India unveiled its National Red List Roadmap and Vision 2025–2030 at the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025, marking a significant milestone in establishing a comprehensive framework for species assessment and conservation. The initiative, launched by the Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh at the Asia Pavilion, reinforces India’s commitment to biodiversity documentation, threat assessment, and evidence-based conservation planning.
Speaking at the launch, Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh said the roadmap would guide India’s conservation strategy through 2030. “Our government is collaborating closely with IUCN, and various departments are working together to prepare this Red List. Our future conservation policies will be based on the insights and data generated through this process, helping us identify endangered species and direct focused protection efforts,” he said.
“When we talk about conservation and species that need focused attention, it is essential to have baseline data, a clear framework and accurate numbers to guide our policies,” he noted. The Minister emphasized that scientific documentation such as the Red List plays a crucial role in identifying priorities and directing resources effectively. “This initiative will help our country channel its energies in the right direction, shaping more effective conservation policies for both flora and fauna,” he added, noting that India’s biodiversity extends beyond terrestrial species to include more than 20,000 marine species.
He emphasized that scientific documentation such as the Red List plays a crucial role in identifying priorities and directing resources effectively. “This initiative will help our country channel its energies in the right direction, shaping more effective conservation policies for both flora and fauna,” he said.
The Vision 2025–2030 document, prepared by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) in collaboration with IUCN, India and the Centre for Species Survival, outlines a nationally coordinated, inclusive, and science-based system to assess and monitor the conservation status of India’s flora and fauna.
India, one of the world’s 17 megadiverse countries, is home to four of the 36 global biodiversity hotspots, the Himalayas, Western Ghats, Indo-Burma, and Sundaland. Although the country occupies just 2.4% of the world’s land area, it harbours nearly 8% of global flora and 7.5% of global fauna, with over 28% of plants and 30% of animals being endemic. The nation has documented more than 104,000 faunal species, over 18,000 species of flowering plants, and nearly 20,000 marine species.Highlighting India’s strong legal framework for biodiversity protection, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change recalled the Wild Life Protection Act of 1972, amended in 2022 to extend protection to species listed under CITES appendices. The National Red List Assessment initiative aligns with IUCN global standards and supports India’s commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
India aims to publish National Red Data Books for both flora and fauna by 2030. The Red List is expected to become a cornerstone for the country’s future environmental and ecological conservation programmes.Globally, the IUCN Red List remains the gold standard for assessing extinction risk. Of the 163,000 species assessed so far, nearly 28% are threatened with extinction, a reminder of the urgent need for stronger conservation action. Through this initiative, India reaffirms its commitment to biodiversity preservation and the global sustainability agenda.