New Delhi, Nov. 11 -- The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has released Rs 43.22 lakh under the patent-linked Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism - the first such disbursement in India.

The funds were generated from Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) applications that utilised Indian biological resources for patenting and commercialisation.

The initiative aims to ensure equitable sharing of benefits derived from innovations based on India's biological diversity, particularly with local communities, traditional knowledge holders, and custodians who have conserved these resources over generations.

The disbursed amount has been transferred to 16 State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs), including Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Guj...