The National Biodiversity Authority has disbursed Rs 2.02 crore among 27 States and 3 Union Territories, representing their respective shares of Access and Benefit-Sharing contributions received from seed-sector companies for the utilisation of biological resources, to support biodiversity conservation, sustainable use of biological resources and strengthening the livelihood of local communities.

The ABS contributions from the utilisation of agricultural biological resources, including rice, eggplant, cauliflower, cucumber, hot pepper, bottle gourd, bitter gourd, tomato and okra, cover multiple varieties and hybrids. The contributions were received from East West Seeds India Pvt. Ltd., Syngenta India Ltd., Devgen Seeds and Crop Technology Pvt. Ltd., Limagrain India Pvt. Ltd., Bayer Science & Innovation Pvt. Ltd., Nunhems India Pvt. Ltd. and Enza Zaden India Pvt. Ltd.

Where biological resources procured through markets or traders, and individual benefit claimers could not be identified, the NBA applied the distribution modalities recommended by an expert committee and approved by the Authority. Accordingly, the beneficiary share was apportioned among the concerned State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils (UTBCs) based on the cultivation area of the respective biological resources, as reflected in the agricultural statistics published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Of the total ABS amount of Rs 2.02 crore disbursed to 27 SBBs and 3 UTBCs, the top 10 States accounted for Rs 1.43 crore of the total ABS amount.

Sl. No.	State	Amount (in Rs.)
1	Madhya Pradesh	23,81,072.00
2	West Bengal	23,32,913.00
3	Odisha	19,75,559.00
4	Bihar	17,28,852.00
5	Gujarat	13,29,870.00
6	Chhattisgarh	11,37,521.00
7	Uttar Pradesh	9,80,038.00
8	Andhra Pradesh	9,34,864.00
9	Karnataka	7,87,392.00
10	Maharashtra	7,16,971.00
11	Others	58,94,948.00
Total		2,02,00,000.00

 

With this release, the cumulative ABS disbursement by the NBA has reached Rs 202.00 crore, demonstrating India’s commitment to equitable benefit-sharing arising from the utilisation of biological resources and the reinvestment of such benefits in conservation and community welfare.

The ABS mechanism provides an important avenue for mobilising financial resources and channelling them towards biodiversity conservation, sustainable use and local development. Disbursements to State Biodiversity Boards and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils support initiatives, including strengthening Biodiversity Management Committees, updating People’s Biodiversity Registers, conserving traditional crop varieties and medicinal plants, restoring habitats, and promoting the sustainable management of biological resources at grassroot level. These measures can further strengthen institutional capacities and enhance the participation of farmers, local communities and other stakeholders in biodiversity governance.

ABS-funded activities can complement relevant Government schemes and programmes, particularly those promoting tribal welfare, sustainable livelihoods and natural-resource-based enterprises, such as the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN), Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission and Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana. Such convergence can strengthen community-led conservation, sustainable utilisation of biological resources and livelihood opportunities, while leveraging existing institutional mechanisms

India’s Access and Benefit-Sharing framework contributes to the implementation of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, and the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) 2024–2030. It supports Target 13 of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework on the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilisation of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, as well as Target 19 on resource mobilisation. The framework also contributes to relevant Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG 15 (Life on Land) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), through biodiversity conservation, sustainable resource use, livelihood support and institutional collaboration.

As India prepares to participate in the seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 17), commencing on 19 October 2026 in Yerevan, Armenia, its ABS framework demonstrates the country’s continued commitment to biodiversity conservation, the sustainable use of biological resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilisation.

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