Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, on Monday chaired a high-level interaction on the Collaborative Initiative for Big Cat Conservation under the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA). The meeting was attended by Ambassadors, High Commissioners of big cat range countries, and senior officials from the Government of India.
Yadav reiterated that IBCA is a vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing it as a global partnership built on trust, mutual respect and shared responsibility. He highlighted the ecological importance of big cats — including tigers, lions, snow leopards, cheetahs, leopards, pumas and jaguars — calling them apex predators vital to maintaining ecological balance and ecosystem health.
Global Big Cats Summit in 2026
India is set to host the Global Big Cats Summit in New Delhi in 2026. Yadav invited all big cat range nations to collaborate, exchange conservation strategies and share best practices. He urged countries with big cat populations to join IBCA and contribute to a worldwide effort to protect habitats and strengthen climate resilience.
The IBCA, he said, serves as a platform for countries to share strengths, learn from one another and collectively safeguard species and ecosystems.
India’s Conservation Approach
The Minister emphasised that conservation is an integral part of India’s cultural and environmental ethos. “Conservation is not activism, it’s our lifestyle,” he said, adding that India’s model integrates nature-based solutions with development goals focused on ecological stability.
He also stated that IBCA has entered a new phase with the establishment of its Secretariat in New Delhi. Currently, 18 countries have formally joined the Alliance, three have Observer Status, and multiple international organisations are contributing to the initiative.
The meeting concluded with a shared resolve to deepen knowledge-sharing, capacity building and coordinated action among big cat range nations. India reaffirmed its commitment to work with global partners for a sustainable future for the world’s big cat species and their habitats.
