India, Nov. 12 -- In a landmark move, the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has, for the first time, released Rs 43.22 lakh in patent-linked Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) funds to benefit claimants across the country. The funds were generated from Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) applications that utilised Indian biological resources for patents and commercialisation, marking a major step toward ensuring equitable sharing of benefits derived from India's biodiversity.
The amount has been disbursed to sixteen State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs), including Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Ben...