In a major step toward strengthening India’s biodiversity protection efforts, the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has released ₹39.84 crore to Andhra Pradesh for the conservation of the endangered Red Sanders species. Of this, ₹38.36 crore has been allocated to the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department and ₹1.48 crore to the Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board.

With this disbursement, India’s Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) payouts have crossed ₹110 crore, marking one of the largest biodiversity-linked fund releases in the country.

Red Sanders, also called Red Sandalwood, known for its rare deep red timber, grows naturally only in select parts of the Eastern Ghats across Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa, Prakasam and Kurnool districts. The ABS funds were generated through regulated acce

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