National Biodiversity Authority distributes Rs 1.19 crore among 29 State Biodiversity Boards and one UT Biodiversity Council via Access and Benefit Sharing mechanism

Key facts

• The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) disbursed Rs 1.19 crore under the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism to 29 State Biodiversity Boards and one Union Territory Biodiversity Council for biodiversity conservation, sustainable use of biological resources and community welfare.
• Allocations were determined in proportion to estimated cultivation areas of the biological resources, based on agricultural statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare's Unified Portal for Agricultural Statistics.
• Maharashtra received the highest allocation of Rs 19,46,149, followed by Rajasthan (Rs 13,97,525) and Madhya Pradesh (Rs 13,32,250), with a total of Rs 1,18,61,655 distributed.
• The allocation covers agricultural biological resources including maize, rice, pearl millet and cotton, with ABS contributions received from companies such as Corteva Crop India Pvt. Ltd., Pioneer entities, Limagrain entities and Syngenta India Ltd.
• As on date, the NBA has disbursed Rs 86 crore realised from the agriculture sector, and more than Rs 203 crore in total, to various beneficiaries.
• The funds must be used exclusively for activities under Section 32(2) of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, including biodiversity documentation, conservation, research, capacity building and community livelihoods.
• India is preparing for COP 17 of the Convention on Biological Diversity, scheduled for 19-30 October 2026 in Yerevan, Armenia.