The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has developed and operationalised a digital portal to facilitate the electronic issuance of Certificates of Origin to stakeholders seeking Access and Benefit Sharing exemptions for cultivated medicinal plants.
The portal functions as a single-window, end-to-end online system for processing applications and issuing Certificates of Origin. It can be accessed at https://absefiling.nbaindia.in/.
The Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023 was enacted by Parliament with the passage of the Bill by the Lok Sabha on 25 July 2023 and the Rajya Sabha on 1 August 2023. MoEFCC notified the Biological Diversity Rules in 2024 and 2025.
To operationalise the provisions of the amended Act and address procedural requirements across stakeholder groups, including the AYUSH sector, seed sector and research institutions, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified the Biological Diversity Rules in 2024 and 2025.
The amended Rules provide for the electronic generation of Certificates of Origin for cultivated medicinal plants through a designated digital platform.