Linking eras and data: natural history collections as the foundation of India’s biodiversity science

Abstract

India, one of the world’s most biodiverse countries and now the most populous, stands at a critical intersection of ecological wealth and intense anthropogenic pressure. Its unique geological history, once part of Gondwana and later colliding with Asia, has profoundly shaped its biota, resulting in high levels of endemism and evolutionary distinctiveness. Despite a deep cultural reverence for nature, much of India’s biodiversity, its distribution, evolutionary origins, and future trajectory remain poorly understood. At the heart of shaping a resilient future for biodiversity science in India lies the urgent need for a modern, accessible, and integrated biodiversity research. Here, we assess the current state of biodiversity science in India, drawing from taxonomic and biogeographical studies that rely heavily on natural history collections. For many taxa and ecosystems, data remain scarce or outdated, often based on collections from the 19th and 20th centuries, with critical gaps in molecular, distributional, and phenotypic trait information. Existing data are frequently fragmented, inaccessible, or poorly integrated. These limitations hinder the ability to understand biogeographical patterns or monitor biodiversity change during the Anthropocene. We argue that a national institution dedicated to biodiversity research is urgently needed to coordinate the documentation, analysis, and conservation of India’s natural heritage for future generations.