30 March 2012: The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) organized a strategy session with World Bank Group President Robert Zoellick on how to protect India’s wild tigers and preserve their natural habitat.

The strategy session dealt with the organization of programmes supporting conservation of India’s wild tigers, and gathered CEOs, as well as representatives of India’s National Tiger Conservation Authority, the World Bank and its private sector arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Global Tiger Initiative, and WWF India.

At the meeting, industry leaders discussed the need for more comprehensive planning and coordination among various public and private sector players. Participants underscored the key role played by industry support to keep critical habitats intact, promote green infrastructure, and establish better spatial and zoning planning tools to minimize impacts of urban development on remaining tiger populations and critical wildlife corridors. According to the World Bank, the meeting successfully coordinated efforts between India and the Bank on developing such programmes, raising awareness, and coordinating strategies on protecting the tiger. [World Bank Press Release]