IBCA: PM’s vision for partnership-driven conservation
Chairing the meeting, Shri Yadav described IBCA as a vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi a partnership-driven initiative founded on trust, mutual respect and shared responsibility. The Minister emphasised that big cats tigers, lions, snow leopards, cheetahs, leopards, pumas and jaguars are apex predators whose presence signals ecosystem health and whose conservation yields benefits for biodiversity and climate resilience.
Inviting cooperation, knowledge sharing and capacity building
Shri Yadav invited range countries to share strategies, experiences and best practices ahead of the Global Big Cats Summit slated for New Delhi in 2026. He highlighted IBCA’s role as a platform for knowledge exchange, capacity building, science-based habitat management and collaborative anti-poaching measures. “We aim to work together to improve habitat quality through capacity building and knowledge sharing for green growth of the entire area,” he said.
IBCA’s progress and institutional set-up
The Minister noted that IBCA has entered its next phase with a Secretariat established in New Delhi. To date, 18 countries have formally joined the Alliance and three countries hold Observer status. Several international organisations are also contributing to the Alliance’s mission. This institutional momentum paves the way for the summit next year and a scaling up of cooperative projects across continents.
Conservation rooted in culture and nature-based solutions
Underlining India’s approach, Shri Yadav said conservation is woven into the nation’s cultural fabric “Conservation is not activism, it’s our lifestyle.” He urged integrating nature-based solutions with socio-economic development, asserting that economic progress should enhance rather than erode ecological balance. The IBCA framework, he added, combines scientific management with community engagement and policy cooperation.
Why big cat conservation matters globally
Big cats serve key ecological functions as top predators, regulating prey populations and maintaining habitat integrity. Protecting large carnivores often requires conserving extensive landscapes, which in turn safeguards watersheds, carbon stocks and livelihoods of rural communities. Multinational collaboration is essential because many species inhabit transboundary ranges or migrate across large corridors.
Summit objectives and expected outcomes
The Global Big Cats Summit in 2026 aims to consolidate commitments, launch transnational conservation initiatives and build a multi-stakeholder roadmap for habitat corridors, anti-poaching strategies, community-based conservation and climate adaptation. The summit will also provide a forum for financing mechanisms, technology transfer and joint research projects that support long-term species recovery.
Calls for inclusive participation
Shri Yadav extended a warm invitation to all countries harbouring big cats to join IBCA and contribute to a global partnership that protects species and safeguards ecosystems. He urged participation from governments, civil society, research institutions and indigenous communities to ensure inclusive, locally rooted conservation outcomes.
Next steps
The meeting concluded with a reaffirmed commitment to strengthen knowledge-sharing, capacity building and collaborative action among big-cat range nations. With the IBCA Secretariat operational in New Delhi and the summit on the horizon, officials said they would intensify diplomatic outreach and technical exchanges to broaden the Alliance’s membership and impact.
