Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav today said India is working to secure every potential tiger landscape under the visionary Tiger@2047 plan. Presiding over the awards ceremony of the Global Big Cats Photography Competition 2025 in New Delhi, the Minister said India has not only strengthened its conservation frameworks, but also redefined how development and nature can coexist.

 

 

This was a pre-summit event to the forthcoming Global Summit on Big Cat Conservation in 2026. Sharing India’s success in the conservation of Big Cats, Mr Yadav noted a 30 percent increase in the Tiger population in the last decade, with the country boasting 58 Tiger Reserves.

 

 

Talking about Asiatic Lions, the Minister stated that they are now thriving across 35 thousand square kilometers, with their numbers rising by 32 percent since 2020, to reach 891.

 

 

Talking about conservation efforts of other Big Cat species in India, the Minister talked about how Project Snow Leopard brings local communities together to protect these magnificent sentinels of the Himalayas. He noted the success of the Project Cheetah and spoke about the first Cheetah cub born on Indian soil attaining adulthood.

 

 

The awards ceremony was organised by the Environment Ministry in collaboration with the International Big Cat Alliance, Aarts Maestro and the Uttar Pradesh EcoTourism Development Board.