The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has disbursed Rs 1.19 crore under the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism to 29 State Biodiversity Boards and one Union Territory Biodiversity Council to support biodiversity conservation, sustainable use of biological resources and community welfare. The amount represents ABS contributions received from companies for research and commercial utilisation of agricultural biological resources. 

As the biological resources were procured through markets or traders, individual benefit claimers could not be readily identified. Accordingly, the NBA adopted the distribution mechanism recommended by the Expert Committee and approved by the Authority. The allocations were determined in proportion to the estimated cultivation areas of the respective biological resources, based on official agricultural statistics published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare through its Unified Portal for Agricultural Statistics.

The allocation details for the ten highest-receiving States, along with the amount distributed among other States and the Union Territory, are given below:

Sl. No.	State/Category	Amount (Rs)
1	Maharashtra	19,46,149.00
2	Rajasthan	13,97,525.00
3	Madhya Pradesh	13,32,250.00
4	Karnataka	10,49,957.00
5	Telangana	9,55,754.00
6	Gujarat	8,84,783.00
7	Uttar Pradesh	8,26,607.00
8	Bihar	4,82,143.00
9	Andhra Pradesh	4,27,541.00
10	West Bengal	3,72,103.00
11	Others	21,86,843.00
	Total	1,18,61,655.00

The allocation covers agricultural biological resources, including maize (Zea mays L.), rice (Oryza sativa L.), pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum).

ABS contributions were received from M/s Corteva Crop India Pvt. Ltd., M/s Pioneer Overseas Corporation, M/s Pioneer Hi-Bred Private Limited, M/s Limagrain India Private Limited (formerly M/s Bisco Biosciences Private Ltd.), M/s Limagrain (Thailand) Co. Ltd., M/s Limagrain Brasil S.A. and M/s Syngenta India Ltd. for the utilisation of maize and sweet corn varieties. M/s Limagrain India Pvt. Ltd. also contributed for five maize hybrids, two rice hybrids and three pearl millet hybrids. For cotton, contributions were received from M/s Corteva Crop India Pvt. Ltd. for research involving 16 varieties and M/s Crystal Crop Protection Limited for the commercial utilisation of 14 hybrids.

The agriculture sector is emerging as a potential contributor to India’s ABS mechanism, demonstrating how the utilisation of agricultural biological resources can generate benefits for conservation and local communities. Such contributions can support the conservation and sustainable use of India’s agricultural biodiversity, including traditional varieties and genetic diversity.

As on date, the NBA has disbursed Rs 86 crore realised from the agriculture sector to various beneficiaries. The funds allocated to the State Biodiversity Boards and the Union Territory Biodiversity Council shall be utilised exclusively for activities specified under Section 32(2) of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. These activities include biodiversity documentation, conservation and sustainable use, strengthening local biodiversity governance, research, capacity building and enhancement of community livelihoods.

The NBA has so far disbursed more than Rs 203 crore, supporting biodiversity conservation and the livelihoods of local communities. As India prepares for the seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 17), scheduled for 19-30 October 2026 in Yerevan, Armenia, these efforts underscore the country's commitment to conserving its biological heritage while ensuring that the benefits derived from it contribute to the well-being of local communities.

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