Region · South Asia

India — Where Vivent
Began

India is Vivent's founding and largest region — home to 28,000+ enrolled farmers across ARR, biochar, enhanced weathering, and regenerative agriculture programmes spanning 12 states from Rajasthan to Tamil Nadu.

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Farmer households enrolled
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States with active programmes
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Carbon solutions deployed
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tCO₂e pipeline capacity
Why India

The World's Largest Smallholder
Carbon Opportunity.

India is home to more than 120 million smallholder farming households — the largest concentration of small-scale farmers in the world. Most cultivate fewer than 2 hectares on land that has been degraded by decades of input-intensive farming, inadequate soil management, and erratic monsoons intensified by climate change. The carbon and livelihood opportunity this represents is enormous.

Vivent launched in India in 2019 with a single ARR pilot in Odisha's Koraput district. Today we operate across 12 states with four distinct carbon pathways, adapting each programme to the specific agroecological conditions, tribal land rights frameworks, and market access realities of each geography. India's Deccan basalt geology makes it one of the best enhanced weathering locations globally; its vast agricultural residue streams make biochar economically viable at farmer scale.

India is also where Vivent has built its deepest community partnerships. Our FPIC framework was developed in consultation with tribal land rights organisations in Odisha and Jharkhand. Our mobile payment integration with UPI has enabled same-day carbon income disbursement to 28,000+ farming households — a model we are now replicating in Africa and Southeast Asia.

India programme highlights

Founding region — Vivent's longest-running programmes with 5+ year monitoring data
Deccan Plateau basalt geology = world-class enhanced weathering conditions
UPI mobile payments enable same-day carbon revenue disbursement
ICAR partnership for agronomic research across biochar and regen ag sites
IIT Madras ocean CDR research collaboration for coastal Tamil Nadu
Government of India PM PRANAM alignment for soil health programmes
India at a Glance
Farmers enrolled28,000+
StatesOdisha, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, AP, TN, Maharashtra, Karnataka, MP, UP, Gujarat, WB, Assam
Carbon pathwaysARR, Biochar, Regen Ag, EW
Area managed200,000+ ha
tCO₂e pipeline680,000 t
Launch year2019
Active Standards
Verra VCSVM0047, VM0041, VM0042
Puro.earthBiochar CDR
IsometricEnhanced weathering
Gold StandardSDG co-benefits
Active Projects

India Projects

From tribal forestry in Odisha to cotton-belt biochar in Maharashtra — each project tailored to local conditions.

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Odisha ARR Programme
Koraput & Rayagada · Odisha

5,000 Kondh and Saura tribal farmers planting native Teak, Neem, and Moringa on 36,000 ha of revenue wasteland. 89% seedling survival rate. Year 3 carbon income: ₹31,500/household avg.

5,000Farmers
36,000 haArea
Verra VCSStandard
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Rajasthan Biochar Programme
Barmer & Jaisalmer · Rajasthan

2,400 cotton and groundnut farmers using Kon-Tiki kilns to convert crop residue into stable biochar. +22% cotton yield, 18,200 tCO₂e Year 1 credits. ₹18,400 avg farmer income uplift.

2,400Farmers
8,400 t/yrBiochar
Puro.earthStandard
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Maharashtra Enhanced Weathering
Nashik & Osmanabad · Maharashtra

1,800 soybean and cotton farmers receiving local Deccan basalt applications. Three-proxy MRV (soil + water + crop). 0.38 tCO₂e/t rock — Isometric verified. +17% soybean yield.

1,800Farmers
9,200 haArea
IsometricStandard
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Vidarbha Regenerative Agriculture
Amravati, Yavatmal, Washim · Maharashtra

3,200 cotton and soybean farmers transitioning to no-till + legume cover crops via shared equipment cooperatives. +23% yield, +0.28% SOC, ₹24,000 avg carbon income Year 3.

3,200Farmers
38,000 haArea
Verra VM0042Standard
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Jharkhand Tribal ARR
East Singhbhum & Seraikela · Jharkhand

Ho and Santali tribal community reforestation on 18,000 ha of degraded community forest. Agroforestry with Bamboo, Pongamia, and Drumstick. Plan Vivo certified for community-first approach.

4,200Farmers
18,000 haArea
Plan VivoStandard
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Karnataka Regen Ag + EW Stack
Bidar & Gulbarga · Karnataka

Pipeline programme stacking regen agriculture with enhanced weathering on the same plots — targeting combined 4–6 tCO₂e/ha/yr from soil carbon + basalt weathering. Launch Q3 2026.

Target 2,000Farmers
8,000 haTarget
PipelineStatus
Active Solutions

Carbon Pathways in India

Community Impact

28,000 Families.
Real Income. Real Change.

India's programmes represent Vivent's deepest community partnerships. The majority of enrolled farmers are from Scheduled Tribe communities — among India's most economically marginalised populations — for whom carbon income represents a genuinely transformative addition to household income.

Average additional household income from Vivent programmes: ₹22,000–₹31,500 per year — equivalent to 35–55% of the median annual agricultural income for smallholders in these states. Carbon income arrives in addition to, not instead of, improved crop yields from biochar, regen ag, and agroforestry practices.

Women's participation is a priority: 58% of community monitors are women, and payment structures direct income to the registered farming household — not intermediaries.

"For the first time, the land my family has farmed for three generations is also earning us a fair income from the carbon it holds. The biochar has also improved our cotton — we used less water and got more yield."

— Meena Devi, Farmer · Koraput, Odisha
58%
Community monitors are women
89%
Avg seedling survival (ARR)
+22%
Cotton yield (biochar plots)
UPI
Same-day carbon payments
India Partners & Collaborators
Working With
ICARIIT MadrasNABARDGIZ IndiaWWF IndiaVerraPuro.earthIsometricUNDP IndiaFES (Foundation for Ecological Security)PRADAN
FAQ

India Region — Common Questions

Vivent currently operates active programmes in Odisha, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh. Pipeline programmes are in development for Assam (bamboo ARR), West Bengal (mangrove), Gujarat (regen ag), and Uttar Pradesh (agroforestry). India is our most geographically diverse region.
Vivent's India FPIC framework is co-developed with tribal land rights organisations including FES and PRADAN. Under the Forest Rights Act 2006 and PESA 1996, Gram Sabha approval is mandatory before any programme begins on community forest or revenue land. Land use agreements are registered in local land records and in the participating farmers' names — Vivent holds no land rights under any Indian programme.
Yes — and this is actively encouraged. A farmer in Vidarbha might simultaneously be enrolled in regen ag (soil carbon from no-till and cover crops) and biochar (converting crop residues to stable carbon) on the same land. These are separately credited pathways and the income stacks. Our Karnataka pipeline programme specifically designs combined regen ag + enhanced weathering to maximise per-hectare carbon income.
Get Involved in India

Join India's Largest
Smallholder Carbon Network.

Whether you're a farmer in Odisha, a buyer wanting India-origin ARR credits, or an organisation looking to develop a project — our India team is ready.