With over 75,000 species of animals, 50,000 species of plants and widely diverse ecosystems, India has a tremendous biological diversity and a rich natural heritage. The conservation of natural history collections representing this diversity id the responsibility of the Zoological, Botanical and Geological Surveys of India, the National Museum of Natural History, national institutions such as the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Forest Research Institute, and the Institute of Paleobotany, state museums, and some universities. Curators and custodians responsible for the care, preservation and conservation of natural history collections are provided training through museum in-service training programmes and museology courses conducted by some universities. Special facilities for training in preservation, taxidermy and freeze-dry techniques also are available. Research relevant to preservation and biodeterioration are conducted by the National Museum of Natural History, the National Research Laboratory for the Conservation of Cultural Property, and university departments. The scope and content of these training programmes, and the results of conservation research for natural history collections in India are discussed. Conservation training requirements for natural history museum personnel in nearby sountries such as Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia are suggested. The need for a regionsl training centre in India is projected, and a curriculum is suggested.