NBA disburses ₹5.68 crore to states under biodiversity benefit-sharing for Okra, Cucumber, Watermelon
Synopsis
The NBA has quietly crossed a milestone — cumulative Access and Benefit-Sharing payouts now exceed ₹191 crore. The latest ₹5.68 crore tranche, covering Okra, Cucumber, and Watermelon germplasm accessed by seed majors including Nunhems and Bayer, signals that India's biodiversity monetisation framework is maturing — even as tracing benefits to individual farmers remains a structural challenge.
Key Takeaways
The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) disbursed ₹5.68 crore to state and UT biodiversity boards on 30 August under the Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) mechanism.
Gujarat (₹88.79 lakh), West Bengal (₹78.08 lakh), and Madhya Pradesh (₹64.90 lakh) are the top three recipients.
The largest component — ₹3.51 crore — covers Okra ( 139 varieties, 28 hybrids ), with ABS funds received from Nunhems India Private Limited .
Watermelon (662 varieties, 15 hybrids) and Cucumber (1,009 varieties, 14 hybrids) are the other major crop categories; accessed by Nunhems , East West Seeds India , and Bayer Science and Innovation .
CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune received funds linked to microbial resources accessed by HPCL .
Cumulative ABS disbursements by the NBA have now crossed ₹191 crore .
The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has disbursed ₹5.68 crore to State Biodiversity Boards and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils under the Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) mechanism, arising from the commercial utilisation of biological resources linked to Okra, Cucumber, and Watermelon, an official said on 30 August. The disbursement pushes the NBA's cumulative ABS payout past ₹191 crore since the mechanism's inception.
Key Recipients Among States and UTs
Among the major beneficiaries, Gujarat received the largest share at ₹88.79 lakh, followed by West Bengal at ₹78.08 lakh and Madhya Pradesh at ₹64.90 lakh. The funds were routed to State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs), Union Territory Biodiversity Councils (UTBCs), and a national research institution.
Okra Leads ABS Components
The single largest component of this disbursement relates to Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus), covering 139 varieties and 28 hybrids. The NBA released ₹3.51 crore to 32 State Biodiversity Boards and UTBCs on this count. The ABS amount was received from Nunhems India Private Limited in connection with its access to Okra germplasm.
The other significant components involve Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), spanning 662 varieties and 15 hybrids, and Cucumber (Cucumis sativus), covering 1,009 varieties and 14 hybrids. These resources were accessed through markets and traders by Nunhems India Private Limited, East West Seeds India Private Limited, and Bayer Science and Innovation Private Limited.
Why Tracing to Individual Farmers Was Not Feasible
Because the biological resources for Watermelon and Cucumber were sourced from markets and traders rather than directly from identifiable farmers or communities, it was not possible to trace them to a specific geographic origin or individual beneficiary. Accordingly, the Expert Committee recommended — and the Authority approved — a distribution modality that allocates the beneficiary share among all states and Union Territories where the respective crop is cultivated.
CSIR-NCL and HPCL-Linked Disbursement
In addition to crop-related payouts, the NBA disbursed benefit-sharing funds to CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) — which houses the National Culture of Industrial Microorganisms at Pune — from an ABS amount received from Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL), Mumbai, relating to specified microbial biological resources.
Significance for Biodiversity Conservation
The NBA stated that these disbursements reaffirm its commitment to directing benefits from the utilisation of India's biological resources toward biodiversity conservation, sustainable use, and the strengthening of institutional capacities. Communities and other stakeholders associated with the conservation of biological diversity are among the intended beneficiaries of the mechanism. With the cumulative ABS disbursement now crossing ₹191 crore, the Authority's benefit-sharing pipeline continues to expand as more companies formalise access agreements.
Point of View
But the Cucumber and Watermelon disbursements expose a structural gap: when biological resources enter commerce through markets and traders, the chain of custody to original farming communities breaks down. India's ABS framework, built on the promise of fair and equitable sharing, defaults in such cases to a state-level distribution formula — a practical workaround that dilutes the mechanism's original intent of reaching the actual custodians of biodiversity. As seed companies scale up access agreements, the pressure to build traceable sourcing systems will only grow.
NationPress
31 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) mechanism under the NBA?
The ABS mechanism, administered by the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), ensures that companies which commercially access India's biological resources share a portion of the resulting benefits with the communities and institutions that conserved those resources. Funds are distributed to State Biodiversity Boards, Union Territory Biodiversity Councils, and research institutions.
Which crops are covered in the latest NBA disbursement?
The latest ₹5.68 crore disbursement covers Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus), Cucumber (Cucumis sativus), and Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), along with specified microbial and agricultural biological resources. Okra alone accounts for ₹3.51 crore of the total payout.
Which companies paid into the ABS fund for this disbursement?
Nunhems India Private Limited, East West Seeds India Private Limited, and Bayer Science and Innovation Private Limited made ABS payments related to Watermelon and Cucumber. Nunhems India also paid for access to Okra germplasm. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd contributed funds linked to microbial resources.
Why could the NBA not trace benefits directly to individual farmers?
For Watermelon and Cucumber, the biological resources were sourced through markets and traders rather than directly from identified farmers or communities, making it impossible to establish a traceable link to a specific origin. The Expert Committee recommended distributing the beneficiary share across all states and UTs where the crops are cultivated.
What is the total ABS amount disbursed by the NBA to date?
With this latest disbursement, the NBA's cumulative ABS payout has crossed ₹191 crore, reflecting the growing scale of access agreements between commercial entities and India's biodiversity governance framework.
