Digital convergence of Indian knowledge systems and health informatics: The pioneering role of CCRAS in standardizing Ayurveda science for global integration

ABSTRACT: The integration of Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), particularly Ayurveda, into global health frameworks necessitates a thorough digital transformation to ensure preservation, validation, and interoperability. This paper details the information technology initiatives of the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) and their applications for clinical, academic, and research stakeholders. CCRAS has led the development of a comprehensive digital ecosystem through systematic standardization, data integration, and health informatics. Its strategic focus encompasses two domains: precision preventive health and literary preservation. In the clinical domain, psychometrically validated digital tools such as the Swasthya Assessment Scale and the Prakriti Assessment Scale convert classical Ayurvedic principles of health and constitutional typing into measurable parameters. These efforts facilitated the creation of the National Ayurveda Morbidity Codes (NAMC) and the National Ayush Morbidity And Standardized Terminologies Electronic (NAMASTE) portal, which collect real-world morbidity data from Ayush healthcare institutions. This data standardization enabled the inclusion of Ayush morbidity codes in the 2025 edition of the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases-11 (WHO ICD-11). Simultaneously, CCRAS advanced research through the Digitised Retrieval Application for Versatile Yardstick of Ayush (DRAVYA) portal and preserved textual heritage through the Ayush Manuscript Advanced Repository (AMAR) and the Authoritative Principal Textbooks of Ayurveda (APTA) digital library. The integration of structured literary (AMAR/APTA) and clinical (NAMASTE/NAMC) datasets lays the groundwork for developing an authentic Ayurvedic Large Language Model (LLM) corpus. Together, these initiatives position Ayurveda as a digitally empowered, evidence-based, and globally interoperable health science, ensuring its continued relevance in 21 st -century health informatics.