New Delhi, August 22, 2026: The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has released ₹2.82 crore under India’s Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) framework, directing funds towards biodiversity conservation, sustainable resource use and community-oriented activities. The latest disbursement includes ₹2.80 crore for 27 State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) and three Union Territory Biodiversity Councils (UTBCs), along with ₹2.01 lakh for the ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (ICAR-IIHR), Karnataka.
The funds have been generated from ABS payments linked to the commercial use of India’s biological resources. NBA received ₹2.94 crore from Advanta Enterprises Ltd., formerly UPL Limited, for the utilisation of genetic resources associated with several horticultural hybrids, including eight cauliflower hybrids, five hot pepper hybrids, five okra hybrids and six tomato hybrids. Since the biological resources had been obtained through the acquisition of another company and could not be linked to specific farmers, communities or a single geographical origin, an expert committee was constituted to recommend an appropriate benefit-sharing mechanism.
Based on the committee’s recommendations approved by the NBA, ₹2.80 crore has now been distributed among states and UTs. The allocation was determined with reference to the cultivation of the relevant horticultural crops across different parts of the country. Gujarat received the highest allocation at ₹44.59 lakh, followed by West Bengal with ₹41.24 lakh and Madhya Pradesh with ₹32.73 lakh. Odisha received ₹32.57 lakh, while Bihar was allocated ₹30.86 lakh. Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra were among the other major recipients.
The State Biodiversity Boards and UT Biodiversity Councils are expected to use the funds for a range of biodiversity-related initiatives. These include updating and documenting People’s Biodiversity Registers, conserving biological resources in natural and controlled settings, restoring degraded ecosystems, strengthening Biodiversity Heritage Sites, building the capacity of Biodiversity Management Committees and supporting livelihood opportunities for local communities. The recipient bodies are required to submit utilisation certificates and expenditure statements within one year.
In a separate transaction, the NBA received ₹7.15 lakh from Sumitomo Chemical India Ltd., Mumbai, formerly Excel Crop Care, as ABS payment for access to two microbial strains developed at ICAR-IIHR: Pseudomonas fluorescens 1% WP (strain IIHR-Pf-2) and Trichoderma harzianum 1% WP (strain IIHR-Th-2). As these biological resources originated from a public research institution and were used for research and commercial purposes, 30% of the ABS amount, equivalent to ₹2.01 lakh, is being transferred to ICAR-IIHR. The institute will utilise the funds for repository maintenance, research, biodiversity surveys, taxonomy capacity building and conservation activities.
The latest release forms part of the NBA’s broader effort to strengthen implementation of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, and ensure that economic benefits generated through the use of biological resources are channelled towards conservation, sustainable utilisation and socio-economic development. According to the NBA, cumulative ABS disbursements have now reached ₹185 crore, equivalent to about USD 19.34 million.
The initiative also supports India’s international commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-Sharing. It is aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, particularly Target 13, which promotes fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilisation of genetic resources and relevant digital sequence information.