The National Biodiversity Authority has released Rs 17 lakh to Mumbai’s Biodiversity Management Committee under the ABS mechanism, promoting sustainable biodiversity use and equitable benefit sharing.

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• The National Biodiversity Authority disbursed Rs 17 lakh to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s Biodiversity Management Committee in Maharashtra.

• The amount was released through the Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board under the Access and Benefit Sharing framework.

• The disbursement followed commercial utilisation of soil micro-organisms belonging to the Bacillus genus.

• These micro-organisms were used to develop value-added probiotic products, linking biodiversity conservation with biotechnology innovation.

• Under ABS rules, part of profits from biological resources is shared with local communities for development initiatives.

• The biotechnology sector has contributed around Rs 10 crore to the national ABS fund, driven largely by microbial applications.

• Maharashtra is the second-largest beneficiary of ABS funds after Andhra Pradesh, excluding Red Sanders-related disbursements.

• Cumulative national ABS disbursements have crossed Rs 144.37 crore, supporting India’s biodiversity, livelihood, and global commitments.