India has taken a significant step in global environmental governance by submitting its first national report on the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The announcement, made through the Press Information Bureau, highlights India’s commitment to conserving biodiversity while ensuring fair sharing of benefits derived from genetic resources and traditional knowledge.
This submission comes alongside India’s Seventh National Report to the CBD, reflecting a comprehensive and coordinated approach to meeting global biodiversity targets.
India’s Position as a Biodiversity Powerhouse
India is recognised as one of the world’s megadiverse countries, hosting nearly 7–8% of recorded species despite occupying just 2.4% of the Earth’s land area. Millions of livelihoods in the country depend directly on biological resources, making conservation and sustainable use critical national priorities.
By submitting this report, India joins other nations in presenting how international commitments under the Nagoya Protocol are being implemented domestically, with a focus on transparency and accountability.
What the Nagoya Protocol Means
Adopted in 2010, the Nagoya Protocol provides a legal framework for accessing genetic resources and ensuring fair and equitable sharing of benefits. It aims to prevent exploitation, often referred to as biopiracy, by requiring prior informed consent and mutually agreed terms between users and providers of resources.
For India, with its rich heritage of traditional knowledge systems like Ayurveda and vast biodiversity in crops and medicinal plants, the protocol plays a crucial role in protecting sovereign rights while encouraging research and innovation.
India’s Legal Backbone: Biological Diversity Act
The implementation of these principles in India is rooted in the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. This law established a three-tier system:
• The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) at the national level
• State Biodiversity Boards
• Local Biodiversity Management Committees
The NBA acts as the central authority, approving access to genetic resources and ensuring benefit-sharing agreements. These agreements often include both monetary and non-monetary benefits, such as funding for conservation or technology transfer to local communities.
India has processed thousands of such applications, with benefits flowing back into community development and biodiversity conservation efforts.
Digital Transparency and Global Cooperation
India has also strengthened transparency through the ABS Clearing-House, a global platform that shares information on regulations, approvals, and compliance. The newly submitted report builds on this system, detailing policy measures, institutional mechanisms, and real-world outcomes.
It also addresses ongoing challenges, such as tracking resource use across complex supply chains and ensuring that benefits reach indigenous communities fairly.
Linking to Global Biodiversity Goals
India’s reporting aligns with broader global commitments, including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which sets targets for biodiversity conservation by 2030.
The country’s Seventh National Report evaluates progress in areas such as forest cover, species protection, and sustainable use of resources, offering a broader picture of its environmental strategy.
Experts see this dual submission as a reaffirmation of India’s leadership in international environmental diplomacy. As an early adopter of the Nagoya Protocol, India continues to advocate for equitable benefit-sharing, particularly for developing nations rich in biodiversity.
The report will now serve as a baseline for future assessments, helping refine policies, strengthen institutions, and improve stakeholder participation.
Overall, India’s move signals that environmental conservation and economic development can coexist provided they are guided by fairness, transparency, and sustainability.