The transformation of Indian higher education demands an integrative model that bridges cultural heritage and contemporary innovation. While globalization has expanded scientific and technological engagement, it has also intensified concerns regarding epistemic imbalance, cultural continuity, and sustainability. This paper develops a conceptual framework for integrating Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) into higher education through three interrelated pillars: curriculum integration, interdisciplinary research and innovation, and holistic student development. Drawing upon qualitative document analysis, comparative indigenous models, and policy discourse, the study argues that meaningful integration requires structural reform rather than symbolic inclusion. The framework emphasizes epistemic plurality, ethical reasoning, and culturally grounded innovation while addressing challenges such as academic skepticism, resource constraints, and global benchmarking pressures. By positioning universities as both custodians of cultural heritage and engines of sustainable innovation, the study advances a model in which tradition and modernity function as mutually reinforcing forces. The integration of indigenous wisdom thus represents not merely curricular reform but a broader epistemic shift in Indian higher education.