In a major boost to India’s biodiversity conservation initiatives, the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has released Rs 383.6 million to the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department and Rs 14.8 million to the Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board for the protection and conservation of the iconic Red Sanders. With this disbursement, India’s Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) payouts have crossed Rs 1.10 billion, marking one of the country’s largest biodiversity-linked ABS releases.

Red Sanders, globally renowned for its deep red timber, grows naturally only in select pockets of the Eastern Ghats, particularly in the Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa, Prakasam and Kurnool districts of Andhra Pradesh. A total of Rs 876.8 million was generated through regulated access to auctioned or seized Red Sanders wood by the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department as benefit-sharing revenue.

To date, the NBA has released over Rs 490 million to forest departments in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Odisha, as well as to the Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board, for activities related to the conservation, protection and research of Red Sanders. Additionally, Rs 30 million has been distributed to 198 farmers in Andhra Pradesh and Rs 5.5 million to 18 farmers in Tamil Nadu.

The latest release of Rs 383.6 million to the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department will strengthen frontline forest operations, enhance protection measures, support scientific forest management, create livelihood opportunities through Biodiversity Management Committees and bolster long-term monitoring programmes — all contributing to a more secure future for this rare species.

In parallel, the NBA has approved a major initiative to raise 100,000 Red Sanders saplings through the Andhra Pradesh Biodiversity Board at a cost of Rs 20 million. Following an initial release earlier, the remaining Rs 14.8 million has now been transferred. These saplings will be supplied to farmers to promote the Trees Outside Forests (ToF) programme and help conserve Red Sanders beyond its natural range.

This milestone demonstrates how Access and Benefit Sharing mechanisms directly contribute to India’s leadership in implementing global biodiversity commitments, ensuring that conservation-related benefits reach local communities, farmers and biodiversity custodians. The NBA will continue working with State Biodiversity Boards, Forest Departments, Biodiversity Management Committees and local stakeholders to safeguard India’s rich biological heritage for generations to come.