NBA Disburses ₹17 Lakh to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Under Access and Benefit Sharing Framework
The amount was released through the Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board following the successful commercial utilisation of soil micro-organisms belonging to the Bacillus genus.
Mumbai: The National Biodiversity Authority has disbursed ₹17 lakh to the Biodiversity Management Committee of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation under the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism, reinforcing India’s commitment to the sustainable use of biological resources and equitable benefit sharing.
The amount was released through the Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board following the successful commercial utilisation of soil micro-organisms belonging to the Bacillus genus. These micro-organisms were used in the development of value-added probiotic products, demonstrating a practical linkage between biodiversity conservation and modern biotechnology.
Under the ABS framework, a share of commercial benefits derived from biological resources is returned to local communities, supporting grassroots-level development and strengthening the role of biodiversity management committees.
The authority noted that micro-organisms are increasingly becoming a cornerstone of innovation in the biotechnology sector. Contributions from this sector to the national ABS fund have reached approximately ₹10 crore, underlining the growing economic value of microbial resources across healthcare, agriculture, and industrial applications.
Maharashtra remains the second-largest beneficiary of ABS releases, next only to Andhra Pradesh. Excluding benefit-sharing from access to red sanders wood, the state has received the highest ABS disbursements. With the latest release, total ABS support extended to Maharashtra has reached nearly ₹8 crore, benefiting more than 200 biodiversity management committees and seven institutions across the state.
At the national level, cumulative ABS disbursements have crossed ₹144.37 crore, equivalent to around USD 16 million. The milestone reflects the effective implementation of the Biological Diversity Act, and aligns with India’s commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, particularly Targets 13 and 19.
The outcomes also support India’s national biodiversity targets and contribute to the Convention on Biological Diversity and its Nagoya Protocol, reinforcing India’s leadership in integrating biodiversity conservation with inclusive and sustainable development.
