Vivek Menon, Ashok Kumar and Tara Gandhi founded WTI in 1998 with a vision to preserve the national heritage of India. The team focused on various aspects and the major ones are listed below. To combat key wildlife crime and demonstrably reduce poaching or trade in at least six taxa or geographies. The NGO focused on creating a positive and measurable change in people's perceptions to improve the conservation and welfare of wildlife in India with at least six planned campaigns.

WTI began as a three-member team in a small room in south Delhi in 1998, is today a family of about 150 professionals from diverse backgrounds - conservation biologists, scientists, sociologists, wildlife veterinarians, managers, lawyers, finance experts and communication specialists - but committed to the common cause of wildlife. They are based in any of the 15 field stations in remote parts of the country and a central coordinating office in the national capital region.