Legal loopholes and weak enforcement leave India’s exotic pet trade hard to police

Legal loopholes and weak enforcement leave the exotic pet trade hard to police in India, according to an analysis by Humane World for Animals. The Humane World for Animals reported that the Indian exotic pet market reached $42.6 million in 2024 and is projected to nearly double by 2030, driven by rising disposable incomes, social media, and pop culture. Online platforms and closed messaging groups facilitate discreet transactions that bypass health checks and documentation. Sumanth Bindumadhav stated that social media platforms normalize exotic pet ownership, noting, “The algorithms amplify it: Videos that receive a lot of engagement and views are shown to more people.” Under a 2020 Voluntary Disclosure Scheme introduced by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, more than 40,000 people across 30 states and union territories declared nonnative pets. While India updated its wildlife law to mandate registration for species listed under CITES, environmental lawyer Shubhra Sotie pointed out that the pet trade in nonnative animals remains legal but regulated, and statutory delays occur because parliamentary amendments are required whenever CITES alters its species listings. Technical bottlenecks, portal issues, and multidepartmental involvement complicate enforcement and the repatriation of seized animals.

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Legal loopholes and weak enforcement leave India’s exotic pet trade hard to police

Sources

More in Laws and Rules

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Two arrested in connection with poaching of Kuno cheetah cub

From the Library

45 live reptiles seized at Trichy airport, 2 arrested

Draft Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Control and Supervision of Experiment, Breeding and Trading of Laboratory Animals) Rules, 2026 (GSR 864E)

Human wildlife conflict centre and portal launched