New Delhi, April 1 Over 1,000 applications for Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) related to India's biological resources were received by the National Biodiversity Authority during 2024-25, an increase from previous years, officials said on Wednesday.
This upward trend is a direct result of the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023, which has strengthened and clarified the regulatory framework governing access to biological resources and associated traditional knowledge, they noted.
"During the period from April 2024 to March 2025, approximately 857 IPR applications were received and 792 Certificates of Registration (CoRs) were issued for applications found to be in order. In the subsequent period, from April 2025 to March 2026, the office received 1,077 IPR applications and issued 885 CoRs, demonstrating an upward trend in filings and continued efforts towards the timely disposal of IPR-related applications to the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA)," the Environment Ministry said in a statement.
Under the amended provisions, applicants covered under Section 7 of the Act are required to obtain a Certificate of Registration (CoR) from the NBA prior to seeking IPR, including patents, based on biological resources originating in India.
"This mandate has enhanced compliance, transparency, and accountability within the IPR ecosystem, while ensuring that the utilization of biological resources is aligned with national legislation and the principles of conservation and fair and equitable benefit sharing."
"The amended framework has also streamlined procedures and introduced clearly defined approval pathways, resulting in a decisive shift towards a registration-based system. These applications were received across a wide spectrum of sectors, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, food sciences, biochemistry, agrochemicals, polymer technology, microbiology, biomedical engineering, textiles, and other science-based industries," the statement said.