India's national park system is undergoing a massive expansion to protect its diverse wildlife

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: From a modest start with just five protected areas in 1970, India has rapidly scaled its conservation efforts. Today, the nation manages over one hundred parks, with plans to significantly increase this network. Understanding how these protected zones function reveals a long-term commitment to safeguarding the country's unique ecological heritage.

The foundation of India's current conservation strategy traces back to the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and the launch of Project Tiger in 1973. These initiatives were designed to provide robust legal frameworks for protecting habitats essential to species reliant on conservation. Before this legislative shift, the country's protected landscape was far more limited; for instance, the nation counted only five national parks in 1970. The very first of these, now recognized as Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand, was established much earlier in 1936.

Currently, the country hosts 107 established national parks. These sites are classified as category II protected areas under the standards set by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Collectively, these parks span 44,402.95 square kilometers, accounting for approximately 1.35 percent of India's total landmass. This network is overseen by entities such as the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, which ensure that these environments remain shielded from encroaching development.

The future of this network is set for significant growth. According to the Protected Area Network Report, there are 75 additional national parks currently proposed. If fully implemented, these new sites—covering an area of 16,608 square kilometers—will bring the total number of national parks in India to 176. This expansion reflects a broader trend of strengthening wildlife protections that began in the 1980s, moving beyond initial efforts to create a comprehensive system that spans the diverse geography of the Indian subcontinent.

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