NBA Releases ₹15.52 Crore in ABS Benefits from Mustard Genetic Resources
By Suman Munshi | IBG NEWS
New Delhi, August 13, 2026
The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has released ₹15.52 crore under the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism generated from the commercial use of India’s mustard genetic resources.
The funds, contributed by M/s. Pioneer Overseas Corporation, will be distributed among 26 State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) and three Union Territory Biodiversity Councils (UTBCs). The allocation has been calculated according to the area under mustard cultivation in each State and Union Territory.
Commercial Mustard Varieties Trigger Benefit Sharing
Pioneer Overseas Corporation developed 10 commercial hybrid varieties of mustard (Brassica juncea) using biological resources sourced from India.
While the company developed the varieties internally, the parental lines used in the breeding programme were obtained through the open market and traders. Since it was not possible to identify a specific farmer or community as the original source of the biological resources, the NBA constituted an Expert Committee to determine an appropriate mechanism for distributing the ABS proceeds.
Following the committee’s recommendations, the NBA approved a system under which ABS funds in cases involving intermediaries would be distributed among the biodiversity authorities of the States and Union Territories where the relevant biological resource is cultivated.
To determine the allocation, the NBA obtained mustard cultivation-area data from the ICAR–Indian Institute of Rapeseed-Mustard Research (ICAR-IIRMR), Bharatpur, Rajasthan.
Rajasthan Gets the Largest Share
Rajasthan, which accounts for approximately 42% of India’s mustard cultivation, receives the largest portion of the ABS proceeds.
The top recipients are:
| Rank | State | Amount Released |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rajasthan | ₹6.43 crore |
| 2 | Uttar Pradesh | ₹2.28 crore |
| 3 | Madhya Pradesh | ₹1.86 crore |
| 4 | Haryana | ₹1.21 crore |
| 5 | West Bengal | ₹1.10 crore |
| 6 | Jharkhand | ₹0.73 crore |
| 7 | Assam | ₹0.53 crore |
| 8 | Gujarat | ₹0.48 crore |
| 9 | Bihar | ₹0.15 crore |
| 10 | Punjab | ₹0.08 crore |
| — | Other States/UTs | ₹0.67 crore |
The distribution reflects the widespread cultivation of mustard across India, enabling biodiversity authorities in almost every State and Union Territory to receive a proportionate share.
Funds to Support Biodiversity Conservation
The recipient State Biodiversity Boards and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils are required to utilise the ABS proceeds in accordance with Section 32 of the Biological Diversity Act.
The funds can support a range of biodiversity-related activities, including:
- Conservation of biological diversity
- Preparation and updating of People’s Biodiversity Registers
- In-situ and ex-situ conservation programmes
- Restoration of degraded ecosystems
- Strengthening of Biodiversity Heritage Sites
- Capacity building of Biodiversity Management Committees
- Initiatives aimed at improving community livelihoods
- Other conservation and biodiversity-management activities permitted under the law
Strengthening Fair Benefit Sharing
The latest release forms part of the NBA’s broader implementation of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, which seeks to ensure that commercial benefits arising from India’s biological resources are shared fairly and contribute to conservation and the welfare of communities and institutions supporting biodiversity.
The mechanism is also aligned with the principle of fair and equitable benefit sharing under the Nagoya Protocol and Target 13 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
According to the NBA, it has released a cumulative ₹182.5 crore in ABS proceeds so far. Of this, ₹116.22 crore has been released to beneficiaries across India during the past 12 months.
National Biodiversity Authority
The National Biodiversity Authority is a statutory body established under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, and functions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.
The Authority regulates access to India’s biological resources and associated traditional knowledge and works to implement the principle of equitable benefit sharing from their utilisation.
The ₹15.52-crore mustard ABS release represents another step toward linking the commercial use of India’s biological resources with biodiversity conservation, institutional strengthening and community-oriented development.
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