Despite the current legal and policy frameworks for forest conservation in India, several critical gaps in implementation and enforcement hinder effective forest resource protection. This chapter summarizes the current literature on forest resource utilization patterns and key limitations in India’s forest conservation efforts. We focus on the impacts of recently proposed amendments to the Forest Conservation Act (1980), the insufficient enforcement of National Forest Policy (1988), lack of convergence between government line departments, and resource-allocation constraints. Further, we examine the socio-economic and political factors driving forest degradation due to large-scale developmental projects, the subsistence dependence of marginalized communities on forests, and the conflicting priorities between conservation and economic growth. As environmental degradation accelerates, addressing these challenges is imperative for sustainable use and development and for improving socio-ecological resilience through transformative changes in institutional efforts and policy framework. We conclude by discussing future directions, emphasizing the need for data driven, evidence-based management, and the adoption of global conservation, restoration, and adaptation initiatives. Enhanced efforts in improving forest governance and institutional frameworks, combined with innovative financial models that support community incentives, such as payment for ecosystem services (PES), can advance environmental sustainability and forest restoration efforts in India.