing Body also congratulated Gurmet on receiving the Padma Shri in 2026 for his contributions to medicine and his work in reviving, preserving and institutionalising Sowa-Rigpa in India.

Meaning "Knowledge of Healing" in the Bhoti language, Sowa-Rigpa is also known as the Amchi system and has been practised for centuries across the Indian Himalayan and Trans-Himalayan regions. It is recognised within India's Ayush framework.

The government's roadmap now places scientific validation alongside preservation, seeking to ensure that traditional knowledge is documented and protected while generating stronger evidence around its healthcare applications. NISR is expected to serve as the main institutional platform for that effort as India looks to develop Sowa-Rigpa into a more widely recognised system of healthcare and holistic wellness.