An estimated 80% of the world’s wild tigers are found in India. Govt. of India launched Project Tiger, a tiger conservation program in the 1970s. There are 50 tiger reserves in India which are governed by Project Tiger which is administrated by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). In 2006, there were 1,411 tigers which increased to 1,706 in 2010, 2,226 in 2014 and 2967 in 2018.The Indian increase played a big role in driving up global populations as well; the number of wild tigers globally rose from 3,159 in 2010 to 3,890 in 2016 according to WWF and Global Tiger Forum.
Tiger conservation does not just benefit one species; tigers are an umbrella species and by virtue of implementing conservation action to protect tigers, also protecting co-habituating species. This makes tigers hugely important in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.