In a significant boost to India’s biodiversity efforts, the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has released Rs 38.36 crore to the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department and Rs 1.48 crore to the Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board to support the protection and conservation of the endangered Red Sanders. With this release, India’s Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) disbursements have crossed Rs 110 crore—one of the country’s largest biodiversity-linked ABS allocations to date.

Red Sanders, known globally for its distinctive deep-red timber, grows naturally only in select regions of the Eastern Ghats, particularly across the Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa, Prakasam, and Kurnool districts of Andhra Pradesh. The Andhra Pradesh Forest Department generated Rs 87.68 crore in benefit-sharing value through regulated access to auctioned or seized Red Sanders wood.

To date, the NBA has disbursed over Rs 49 crore to forest departments in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Odisha, as well as to the Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board, for Red Sanders protection, conservation, and research. Additionally, Rs 3 crore has been distributed to 198 farmers in Andhra Pradesh and Rs 55 lakh to 18 farmers in Tamil Nadu.

The latest release of Rs 38.36 crore will strengthen frontline protection, support scientific management of Red Sanders forests, enhance long-term monitoring, and create livelihood opportunities through Biodiversity Management Committees—marking a major step toward securing the future of this iconic species.

The NBA has also approved a major initiative to raise one lakh Red Sanders saplings at a cost of Rs 2 crore. With the remaining Rs 1.48 crore now transferred to the Andhra Pradesh Biodiversity Board, these saplings will be supplied to farmers to support the Trees Outside Forests (ToF) programme, helping conserve the species beyond its natural habitat.

This initiative reflects how Access and Benefit Sharing directly contributes to conservation-led development, ensuring 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 biological heritage for future generations.