National Licensing

Expanding equitable access to high-quality scholarly, educational, and research resources for learners, researchers, teachers, and institutions across India.

What is National Licensing?

The National Digital Library of India (NDLI) provides free access to selected copyrighted resources through national licensing arrangements established with publishers, institutions, and content providers.

These agreements allow NDLI users to discover and access valuable academic resources freely that may otherwise require individual subscriptions or institutional licenses.

The service aims to democratize access to knowledge by ensuring that learners and researchers from diverse backgrounds can benefit from quality educational content through a unified digital platform without bearing any cost.

Key Features

Licensed Resources

Access scholarly publications, journals, books, reports, and other educational materials obtained through licensing agreements.

Unified Discovery

Search licensed resources alongside other NDLI collections from a single interface.

Secure Access

Access control mechanisms ensure compliance with copyright regulations and licensing conditions.

Nationwide Reach

Promote equitable access to educational resources for institutions and individuals across the country.

How the Service Works

  1. NDLI identifies relevant content providers and publishers.
  2. Contents are purchased by the Government or NDLI and licensing agreements are established to enable free access to registered NDLI users.
  3. Metadata and content information are integrated into the NDLI platform.
  4. Registered users of NDLI discover and access the content without any cost through NDLI services.
  5. Usage is monitored in accordance with copyright and licensing policies.

Benefits of National Licensing

  1. Free Access to Premium Resources: National Licensing enables students, researchers, educators, and lifelong learners across India to access high-quality books, journals, and other scholarly resources at no cost through the NDLI portal.
  2. Equal Learning Opportunities: By making licensed educational content available nationwide, it bridges the gap between institutions with limited resources and well-funded institutions, ensuring equitable access to quality knowledge.
  3. Support for Education and Research: Access to authoritative and up-to-date learning materials strengthens teaching, academic research, innovation, and skill development across schools, colleges, universities, and research organizations.
  4. Maximizing Public Investment: Through centralized procurement by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, valuable educational resources become accessible to millions of learners via NDLI, maximizing the impact of public investment in education and promoting a knowledge-driven society.