The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) realised ₹21.26 crore under the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism during financial year 2025-26, according to environment ministry officials. The ABS mechanism, established under the Biological Diversity Act, ensures benefits from biological resource utilisation are shared fairly and equitably with local communities, Biodiversity Management Committees, farmers, and traditional knowledge holders. As reported by the ministry, the funds generated contribute directly to biodiversity conservation, sustainable use of biological resources, and livelihood enhancement at the grassroots level. The amount was generated from approvals granted for research, commercial utilisation, intellectual property rights, bio-survey and bio-utilisation of biological resources, reflecting growing industry participation in India's biodiversity governance framework.
The seed sector emerged as the largest contributor, accounting for ₹11.75 crore, followed by the Ayush sector with ₹5.56 crore. Other significant contributors included nutraceuticals with ₹1.40 crore and pharmaceuticals with ₹1.18 crore. According to ministry officials, contributions were also received from the biotechnology, cosmetics, chemical, biofuel, and food and beverage sectors. The substantial revenue generation demonstrates increasing corporate engagement with India's biodiversity conservation efforts, with the growing industry participation reflecting expanding recognition of biological resource utilisation benefits and the importance of equitable sharing arrangements.
The substantial revenue generation from the ABS mechanism demonstrates increasing corporate engagement with India's biodiversity conservation efforts. As reported by environment ministry officials, the growing industry participation reflects the expanding recognition of biological resource utilisation benefits and the importance of equitable sharing arrangements. The mechanism's success in generating significant funds while supporting sustainable biodiversity management indicates effective implementation of the Biological Diversity Act framework, with contributions coming from diverse sectors including agriculture, healthcare, and industrial applications.
