India's tiger conservation figures: 3682 tigers, 58 tiger reserves and the NTCA's role

Background

Tiger conservation in India is coordinated by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), which functions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
The Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav, stated that the number of tigers (3682) and tiger reserves (58) has seen a remarkable increase in the last 12 years.
He added that the number of elephant reserves, national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, protected areas, community reserves and wetlands has also increased during the same period.
NTCA organises the Global Tiger Day celebrations; the 2026 event was held in New Delhi with Union MoS Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh also present.
An NTCA Eco-tourism webpage was launched to bring information on all Tiger Reserves onto an integrated platform, with direct links to authentic Tiger Reserve websites for safari and accommodation bookings.
The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) was cited for taking big-cat knowledge sharing to the world.
Publications released included the NTCA Outreach Journal STRIPES and the Security Audit Report of 24 Tiger Reserves.
NTCA Awards honour contributions to tiger conservation and protected area management.