Global spotlight on Ayurveda: India, Brazil collaborate at 3rd International Conference

It commemorated 40 years of Ayurveda in Brazil and brought together experts, practitioners, scholars, and students from across Latin America and India.

The deliberations centered on the theme “Diversity and Inclusion in Ayurveda: Caring for Everybody and Every Being.”

The conference was inaugurated by Ambassador of India to Brazil, Dinesh Bhatia, who highlighted the growing collaboration between India and Brazil in traditional systems of healthcare.

He observed that Ayurveda’s global relevance is being reinforced through advancing scientific research and international collaboration, which will further find expression at the forthcoming WHO–Ministry of Ayush Global Summit on Traditional Medicine, to be held in New Delhi from 17th to 19th December 2025

The Ambassador acknowledged Brazil’s pioneering contribution as the first South American country to officially recognize Ayurveda and referred to the recent visit of Brazil’s Vice President, Geraldo Alckmin, to the All India Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi, as a landmark in strengthening bilateral cooperation. Commending SVCC for its continued dedication to promoting Ayurveda and Indian culture, the Ambassador conveyed appreciation to the Ministry of Ayush for supporting such initiatives.

Delivering the keynote address, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, Dr. (Vaidya) Rajesh Kotecha, emphasized that Ayurveda embodies inclusivity, compassion, and the holistic equilibrium of body, mind, and environment. He highlighted the strong India–Brazil partnership in traditional medicine, reinforced through a Memorandum of Understanding between the respective Ministries of Health and through institutional collaborations involving the National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur, and Brazilian universities.

Dr. Kotecha lauded the teachers, researchers, and practitioners who have advanced Ayurveda in Brazil over the past four decades. On behalf of the Union Minister of Ayush, Shri Prataprao Jadhav, he reiterated India’s commitment, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, to deepen cooperation between the two nations in advancing evidence-based traditional medicine.

In her remarks, Dr. Jyoti Kiran Shukla, Director of SVCC, emphasized the shared heritage of wellness traditions between India and Brazil and the role of SVCC and ICCR in promoting cultural and academic collaboration in Ayurveda.

The conference featured thematic lectures, plenary sessions, and a general assembly focusing on critical issues including ancestral knowledge, diversity and inclusion in Ayurveda, and the professional regulation of Ayurveda in Brazil. Organizers announced that Ayurveda has now been included in the Brazilian Classification of Occupations, marking a historic recognition for the system.

The Consul General of India in São Paulo, Hansraj Singh Verma underscored the importance of India–Brazil cooperation in advancing natural and preventive healthcare solutions.

The two-day programme included lectures such as Daivavyapashraya: The Healing of the Soul – A Bridge between the Ganges and the West by Paulo Bastos Gonçalves, From Prithvi to Ākāśa: The Journey of Subtle Transformation by Vanessa Santetti, and Ayurveda as a Path of Healing by Dr. Rita Beatriz Tocantins, among several others. The conference concluded with the roundtable The Future of Ayurveda in Brazil: Building the Next 40 Years.

The deliberations reaffirmed the growing global footprint of Ayurveda and set the stage for the upcoming WHO–Ministry of Ayush Global Summit on Traditional Medicine in New Delhi, which aims to further consolidate international cooperation in holistic health and sustainable wellness.