As the BRICS bloc pushes for a more multipolar global order, the focus must extend beyond reducing dependence on dominant currencies to encompass knowledge sovereignty, according to Sidhharrth S Kumaar, Chief Researcher at the Indic Knowledge Policy Think Tank, NumroVani.
Kumaar argues that the grouping must address how artificial intelligence and digital platforms increasingly shape the preservation and use of knowledge. He emphasizes that the global contest for sovereignty now includes data, AI, and the power to shape narratives, questioning whose knowledge will train sovereign AI systems and whose worldview they will reproduce.
Why Knowledge Sovereignty Matters for BRICS
BRICS countries are custodians of some of the world’s oldest traditional and indigenous knowledge systems. However, much of this invaluable knowledge remains underrepresented in dominant digital datasets, often inadequately translated or interpreted through frameworks developed externally. This absence is critical, as a multipolar financial order built upon a largely unipolar knowledge architecture will remain incomplete.
New Delhi Declaration Paves the Way
The New Delhi Declaration has already recognized traditional and indigenous knowledge within BRICS cooperation. It welcomed India’s initiative to circulate guiding principles for academic collaboration and encouraged the BRICS Network University to consider these knowledge systems as an additional International Thematic Group. The declaration also supported a proposed BRICS Expert Working Group on Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine, covering areas such as medicinal plants, herbal preparations, and evidence-based approaches.
Proposing a Traditional Knowledge Alliance
Kumaar’s central proposal is to consolidate these distributed initiatives under a unified Traditional Knowledge Alliance. Such an alliance could support comprehensive research, including documentation, translation, scientific testing, and responsible contemporary application of traditional knowledge.
Initial areas of focus could include preventive healthcare, mental well-being, nutrition, sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, and human behavior. This strategic move could transform heritage into significant economic opportunity, especially given the global wellness economy's projected growth from $6.8 trillion in 2024 to nearly $9.8 trillion by 2029.
Ensuring Credibility and Protection
For the alliance to be credible and effective, rigorous evaluation of traditional claims is essential. Furthermore, robust protections for intellectual property and community ownership are paramount. Kumaar stresses that attribution, intellectual property rights, community ownership, benefit-sharing, and protection against biopiracy must remain core principles, particularly as this knowledge integrates into AI datasets.
Ultimately, this proposal reframes BRICS’ sovereignty agenda, suggesting that while de-dollarisation aims to reduce financial dependence, knowledge cooperation is vital to prevent the emerging digital economy from being shaped by a single dominant worldview.