India's biodiversity governance operates through a three-tier structure: National Biodiversity Authority at national level, State Biodiversity Boards and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils at state/provincial level, and Biodiversity Management Committees at local level
India has established more than 276,653 Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) across rural and urban local bodies
Over 272,648 People's Biodiversity Registers (PBRs) have been prepared, documenting local species, ecosystems and traditional knowledge
India's total forest and tree cover stands at approximately 8.27 lakh square kilometres, covering 25.17% of the country's geographical area
Recorded forest area is around 7.75 lakh square kilometres, with more than 5.20 lakh square kilometres being actual forest cover
India has 1,134 protected areas covering more than 187,592 square kilometres (1.88 lakh sq km)
Tiger population increased from 2,226 in 2014 to 3,682 in the latest estimates
20 institutions have been designated as national repositories for different categories of biological resources under Section 39 of Biological Diversity Act, 2002
Two additional key institutions recently notified, strengthening the national repository network
National Biodiversity Authority Fund created under section 27 of Biological Diversity Act supports benefit sharing and conservation activities
During 2017–2026, India issued 12,830 Benefits Arising from their Utilization approvals
As of May 2026, nearly ₹145 crore has been released to beneficiaries across the country
Approximately 11,000 Biodiversity Management Committees have benefited from the fund disbursements
ABS e-filing Portal launched on 30th March 2017 and subsequently upgraded under Biological Diversity Rules 2014
India submitted its First National Report (NR1) on implementation of Nagoya Protocol focusing on access to genetic resources and benefit sharing
India submitted its Seventh National Report (NR-7) to Convention on Biological Diversity, presenting comprehensive indicator-based national assessment
National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP 2024-2030) provides long-term policy direction aligned with Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
National Red List Roadmap (2025-2030) established to create nationally coordinated, science-based threatened-species assessment system
Biodiversity Finance India initiative launched in 2015 to identify biodiversity funding needs and mobilize resources for conservation
