Goa State Biodiversity Board

What Goa State Biodiversity Board does

Goa State Biodiversity Board (GSBB) is an autonomous statutory body of the Government of Goa, established on 2 December 2004 under Section 22 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, and housed under the Department of Environment & Climate Change. The board's mandate is to advise the State Government on biodiversity conservation, sustainable use of biological resources, and equitable benefit-sharing arising from commercial bio-utilization. It is constitutionally the sole body in Goa empowered to grant approvals for commercial bio-survey and bio-utilization, manage Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) agreements, declare Biodiversity Heritage Sites, and coordinate the network of Biodiversity Management Committees across the state. Its primary "customers" are 189 village panchayat BMCs and 16 municipal council BMCs mandated under Section 41 of the Biological Diversity Act, covering all 12 talukas of Goa.

GSBB's core programs and products include the People's Biodiversity Register (PBR) system — all 205 PBRs validated at BMC level and being progressively validated at state level; the GoVan state-owned brand for value-added bioresource products, with processing handled at two Multi-Product Processing Centres (Pale-Bicholim for North Goa, Pontemol-Curchorem for South Goa); the ABS Tag certification system for compliant commercial products; the Goa State Climate Change Cell (GSCCC), established April 2023 under the National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change; and a network of six Thematic Expert Committees covering ABS, traditional knowledge, marine and wetland biodiversity, capacity building, agrobiodiversity, and PBR validation. The board operates a Seed Bank and has published biodiversity documentation for lakes (Carambolim, Durga, Nanda, Batim, Cottambi, Dashi, Pilerne, Sarzora, Toyyar, Xeldem) and mangrove ecosystems.

The business model is entirely government-to-government and non-commercial in its core operations. Revenue is sourced from grant-in-aid from the Department of Environment & Climate Change (Goa), partial funding from the National Biodiversity Authority for specific programs, and project-based external funding from entities such as Goa Shipyard Limited, District Mineral Fund (DMF) Goa, and international projects including the UNEP-GEF-MoEFCC ABS project. GoVan generates modest transaction-fee revenue from product sales through its MPCs, with profits reinvested into biodiversity conservation. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and the board charges no fees for its regulatory and advisory functions. Total headcount is approximately 33, including 12 core staff, 5 GoVan project staff, 6 GSCCC staff, and 10 active interns, with governance provided by a 14-member board chaired by the Hon. Chief Minister of Goa.

Name

Goa State Biodiversity Board

Legal name

Goa State Biodiversity Board

Website

https://gsbb.goa.gov.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Goa State Biodiversity Board is an autonomous Government of Goa statutory body established in 2004 under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, managing biodiversity conservation, People's Biodiversity Registers, 205 local Biodiversity Management Committees, and the GoVan value-added bioresource brand across Goa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Administration of Conservation Programs (924120), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Support Activities for Forestry (11531)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife, Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation Administration (BPAIAMAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

State/Provincial Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Administration (BPAIABAL), Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH), Nature, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Conservation (BPADALAE), Environmental, Climate & Sustainability Standards & Reporting Cooperation (BPADANAI), Biodiversity Conservation & Habitat Banking (AFAMAMAC)

Keywords

• Biodiversity conservation services
• Environmental regulatory services
• Climate change advisory
• Biodiversity documentation services
• Natural resource management

Headquarters

HQ city

Saligao, Bardez

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Grant-in-Aid: GSBB is a grant-in-aid based authority funded primarily by the Department of Environment and Climate Change, Government of Goa. The board receives recurring budgetary support to carry out its mandated functions under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
2. National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) Project Funding: Partly funded by the National Biodiversity Authority for specific biodiversity conservation, PBR preparation, and awareness programs. NBA is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, GoI.
3. GoVan Livelihood Project Revenue: GoVan is a state-owned brand that markets and sells biodiversity-based value-added products (e.g., processed bioresources) through Multi-Product Processing Centres. Revenue from product sales is distributed among working personnel at MPCs, with plans to reinvest a portion of profits into biodiversity conservation.
4. Project-Based External Funding: The board receives project-based funding from entities such as Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), District Mineral Fund (DMF), Goa, and participates in international projects such as the UNEP-GEF-MoEF-ABS project for strengthening implementation of the Biological Diversity Act.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Goa State Biodiversity Board (GSBB) is the statutory body for biodiversity governance in Goa, advising the State Government on conservation, sustainable use, and equitable benefit-sharing of biological resources under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. It operates the People's Biodiversity Register (PBR) program, Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs), Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS), Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) agreements and tagging, the Goa State Climate Change Cell (GSCCC) for climate data analysis, and the GoVan state-owned livelihood brand with value-added bioresource products processed at Multi-Product Processing Centres (MPCs) in North and South Goa.

