New Delhi, April 1 -- Regulatory reforms introduced under the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023 have led to a notable rise in Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) applications linked to India's biological resources, according to data from the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA).

The increase reflects a growing convergence between biodiversity, scientific research, innovation, and industrial development, supported by a more streamlined and clearly defined regulatory framework governing access to biological resources and associated traditional knowledge.

Under the amended provisions, applicants covered under Section 7 are required to obtain a Certificate of Registration (CoR) from the NBA prior to seeking IPR, including patents, ...