NBA Launches Digital Portal for Issuance of Certificate of Origin

• 05 Feb 2026
• 80 Views

The National Biodiversity Authority, abbreviated as NBA, is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. This authority’s key mission is to regulate access to biological resources as well as ensure the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their use. 

Recently, the NBA developed and operationalized a digital portal for facilitating the digital issuance of certificates of origin (COO). This service is available to stakeholders seeking access and benefit sharing exemptions for the cultivated medicinal plants. 

The portal operates as a single-window, end-to-end online system for processing applications and issuing Certificates of Origin. It is accessible @ https://absefiling.nbaindia.in/.

The Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023 was enacted by Parliament, having been passed by the Lok Sabha on July 25, 2023, and thereafter, by the Rajya Sabha on August 1, 2023. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had subsequently notified the Biological Diversity Rules in 2024 and 2025. 

To implement the provisions of the amended Act as well as meet all the procedural requirements for various stakeholder groups, including the AYUSH sector, seed sector, and research institutions, MoEFCC established the Biological Diversity Rules during 2024 and 2025.

These amended Rules allow for the electronic generation of Certificates of Origin for cultivated medicinal plants via the designated digital platform. 

Source: Press Information Bureau (PIB)