Overview
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that India will convene leaders and ministers from 95 range countries for the inaugural summit in 2026.
- The event will run under the International Big Cat Alliance, established in March 2024 through the National Tiger Conservation Authority with headquarters in New Delhi, covering tigers, lions, leopards, snow leopards, cheetahs, jaguars and pumas.
- The government has earmarked Rs 150 crore for the IBCA for 2023–24 to 2027–28 to sustain coordination, science, anti-poaching efforts and capacity building.
- Operational details remain to be finalized, with some reports suggesting an April timetable and varying tallies of formal IBCA members reported across outlets.
- India cites a 2022 estimate of 3,682 tigers as evidence of conservation expertise, while experts note cuts to certain wildlife budgets and call for greater emphasis on reducing human–wildlife conflict.