Dr. Dhanwantari Jha invited as India’s only Ayurveda representative amid renewed India–China engagement
New Delhi [India], September 5: At a time of renewed diplomatic engagement between India and China, Dr. Dhanwantari Jha, Indian Ayurvedic physician and international Ayurveda educator, has been invited to participate in the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Forum on Traditional Medicine, being held in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China, from September 16–18, 2026.
Dr. Dhanwantarikumar Harinath Jha is the only Indian participant and the only representative of Ayurveda invited to the academic dialogue on traditional medicine education during the Forum, where experts will discuss educational standards, qualification and mutual recognition, digital technology and the future of traditional medicine education.
The Nanchang invitation comes immediately after the 26th SCO Summit in Bishkek, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping were seen exchanging greetings and interacting ahead of the summit sessions. The interaction has been widely viewed as a sign of renewed high-level engagement between New Delhi and Beijing following years of strained relations.
The timing also coincides with the 25th anniversary of the SCO, which is looking towards a broader agenda of regional cooperation, including education, culture, people-to-people ties and civilisational exchange. At the Bishkek Summit, Prime Minister Modi reiterated India’s vision of Security, Connectivity and Opportunity and announced India’s readiness to host the first SCO Civilisation Dialogue Forum.
Ayurveda and the SCO
India has already played a significant role in bringing Traditional Medicine into the SCO framework. During India’s SCO chairmanship, Traditional Medicine was established as one of the new areas of cooperation, alongside Startups and Innovation, Digital Inclusion, Youth Empowerment and Shared Buddhist Heritage.
The Nanchang Forum therefore provides a timely platform for India’s Ayurvedic perspective to contribute to the wider SCO discussion on traditional medicine education, professional standards, qualification recognition and international cooperation.
Dr. Dhanwantari Jha’s participation follows an extensive Ayurveda education and outreach programme across China during July and August, including programmes in Huzhou, Changshu, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing, as well as engagements at the Indian Consulate in Shanghai and the Embassy of India in Beijing.
Through Ayurved Nidhi, an institute accredited by RAV–ATAB under the Ministry of AYUSH, Dr. Dhanwantari Jha and Dr. Nidhi Jha have been involved in international Ayurveda education since 2017, conducting programmes across Europe and training students from countries including China, Japan, the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, Canada and several other nations.
Their international work has also contributed to India’s growing Ayurveda and wellness tourism. Through the AYUSH Visa, numerous foreign nationals have travelled to India for Ayurvedic consultations and treatments under Dr. Jha, further strengthening people-to-people connections through health and traditional medicine.
A wider India–China knowledge exchange
India and China are home to two of the world’s major traditional medical knowledge systems—Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Their interaction provides a natural platform for dialogue on traditional medicine education, preservation of knowledge, professional training and responsible internationalisation.
The SCO itself has increasingly recognised traditional medicine as an area for cooperation. In 2025, its Forum on Traditional Medicine in Nanchang called for greater international collaboration in traditional medicine, including training young practitioners and strengthening health cooperation among SCO countries.
The current moment therefore brings together three important developments: the SCO’s 25th anniversary, renewed India–China diplomatic engagement and the growing international cooperation in traditional medicine.
Against this backdrop, Dr. Jha’s participation from September 16–18 in Nanchang places Ayurveda within a wider conversation on education, traditional knowledge and people-to-people cooperation across the SCO community.
From the Modi–Xi engagement in Bishkek to the traditional medicine dialogue in Nanchang, 2026 is emerging as an important year for renewed India–China engagement—and Ayurveda is finding its place within this evolving conversation.
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