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The first IKC newsletter features nine wins for animals from 2025 — policy shifts in climate-resilient agriculture, more ethical food systems, better ESG compliance, and more funding for farmed animal welfare — many enabled by IKC member organisations. With 45+ partners spanning animal protection, public health, environment, education and 70+ signatories comprising of exceptional leaders, mentors and advisors, IKC amplifies compassionate impact at scale. Thank you for being part of the IKC. Wishing you a peaceful year ahead!

2025: A Landmark Year for Animals, People, and the Planet 

1. BioE3 Policy: Fuelling a Sustainable Future 

🌍The BioE3 policy accelerates India's transition toward a sustainable bioeconomy by prioritising "smart proteins" and climate-resilient agriculture, with the plant-based meat market projected to reach from $100 billion up to $370 billion by 2035. 

This strategic shift bolsters food security through nutritionally enhanced functional foods while supporting India’s Net Zero 2070 commitment by reducing the environmental footprint of traditional manufacturing. 

Here’s what Dr. Jitendra Singh, a Union Minister of State had to say about this.

2. Nationalising Compassion: New Policy Milestones

🇮🇳Awareness on the Move: By leveraging Article 51A(g) of the Constitution, the MoRTH mandate sensitised millions of commuters and drivers daily, aiming to reduce road accidents and foster a culture of shared civic responsibility for animals. Read more about the "Be Kind to Animals" stickers.

Campus Advocacy Hubs: Through a newly issued UGC notification, universities nationwide were directed to form dedicated Animal Welfare Societies, creating institutional structures that promoted animal protection and ethical awareness among the next generation of leaders.


3. Cage-Free Ecosystem: Transforming Food Systems 

🐔The launch of India’s first Cage Free Poultry Training Hub, led by People For Animals (PFA), marks a systemic shift toward ethical farming by providing the technical training necessary to phase out cruel battery cages. 

This initiative aligns India’s egg production with international welfare standards, enhancing food safety for consumers and offering smallholder farmers a sustainable, humane economic model. 


4. Bringing animal welfare under the corporate ESG lens 

🛡️Asia Research & Engagement (ARE) helped advance animal welfare as a material priority for India's investors, banks, and regulators, linking outcomes to risks and opportunities for people and the planet.

Through strategic engagement with major food companies and co-leading a practice-focused workshop for over 50 senior procurement leaders, the program facilitated the integration of animal welfare into corporate sourcing and finance decisions. By contributing to SEBI’s ESG disclosure pathways, this work has helped shift animal welfare from a niche concern to a critical systems issue within India’s food and finance ecosystem. 

 

5. Empowering Plant-Based Choices 

🥗In 2025, Vegan Outreach India’s "10 Weeks to Vegan" program inspired over 50,000 individuals to transition to plant-based eating.

Through interactive webinars, the program educates students on how food choices impact animal welfare and the environment, driving a grassroots movement for better human health and a healthier planet. 


6. India Animal Welfare Funding Circle: Scaling Systemic Impact  

📶The India Animal Welfare Funding Circle brings together like-minded funders interested in funding causes particularly around the One Health framework. With a starting corpus of more than INR 6 crore for the year, the Circle will fund initiatives that transform systems, shift norms, or build infrastructure for lasting change. If you are an interested donor, please write to rekha@indiaanimalfund.org. If you are a non-profit seeking funding support, apply by January 15th. The second round of funding will open in June.  

  

7. India Karuna Collaborative: Kinder choices. Healthier lives. A sustainable planet. 

🐾Uniting people & organisations to solve the triple mandate of our lifetime: End animal suffering, improve human health, mitigate climate change. The IKC pledge has already gained the support of 70+ leaders from finance, law, corporate business and the social sector; and 40+ organisations sectors like education, food, nutrition and sustainability. 

Through cross-sector engagement, thought leadership and systemic transformation, we empower communities to make choices that honour animals, people, and the planet. 

When animals thrive, we all thrive. Lend your support – IKC Sign-up Link.  


8. Empowering a New Era of Healthcare Advocates 

⚕️Through targeted training and collaborative sessions, PAN India successfully onboarded 3,500 healthcare professionals, creating a robust national network of evidence-based nutrition advocates. By penetrating five of India's major metropolitan hubs and establishing a presence within leading medical schools, this initiative is fundamentally rewiring the country’s clinical landscape 

By equipping medical leaders with the tools to promote plant-forward diets, this initiative drives a "One Health" approach that simultaneously improves patient health outcomes and reduces the ethical and environmental burdens of animal-intensive food systems. 


9. Humane Education: Cultivating Compassion in the Next Generation 

💚In partnership with Peedu’s People Welfare Society and HMEL, outreach successfully reached nearly 8,000 students in Punjab and Haryana from August to December 2025, fostering foundational values of empathy, responsibility, and non-violence toward all living beings. 

By integrating rabies prevention and conflict-resolution strategies into the school curriculum, this initiative builds safer, more compassionate communities and equips the next generation to lead a future of peaceful coexistence. 



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