The World Health Organization has renewed its recognition of India’s Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY) as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine (Yoga), extending the designation through 2029. The move reinforces India’s position at the forefront of evidence-based yoga research and signals growing global acceptance of yoga as a legitimate public health tool.
A Decade-Long Partnership Deepens
The WHO Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine (Yoga) has been operational under WHO’s South-East Asia Regional Office since April 2013. This latest re-designation for the 2025–2029 cycle marks a significant deepening of the partnership, with MDNIY now tasked with developing standardized, evidence-based yoga interventions targeting non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and stress-related disorders.
The renewed mandate comes at a time when global health systems are increasingly looking to complementary approaches to address the rising burden of chronic disease. According to recent WHO data, non-communicable diseases account for 74% of all deaths worldwide, making preventive strategies more critical than ever.
What the Designation Means in Practice
Under its renewed role, MDNIY will serve as a global resource center for yoga-related health information, assist WHO in developing international standards for the safe and effective use of yoga therapy, produce educational and practice materials grounded in scientific evidence, and conduct specialized training programs for health professionals and WHO fellows from around the world.
The institute has already built an impressive network of research partnerships with institutions including AIIMS Delhi, Lady Hardinge Medical College, the Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine, and the Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences in Delhi. These collaborations have produced a growing body of peer-reviewed research on yoga’s therapeutic applications.
m-Yoga App Surpasses 110,000 Downloads
One tangible outcome of the WHO-MDNIY partnership has been the m-Yoga mobile platform, which has now surpassed 110,000 downloads globally. Developed in collaboration with WHO, the app offers guided yoga practices designed to make scientifically validated wellness routines accessible to users regardless of their location or experience level.
The app represents a broader shift toward digital health delivery that accelerated during the pandemic era and continues to shape how wellness practices reach new audiences. For yoga practitioners and teachers alike, it signals an era where traditional practices are being validated and distributed through modern channels.
Global Implications for the Yoga Community
The WHO’s continued endorsement of yoga research carries significant implications for the global yoga community. As standardized protocols emerge from MDNIY’s work, yoga teachers and therapists worldwide may find themselves operating within increasingly recognized frameworks, potentially opening doors to integration with conventional healthcare systems.
For practitioners, the designation reinforces what many have experienced firsthand: yoga’s benefits extend well beyond flexibility and relaxation into measurable improvements in cardiovascular health, mental wellbeing, and chronic disease management. The coming years of research under this renewed mandate could prove pivotal in shaping how yoga is perceived and prescribed in clinical settings worldwide.
The 2nd WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine recently saw 53 international delegates visit MDNIY to explore how yoga can be further integrated with modern medical practice, underscoring the growing momentum behind this movement.
