With animal welfare accounting for just 1.5% of India’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) funding, India Animal Welfare Forum (IAWF) has launched the country’s first collaborative Animal Welfare Funding Circle, aimed at addressing long-standing funding and coordination gaps in the sector. 

The initiative has been seeded with an initial commitment of Rs14 crore from philanthropic organisations including the Upadhyaya Foundation, India Animal Fund, Caring Friends, Mela Foundation and Coefficient Giving.

A national convention here on Saturday brought together policymakers, philanthropists, non-profits, researchers, legal experts, conservationists and sector leaders to deliberate on systemic challenges facing animal welfare in India. Key issues discussed included chronic underfunding, weak policy implementation and the need for coordinated, evidence-based action to elevate animal welfare as a development priority.

According to Upadhaya Foundation, the newly launched Funding Circle will function as a collaborative platform to channel philanthropic capital towards scalable and accountable animal welfare initiatives across regions and species. Its focus will be on long-term impact, data-driven interventions and systemic change, rather than fragmented or short-term charitable efforts.

The Forum positioned animal welfare not just as a peripheral cause, but interconnected with public health, climate resilience, livelihoods and urban sustainability. The agenda reflected the complexity of the sector, with sessions ranging from “Funding Animal Welfare: Why India Needs Philanthropic Boldness” to “Building India’s Animal Welfare Narrative: From Compassion to Development Priority,” in partnership with the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO).

Other sessions examined human-animal conflict and coexistence with WWF India, and policy implementation challenges, including the Supreme Court street dog case, in collaboration with the People For Animals Public Policy Foundation. These discussions highlighted the intersection of law, public safety, scientific research and animal welfare, particularly in rapidly urbanising regions.

The forum also launched first-of-its-kind Snake Conservation Coalition in the Western Ghats. The coalition brings together funders, herpetologists, venom experts, researchers and conservation NGOs to advance snake conservation.

Additional discussions focused on coalition-led conservation models, the role of technology and artificial intelligence in animal welfare, and shifting public narratives around farmed animals through advocacy. 

Brinda Upadhyaya, co-founder, Upadhyaya Foundation, said the initiative is an effort to reposition animal welfare within mainstream philanthropy and public service. “Animals play a vital role in human life, public health and environmental sustenance, yet their suffering has largely gone unaddressed. Through this forum, we aim to bridge strategic funding gaps by creating a coordinated ecosystem that supports organisations working across the spectrum of animal welfare.” 

In a nuanced debate held on the topic, “Collaboration vs. Independent Action: What Drives Greater Impact?”, Meghna Banerjee, co-founder of the Human & Environment Alliance League (HEAL), underscored the importance of collaboration in public interest litigation, citing safety, risk-sharing and force multiplication as critical factors when challenging powerful entities.

Echoing this, Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS, said conservation efforts consistently fail without collaboration. “Every successful wildlife rescue or anti-poaching operation involves coordination with police, forest departments, legal experts and communities. Without collaboration, nothing works,” he said, noting India’s low wildlife crime conviction rate of 0.01%.

At the same time, Archana Godbole, Director, Applied Environmental Research Foundation, and Jose Louies, CEO, Wildlife Trust of India, highlighted the importance of independent action in research, decision-making and maintaining organisational ethics. Independent work, they argued, allows for deeper scientific inquiry, clearer accountability and the freedom to take critical decisions without compromising core values.