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Over the past five decades, the scale of conservation under Project Tiger has expanded considerably. From nine tiger reserves at its inception, the network grew to 23 reserves by 1997 and 39 by 2010. India now has 58 tiger reserves covering 78,000 sq km of forest. Conservation itself has also changed. Earlier efforts focused largely on securing habitats within protected areas, while current conservation approaches include maintaining wildlife corridors, monitoring dispersing animals, mitigating conflict, research, supporting frontline staff and promoting coexistence across larger landscapes. Project Tiger’s implementation framework also requires resources for habitat management, protection measures, research and landscape-level interventions.
Funding for tiger conservation, however, has been uneven. Expenditure under Project Tiger rose from Rs 154.7 crore in 2008-09 to Rs 252 crore in 2021-22. It then fell to Rs 220 crore in 2022-23 before rising again to Rs 240 crore in 2023-24; Rs 245 crore in 2024-25; and Rs 290 crore in the 2025-26 Budget Estimate (BE). The trend in recent years suggest increased investment over time. But implementation costs have risen sharply too. The Consumer Price Index (CPI), a measure of inflation, rose from 100 in 2008-09 to around 305 in recent years. Adjusted for inflation and expressed at constant 2008-09 prices, the picture looks rather different.
Although nominal expenditure in 2025-26 is almost double its 2008-09 level, its inflation-adjusted value is only Rs 95 crore, compared with Rs 154.7 crore in 2008-09. In other words, allocations may look larger in absolute terms, but their effective purchasing power has diminished as costs have risen. A similar pattern emerges when spending is examined on a per-conservation unit basis. The number of conservation units under active management has risen steadily from 38 in 2008-09 to more than 60 today, including tiger reserves and other conservation landscapes. Yet the allocation available per unit has moved in the opposite direction. Nominal spending per unit has fluctuated over time, but inflation-adjusted spending per unit has gradually declined.
That matters on the ground. Conservation spending finances recurring activities such as anti-poaching patrols, vehicle maintenance, habitat and fire management, monitoring exercises, conflict response and staff support. Despite decades of effort, a 2024 evaluation of tiger reserve management by the National Tiger Conservation Authority highlighted several persistent threats to habitats and tiger movement, including poaching, invasive species, mining, staff shortages and habitat fragmentation.
Its report, “Bridging the Gap–Unveiling Effectiveness of India’s Tiger Reserve Management”, found invasive species affecting habitats in as many as 40 tiger reserves. The report also noted that 20 tiger reserves lacked sufficient anti-poaching staff. Ten reserves, including Dampa, Mukundara and Mudumalai, reported shortages alongside an ageing workforce, with staffing levels down by at least 40 per cent.
This article was originally published as part of the cover story Rethinking Conservation in the June 1-15, 2026 print edition of Down To Earth
