The Habitats Trust Announces THT Grants 2024 Recipients

The Habitats Trust (THT), has announced the recipients of its THT Grants 2024. These grants, totalling Rs. 2 crores, support innovative and scalable conservation initiatives across India. The Habitats Trust, is focused on addressing some of the most pressing developmental challenges arising from biodiversity loss, the climate crisis and global water scarcity. It is committed to undertake pioneering work that goes beyond sustainability and offers regenerative models to secure our future.

2024 marks 7^th year of The Habitats Trust Grants and this year they are announcing a total of five recipients across the two categories of its annual grants: one THT Conservation Grant and four THT Action Grants.

Mrs. Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Founder & Trustee of The Habitats Trust, remarked, “The announcement of THT Grants is a celebration of the remarkable work being done by conservationists who are addressing some of the most urgent environmental challenges facing our country. Through these grants, we hope to amplify the impact of these organisations and individuals who are on the frontlines of conservation. From securing fragile ecosystems to protecting lesser-known species, these projects are at the heart of regenerating India’s biodiversity, ensuring a sustainable future for both nature and communities.”

Rushikesh Chavan, Head of The Habitats Trust, highlighted the importance of the grants, stating, "The THT Grants represent our vision to conserve and drive meaningful, long-term change for lesser-known species and critical habitats. By investing in innovative, scalable projects, we partner with organisations and individuals who are creating solutions to protect and restore India’s biodiversity."

Grant Categories and Recipients

THT Conservation Grant: This grant supports large-scale, long-term projects that address challenges in critical habitats.

• Indian Institute of Science (IISc): The 2024 recipient of the THT Conservation Grant is a collaboration between Dr. Umesh Srinivasan and Dr. Anubhab Khan from the Indian Institute of Science, along with Millo Tasser and the Singchung Village Council. Their three-year project, based in Arunachal Pradesh, focuses on conserving the Bugun Liocichla in the Singchung Bugun Village Community Reserve. This critically endangered bird is a “point endemic” species, found only in a single locality in Arunachal Pradesh, with just 14 to 20 known individuals. The project aims to assess the effective population size and genomics of the Bugun Liocichla. Additionally, it will explore the feasibility of translocating individuals to create reserve populations and model demographic parameters to inform targeted conservation initiatives, ensuring the long-term survival of this rare species.

THT Action Grant: This grant supports two-year projects focused on urgent, on-the-ground conservation efforts. In 2024, four recipients were selected for the THT Action Grant, comprising two individuals and two organisations:

• Divya Panicker: A cetacean and bioacoustics expert, Divya Panicker’s project will survey the endangered blue whales in the Lakshadweep Archipelago. Using a multi-year passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) system, the project aims to determine the acoustic occurrence and seasonality of blue whales in the region and share the data with local authorities for effective conservation management.
• Malyasri Bhattacharya: Continuing her doctoral work in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, Malyasri Bhattacharya’s project aims to safeguard critically endangered vulture habitats through community-led ecotourism. The project focuses on conserving White-rumped Vultures and migratory birds in the Kangra landscape by involving local communities, building capacity, and fostering stewardship among Gaddi and Gujjar herders. The initiative seeks to promote ecotourism and ensure the protection of nesting sites. 
• Durgapur Wildlife Information and Nature Guide Society: Based in West Bengal, this organisation’s community-driven conservation project focuses on Indian grey wolves in human-dominated landscapes. Through species monitoring, prey base assessment, and mitigation measures to manage human-animal interactions, the project aims to create a model for co-existence and long-term conservation of this vital species. 
• Veditum India Foundation: Operating in Madhya Pradesh, the Veditum India Foundation is working to protect riparian habitats. The project emphasizes improving environmental governance, promoting citizen participation, and enhancing river protection against the impacts of sand mining. The initiative’s outputs will help secure habitats for gharials, Gangetic dolphins, mahseer, Indian skimmers, and red-crowned roof turtles.

In addition to these grants, The Habitats Trust also supports organisations and individuals through its monthly THT Seeds Grant, which offers up to Rs. 3 lakhs for short-term projects. The Seeds Grant is designed to tackle issues related to lesser-known species or habitats and to pilot projects in relatively unexplored landscapes or data-deficient species.

Selection Process

The THT Grants 2024 recipients were chosen through a rigorous four-stage selection process. This year, The Habitats Trust received 155 applications from diverse landscapes across India, including the Lakshadweep Islands, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal, Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, and Maharashtra. The applications were evaluated based on relevance, scalability, sustainability, and expected impact. A panel of distinguished experts assessed the shortlisted projects, selecting nine finalists. The final selection was made by a jury comprising:

• Bahar Dutt: Wildlife biologist and environmental journalist known for her advocacy on wildlife protection and sustainable development
• Brian Heath: Founder and CEO of the Mara Conservancy, Kenya, with over 20 years of experience in wildlife conservation
• Dr. M. K. Ranjitsinh: Renowned wildlife expert and architect of India’s Wild Life (Protection) Act of 1972
• Roshni Nadar Malhotra: Chairperson of HCLTech and Founder & Trustee of The Habitats Trust, leading innovative conservation efforts across India

About The Habitats Trust
 
Founded in 2018 by Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Chairperson of HCL Technologies, and Shikhar Malhotra, CEO & Vice-Chairman of HCL Healthcare, The Habitats Trust (THT) is focused on addressing some of the most pressing developmental challenges arising from biodiversity loss, the climate crisis and global water scarcity. It is committed to undertake pioneering work that goes beyond sustainability and offers regenerative models to secure our future.
 
The Habitats Trust today works in 29 states and UTs of India with over 100 partners covering an area of over six lakh hectares. Over the last six years it has made some trailblazing innovations for solving complex challenges by using cutting edge technology, ecological restoration, and species and habitats conservation.
 
THT is headed by Rushikesh Chavan, a conservationist with over 20 years of experience in conservation of ecosystems and species. He works closely with the leadership to translate the vision to on-ground action and meaningful impact. Since 2018, THT has provided grants to 40 organisations and individuals working for conservation of 40+ species in seven biogeographic regions.
 
Programmes

In its seventh year, the Trust is building on its formative years, and facilitates the efforts of organisations and individuals and is also developing its own conservation programmes. In order to effectively preserve habitats and species on ground and under water, the Trust has launched comprehensive, scientific, impact-oriented initiatives.
 
About The Habitats Trust Grants

India is a megadiverse country, with only 2.4% of the world's land area it accounts for 7% - 8% of all recorded species, including over 45,000 species of plants and over 91,000 species of animals. Four of the 34 globally identified biodiversity hotspots: The Himalayas, the Western Ghats, the North-East, and the Nicobar Islands, are found in India. However, rampant habitat loss and fragmentation, increasing biotic pressures on forests, and poaching and the illegal trade in wildlife and its parts, pose a grave threat to India’s biodiversity. In 2018, the annual Grants programme was conceptualised to recognise, and support committed conservationists who have dedicated their lives to securing the country’s vibrant flora and fauna.