The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has continued its Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) disbursement by releasing ₹14.88 crore (USD 1.65 million) to the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department. The funds are earmarked for conservation, enrichment, regeneration, research and development, awareness generation, and capacity-building programmes related to red sanders, and represent benefit-sharing contributions received from 29 Form-I applications.
With this release, the total ABS disbursement has crossed ₹143 crore (USD 15.8 million). To date, the NBA has released over ₹104 crore (USD 12.5 million) to Andhra Pradesh alone for red sanders conservation and benefit-sharing to stakeholders, and over ₹15 crore (USD 1.8 million) to other states including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Telangana.
Red sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) is globally valued for its distinctive deep red timber and is endemic to limited regions of the Eastern Ghats, particularly in the districts of Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa, Prakasam, and Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh. The benefit-sharing contributions were generated from auctions of 1,115 tonnes of red sanders wood seized by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and subsequently auctioned by central government agencies, including the State Trading Corporation of India Limited, MMTC Limited, and PEC Limited.
Leveraging ABS resources, the NBA has supported red sanders research projects covering conservation, sustainable use, genetic improvement, and value addition through premier government research institutions such as ICFRE–IFGTB, ICFRE–IWST, and CSIR–IICB.
Field surveys across forest divisions in Andhra Pradesh resulted in the documentation of 1,513 genetic resources with geospatial references and the assessment of diversity and reproductive behaviour of over 15,000 standing trees. Seeds from superior resources were collected for local conservation, and sustained efforts are underway to establish a National Red Sanders Field Gene Bank. Propagation technologies have been strengthened through standardised tissue culture, improved germination, and high-success vegetative propagation methods. Early Seed Production Area (ESPA) guidelines have also been developed to promote long-term sustainability.
Value-added products such as soaps, creams, lip-care products, and wood coatings have been successfully developed from bark and heartwood. Notably, Royalseema RS Soap® has been registered as a trademark (Trademark No. 5870030), and Royal Red Lipstick has met Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) specifications—demonstrating successful translation of research by the ICFRE–Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Coimbatore, into practical applications.
This initiative reaffirms the NBA’s continued commitment to fair and equitable benefit sharing, curbing illegal trade, and strengthening collective action in biodiversity management. By reinvesting ABS revenues into conservation, scientific innovation, and community-based development, the NBA is ensuring the long-term protection of the ecological, genetic, and socio-economic values of red sanders—safeguarding this endemic species for present and future generations and reinforcing India’s leadership in biodiversity governance.
