Headquartered in Chennai, the National Biodiversity Authority serves as India’s statutory custodian of biological resources, mandated to regulate access and ensure fair and equitable benefit-sharing.
In a significant development in the sphere of India’s environmental governance, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has appointed Virendra Tiwari, currently serving as the Director of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), as the new Chairperson of the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA).
A 1990-batch Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer from the Maharashtra cadre, Mr. Tiwari will assume charge from Chirra Achalender Reddy, whose three-year tenure concludes on November 30, 2025. His appointment is for a term of three years or until he attains the age of 65, whichever occurs earlier.
New Leadership at a Critical Juncture
Mr. Tiwari’s appointment comes at a pivotal moment for the National Biodiversity Authority, a statutory body established in 2003 under the provisions of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. The NBA has the vital mandate of balancing conservation imperatives with sustainable use and equitable economic development — an increasingly delicate task as India faces the dual pressures of accelerating biodiversity loss and the mounting impacts of climate change.
Outgoing Chairperson C.A. Reddy (IFoS: 1986: AGMUT), who has held the position since December 1, 2022, oversaw several important initiatives for the conservation of biological resources and the effective implementation of the Biodiversity Act.
Virendra Tiwari: A Record of Science-Based Conservation Leadership
Mr. Tiwari brings to the NBA an extensive background in wildlife conservation, ecological research, and natural resource management, honed during his tenure at the Wildlife Institute of India, a premier institution under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
His scientific orientation and policy experience are expected to reinforce the NBA’s commitment to evidence-driven governance and ecological integrity, while also strengthening India’s role in fulfilling obligations under international frameworks such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
About the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA)
Headquartered in Chennai, the NBA plays a central role in:
Regulating access to India’s vast and diverse biological resources.
Ensuring fair and equitable benefit-sharing arising from their utilization.
Advising the Central and State Governments on biodiversity conservation and sustainable use strategies.
Facilitating the declaration of biological heritage sites.
The authority functions in close coordination with State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) and Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs), which operate at local levels. It also oversees the creation of People’s Biodiversity Registers and safeguards Traditional Knowledge (TK) from misappropriation and exploitation.
What Lies Ahead
With Mr. Tiwari at the helm, the NBA is expected to deepen its emphasis on conservation-oriented governance, while navigating complex domains such as bioprospecting, intellectual property rights, and access and benefit-sharing (ABS) frameworks. His leadership is anticipated to strengthen linkages between scientific research, community-driven conservation practices, and policy implementation.
As India advances its commitments under the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, Mr. Tiwari’s tenure will be instrumental in aligning national priorities with global sustainability goals, ensuring that conservation and development proceed in harmony.
