Joining hands to conserve and protect the big cats

India is all set to host the First International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Summit 2026 in June. Indian Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Mr Bhupender Yadav launched the website and logo for the Summit recently in New Delhi, according to a government media statement.

The minister described the IBCA as a first-of-its-kind platform bringing together countries home to the seven big cats, reflecting India’s belief that conservation challenges must be addressed collectively through cooperation, knowledge sharing and mutual support, as per the statement. He also emphasized that the upcoming Summit will be a defining moment in global conservation diplomacy, bringing together world leaders, experts and partners to deliberate on the future of big cat conservation. He underlined that the Summit would strengthen international partnerships, promote South-South cooperation, inspire collective action among big cat range countries and align conservation efforts with global biodiversity and climate goals. For the first time, world leaders will convene exclusively to deliberate on big cat conservation across continents, he added.

Mr Yadav also highlighted a key outcome of the Summit – the adoption of the first-ever global declaration on big cat conservation, titled the ‘Delhi Declaration’, which will articulate shared priorities, strengthen transboundary cooperation and promote a landscape-based approach for conserving big cats and their habitats. The website will function as a dedicated global platform for outreach, engagement and information sharing. It would also host the official IBCA Summit 2026 logo film that captures the Summit’s vision, conservation narrative and global relevance, thereby enhancing awareness, visibility and public engagement. The website will serve as the official digital identity of the Summit, ensuring consistency, authenticity and clarity in all communications.

Referring to the IBCA Summit Logo, Mr Yadav said that it captures the spirit of the initiative. He informed that the logo reflects harmony, balance and interconnected ecosystems. The logo features the seven big cat species at its core, symbolising unity and shared responsibility and is encircled by a lotus-inspired design representing the five elements of nature.

The Summit will be followed by technical sessions on 1 and 2 June 2026, with participation from senior government officials, conservation practitioners, experts and partner organisations from 95 big cat range countries. A curated exhibition will also be organised during the Summit in collaboration with leading institutions and partners, showcasing tribal art, paintings on big cats, immersive photographs, films, virtual reality experiences and India’s best practices and achievements in big cat and biodiversity conservation.

The Alliance was launched by the Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi in July 2019 for the global conservation of seven big cats - Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar and Puma. As its website details, the IBCA is a multi-country, multi-agency coalition comprising of 95 big cat range countries, non-range countries with an interest in big cat conservation, conservation partners, scientific organizations engaged in big cat research, as well as business groups and corporates committed to supporting big cat conservation efforts. The primary objective of the IBCA is to facilitate collaboration and synergy among stakeholders, consolidating successful conservation practices and expertise into a centralized repository. This unified approach, bolstered by financial support, aims to bolster the conservation agenda, halt the decline in big cat populations, and reverse current trends. The IBCA seeks to bring together range countries and other stakeholders onto a common platform to champion the cause of global big cat conservation.

Management challenges and ecological requirements for big cats are unique and novel from other species, the IBCA website explains. This necessitates a specialised targeted conservation efforts for securing the future of big cats globally. Although, currently several inter-governmental agencies, UN agencies across the globe are working on a wide array of biodiversity conservation, sustainable resource management and livelihood securities, there is no appropriate agency/platform, exclusively dedicated towards conservation of big cats. The IBCA is, therefore, crucial since it aims to unite big cat range countries, non-range countries interested in conservation, conservation partners, scientific organizations, and business groups willing to support big cat conservation. Its multi-pronged approach will enhance linkages, promote knowledge sharing, capacity building, networking, advocacy, finance, research, technical support, insurance against failures, education, awareness, employment, and sustainable local livelihoods.