Product overview

Goa State Biodiversity Board operates as an autonomous governmental body managing biodiversity conservation in Goa through multiple interconnected programs. The core offerings include the GoVan brand for biodiversity-based livelihood products, People's Biodiversity Register (PBR) documentation, Biodiversity Management Committees (BMC) coordination, and Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS) designation. Supporting infrastructure includes the Goa State Climate Change Cell (GSCCC), Multi-Product Processing Centres under GoVan, and various publications documenting marine and freshwater ecosystems. The Board also issues ABS Tags for compliant bioresource products and operates a Seed Bank for conservation of indigenous planting materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GoVan: A brand developed by Goa State Biodiversity Board under its project 'Conservation of Biodiversity through livelihood interventions' - value added products from locally sourced bioresources including forest and horticultural produce, marketed to ensure direct linkage between owners of bioresources and consumers.

Products and services

• GoVan Value-Added Bioresource Products A state-owned brand of value-added products processed from locally sourced bioresources (minor forest produce and cultivated farm products) using authentic traditional Goan recipes; sold directly to consumers from Multi-Product Processing Centres and through the GSBB website.
• Plantation Scheme A government scheme administered by GSBB for tree plantation activities, with a gazette notification and downloadable FORM-A application form available to applicants.

Quantifiable outcome

• All 205 People's Biodiversity Registers validated at BMC level across 189 village panchayats and 16 municipal councils
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Technical Support Groups (TSGs)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTSGs listed include: M/s Ecocare Ecology Consurvators (Dadar, Mumbai); Nirmal Vishwa (Goa); Building Environment (India) Pvt. Ltd. (Navi Mumbai); Smt. Parvatibai Chowgule College of Arts and Science (Goa); Padmaja Aerobiologicals Pvt. Ltd. (Navi Mumbai); Vivekanand Environment Awareness Brigade (Goa); The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI, Goa); Fine Envirotech Engineers (Mumbai); Kindalkatta FSHG (Canacona, Goa); ICLEI South Asia (Delhi); Vidnyan Parishad Goa; Terra Nero Environmental Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (Mumbai); Biodiversity Action Network of Goa; Goa Green Life Foundation; Arannya Environment Research Organisation. These TSGs support BMCs and GSBB in PBR preparation, biodiversity surveys, and conservation activities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tamil Nadu State Biodiversity Board: State biodiversity board for Tamil Nadu with statutory mandate similar to GSBB, focused on biodiversity conservation, PBR preparation, and equitable benefit-sharing across the state.
• Karnataka State Biodiversity Board: State biodiversity board for Karnataka also constituted under Section 22 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. Performs the same statutory functions (BMCs, PBRs, ABS) as GSBB but at a larger state scale.
• Kerala State Biodiversity Board: State biodiversity board for Kerala with analogous mandate to GSBB. Both share a focus on Western Ghats biodiversity, traditional knowledge documentation, and BMC-based grassroots governance.
• Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board: State biodiversity board for Maharashtra, sharing regulatory responsibilities for ABS, BMCs, and biodiversity heritage sites in the Western Ghats region adjacent to Goa.

Broad incumbents

• Wildlife Institute of India: Autonomous institution under MoEFCC for wildlife research and training. Acts as a knowledge partner to state biodiversity boards including GSBB on biodiversity surveys and capacity building.
• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD): International treaty under which India's Biological Diversity Act, 2002 (and hence GSBB) is framed. Provides global policy framework and funding opportunities for state biodiversity boards.
• National Biodiversity Authority (NBA): Apex statutory body under India's Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change that oversees implementation of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. As the federal counterpart to GSBB, NBA provides policy direction and partly funds GSBB's activities.

Regional players

• Indian Institute of Biodiversity (IIB): Conceptual/regional institution focused on biodiversity research and conservation in India, with interest in biodiversity governance models like GSBB's.

Others

• Goa Forest Department: Government of Goa department responsible for forest management, with overlapping biodiversity jurisdiction. Often coordinates with GSBB on conservation and BHS designations.
• Centre for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (CBES): Academic research center at IIT Kanpur focused on biodiversity policy and ecosystem services research, providing technical expertise to state biodiversity boards.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@goastatebiodiversityboard5622?si=igy0Aj6zJiZFxgV1
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• Instagraminstagram.com/goa.statebiodiversityboard?igsh=M2g0MW8wZ21hMXZ1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/goa-state-biodiversity-board

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Goa State Biodiversity Board