New “State of India’s Bats” Report Reignites Bat Research and Charts Cross-Sector Action to Protect India’s Bats

04.21.26

Austin, TX (April 21, 2026) – Bat Conservation International (BCI) and partner Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) released the State of India’s Bats report, the first comprehensive review of what India currently knows—and urgently needs to learn—about its bat species, threats, and conservation opportunities.

Modeled on BCI’s North American State of the Bats assessment, the India report shows how a data-driven, country-wide synthesis can galvanize collaboration and guide action. Because population trends are still missing for most Indian bat species, the report focuses on threat assessments, research needs, and conservation priorities, highlighting how bats have been overlooked in both science and policy. “The document truly highlights how much still needs to be done to ensure India’s bat species are protected from extinction,” says Dr. Isabella Mandl, BCI’s Regional Director for Africa and South Asia.

​How the Report Was Developed

The State of India’s Bats is built on a comprehensive review of scientific literature from the past decades, paired with an intensive, in-person workshop that brought India’s leading bat experts together to break down silos and co-create a shared roadmap that demonstrates the importance of close collaboration. It compiles vital knowledge gained on taxonomy, ecology, ecosystem services, and human dimensions, and highlights where gaps persist.

“One of the most important aspects of my work is to ensure local context is considered,” Mandl explains. “For India this meant getting the leading Indian bat experts together to identify priorities. These priorities are based on local knowledge bases, which highlights the importance of inclusive approaches in conservation work.”

Why Bats Matter in India

This report underscores that bat conservation in India is inseparable from national priorities around food security, organic agriculture, public health, and cultural heritage. “In a country with a burgeoning population and a rapid shift toward organic farming, a key unknown is how we think about bats as pest controllers and how we can leverage their potential —through both insect control and guano as fertilizer, for example,” says Rohit Chakravarty, BCI’s India Program Manager.

Cross-Sector Action and Policy Change

The report calls for a coordinated network of stakeholders that includes the Environment and Forest Departments, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Renewable Energy, the Ministry of Mines, the Archaeological Survey of India, public health agencies, and India’s National One Health Mission. ​

Historical monuments—many of them managed by the Archaeological Survey of India—emerge as powerful microcosms of what is at stake. In these shared spaces, large bat colonies roost inside structures that are already being conserved for their cultural value, yet bats are often viewed as pests. The report argues that expanding this umbrella of protection to include bats as part of India’s natural heritage is essential and highlights the need for better environmental safeguards as India rapidly invests in sectors like wind energy where impacts on bats remain poorly understood. One of the key goals is for bats to be seen as a critical part of functioning ecosystems—with governmental back-up and support when it comes to studying and protecting them. “There is always a compromise to be found to enable a peaceful co-existence between bats and humans,” says Mandl. ​

Inspiring the Next Generation

Beyond its other benefits, this report is also a practical roadmap for early-career scientists, funders, and decision-makers who want to help close India’s bat knowledge gaps. The success will hinge on more intentional communication and outreach tailored to India’s cultural and economic diversity. The report’s “Human Dimensions of Bat Conservation” chapter calls for structured outreach programs, research on public perceptions across demographic groups, and more effective use of social media and influencers to shift narratives away from fear and toward the benefits bats provide. ​ “Bat Conservation International’s neutral role, working in partnership with Nature Conservation Foundation while ensuring all other people are equally represented, has really brought the whole Indian bat research community closer,” says Chakravarty. “And that’s going to be a great, intangible outcome for the future of bat research in India.” 

About Bat Conservation International 
Bat Conservation International (BCI) exists to prevent bat extinctions and to secure a future where bats, people, and ecosystems thrive together. To learn more visit batcon.org. 

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