New Delhi: Union Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav has launched the official website and logo of the 1st International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Summit 2026 in New Delhi.
The launch event was attended by Heads of Mission from big cat range countries, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ministry of External Affairs, and the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA). A promotional film for the summit was also unveiled during the event.
The International Big Cat Alliance is an intergovernmental platform established for the conservation of seven big cat species – lion, tiger, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar, and puma, according to an official statement.
Addressing the gathering, Yadav said the occasion marks a significant step towards a global summit dedicated to the conservation of iconic big cats. He announced that India will host the first IBCA Summit on June 1, 2026, in New Delhi, with participation expected from Heads of State and Government of member and observer countries.
The summit will be held under the theme “Save Big Cats, Save Humanity, Save Ecosystem” and is expected to bring together more than 400 participants, including conservation experts, policymakers, scientists, representatives of multilateral agencies, financial institutions, corporate leaders, and community stakeholders.
Highlighting India’s conservation efforts, the minister said the country’s journey has been defined by scientific management, institutional coordination, innovation, and community participation. He referred to initiatives such as Project Tiger and conservation programmes for lion, leopard, snow leopard, and cheetah, stating that India has demonstrated that conservation and development can move together.
Yadav said the establishment of the IBCA in 2023 reflects the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to create a global platform for collective conservation action through cooperation, knowledge sharing, and joint responsibility among range countries.
He added that the upcoming summit will be a defining moment in global conservation diplomacy, strengthening international partnerships and aligning conservation efforts with global biodiversity and climate goals.
A key outcome of the summit will be the adoption of the first global declaration on big cat conservation, titled the “Delhi Declaration,” which will outline shared priorities, strengthen transboundary cooperation, and promote a landscape-based conservation approach for protecting big cats and their habitats.
