[1][4] The primary objective for the establishment of the NTCA was to create a statutory body to provide legal directives for the implementation of the Project Tiger.

The agency is also tasked with facilitation the relationship between the central and state governments, providing updates to the Parliament of India, and addressing concerns of people living in the buffer zones of the Tiger reserves.

[4][5] The NTCA is responsible for providing requisite technological and legal support for the implementation of the Tiger conservation plans and training the forest officers.

Other functions of the NTCA include the evaluation and approval of projects within the tiger reserves, enacting guidelines for tourism, management of concerns of the local population in the adjoining areas of the tiger reserves to effectively manage forest resources and minimise human wildlife conflict.

As per Ministry of Environment and Forests, the wild tiger population in India stood at 2,226 in 2014 with an increase of 30.5% since the 2010 estimate.