International Big Cat Alliance headquarters to be set up in India

The government and the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) on Thursday signed an agreement to establish the alliance's headquarters and secretariat in India, the Ministry of External Affairs announced. The IBCA was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 9, 2023, during the 50th anniversary celebration of 'Project Tiger'. It became a treaty-based intergovernmental organisation in 2025.

The 'Headquarters Agreement' was signed by P Kumaran, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, and S P Yadav, Director General, IBCA, in New Delhi.

"The agreement provides for India to be the host for the IBCA headquarters and secretariat; and it entails necessary provisions to enable IBCA to meet its intended objectives and also for the efficient discharge of its official functions," the MEA said in a statement.


The text pertains to visas, privileges, and immunities to be extended to the IBCA secretariat and personnel, premises, entry into force, supplementary agreements, and some general provisions, it said.

The government of India shall provide budgetary support of Rs 150 crore to the IBCA for creating a corpus, building infrastructure, and meeting recurring expenditure for five years from 2023-24 to 2028-29, the statement said.

The IBCA's primary aim is to conserve seven big cats -- tigers, lions, leopards, snow leopards, cheetahs, jaguars and pumas -- with objectives like facilitation of collaboration and synergy among the concerned stakeholders, consolidation of successful conservation practices and expertise to achieve conservation of big cats around the globe.

The initiative seeks to foster international collaboration for the sustainable future of big cats, as well as underscores India's leadership and commitment to global wildlife conservation, the MEA said.