Director


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Sh. Virendra R. Tiwari
Director Wildlife Institute of India
Phone: 0135-2640910
E-mail: dwii [at] wii [dot] gov [dot] in; vrt [at] wii [dot] gov [dot] in

Virendra R. Tiwari, a Chemical Engineer from the University Department of Chemical Technology, the University of Mumbai, and a seasoned Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer, recently took the helm as the Director of the Wildlife Institute of India. With a career spanning over three decades, Shri Tiwari brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the Institute. His journey in the Indian Forest Service began in 1990 when he served as the Assistant Conservator of Forests in the Yawal Division of Jalgaon District, Maharashtra, India. 

Throughout his many territorial postings, Shri Tiwari oversaw forestry operations and played a key role in the development of working plans for various divisions. In addition to his forestry duties, he served as an Officer on Special Duty at Mantralaya, Govt. of Maharashtra. He was responsible for wildlife policies, international training, and the supply of minor forest produce to industries. Working in Mantralaya, he played important role in notifying Zudpi Jungle, PFs/Unclassified Forests and Mangroves as Reserve Forest.

In 2012, Shri Tiwari was appointed as the Field Director at Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve. As FD – TATR he was instrumental for creation of core and buffer zone of Tadoba and bringing them under unified control. He later served as the CCF-Mantralaya, where his team was pivotal in handling the Forest Conservation Act, Private Forest Act, and IFS establishment. He was also responsible for handling multicrore plantation drives.

In December 2019, Shri Tiwari was appointed as the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests of the Mangrove Cell and Executive Director of the Mangrove Foundation. Here, he was responsible for the expedited declaration of Mangroves as Reserved Forest. He also prepared the Management Plan for the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary and Malvan Marine Sanctuary, and streamlined the Management of Turtle Nesting. He was instrumental for the declaration of Thane Creek as Ramsar Site.

Shri Tiwari was also the State Project Director for the UNDP-GCF Project - Enhancing Climate Resilience of India's Coastal Communities, which focuses on preserving mangroves and improving the livelihoods of coastal communities. With his wealth of experience and dedication to conservation, Shri Tiwari is poised to lead the Wildlife Institute of India towards a brighter future for conserving India’s wildlife.