Launched in 1973-74, Project Tiger was mainly the scheme under which the protection of the endangered species tigers, the Panthera Tigris, was under taken. Many National Parks were set up and improved to provide a better habitat for the majestic cat. Due to the efforts under the Project Tiger, the dwindling number of tigers has significantly increased. A tiger census conducted in 1972 showed that only 1825 tigers were alive and drastic measures had to be taken to prevent the species from extinction.

The project was launched in 1973, and various tiger reserves were created in the country on a 'core-buffer' strategy. The core areas were freed from all sorts of human activities and the buffer areas were subjected to 'conservation oriented land use'. Management plans were drawn up for each tiger reserve, based on the principles outlined below:

1. Elimination of all forms of human exploitation and biotic disturbance from the core area and rationalization of activities in the buffer zone.
2. Restricting the habitat management only to repair the damages done to the Eco-system by human and other interference, so as to facilitate recovery of the Eco-system to its natural state.
3. Monitoring the faunal and floral changes over time and carrying out research about wildlife.

Initially, 9 tiger reserves were established in different States during the period 1973-74, by pooling the resources available with the Central and State Governments. These nine reserves covered an area of about 13,017sq.km-viz Manas (Assam), Palamau (Bihar), Simlipal (Orissa), Corbett (U.P.), Kanha (M.P.), Melghat (Maharashtra), Bandipur (Karnataka), Ranthambhore (Rajasthan) and Sunderbans (West Bengal).
The main achievements of this project are excellent recovery of the habitat and consequent increase in the tiger population in the reserve areas, from a mere 268 in 9 reserves in 1972 to 1576 in 27 reserves in 2003. Tiger, being at the apex of the food chain, can be considered as the indicator of the stability of the Eco-system. For a viable tiger population, a habitat should possess a good prey base, which in turn will depend on an undisturbed forest vegetation. Thus, 'Project Tiger', is basically the conservation of the entire Eco-system and apart from tigers, all other wild animals also have increased in number in the project areas. In the subsequent 'Five Year Plans', the main thrust was to enlarge the core and buffer zones in certain reserves, intensification of protection and Eco development in the buffer zones of existing tiger reserves, creation of additional tiger reserves and strengthening of the research activities.

The various reserves under the Project tiger, at present are: Bandipur(Karnataka), Corbett (Uttaranchal ), Kanha (Madhya Pradesh), Manas (Assam), Melghat (Maharashtra), Palamau (Jharkhand), Ranthambhore (Rajasthan ), Similipal (Orissa), Sunderbans (West Bengal), Periyar (Kerala), Sariska (Rajasthan), Buxa (West Bengal), Indravati (Chattisgarh), Nagarjunsagar (Andhra Pradesh), Namdapha (Arunachal Pradesh ), Dudhwa (Uttar Pradesh), Kalakad-Mundanthurai (Tamil Nadu), Valmiki (Bihar), Pench (Madhya Pradesh), Tadoba-Andhari (Maharashtra), Bandhavgarh (Madhya Pradesh), Panna (Madhya Pradesh), Dampha (Mizoram), Bhadra (Karnataka), Pakhui-Nameri (Arunachal Pradesh) Bori, Satpura, Pachmari (Madhya Pradesh).

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