MUMBAI, 13 August 2025: RPG Group’s carbon credit venture, Asvata Climate Solutions, has announced an investment of $1.6 million in partnership with Equilibrium to scale a regenerative agriculture initiative in Andhra Pradesh. The project, underway in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts, aims to benefit more than 40,000 livelihoods, including 10,000 smallholder farmers.
The initiative will restore 8,000 hectares of farmland, with an estimated annual sequestration of 30,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent. Farmers will be trained in climate-smart practices such as Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD), Direct Seeded Rice (DSR), reduced tillage, and cover cropping — methods that can cut water use by up to 30 per cent, reduce input costs, and improve soil health, while enabling participation in carbon markets.
Equilibrium will lead project management and execution, with interventions planned to expand to 25,000 hectares by 2027. The project is supported by a blended finance model combining philanthropic aid, catalytic capital, and commercial investment to monitor water savings, soil health, and carbon sequestration in real time.
Early-stage funding was provided by USAID’s Water and Energy for Food programme and Equilibrium, with a focus on community mobilisation, farmer training, and robust data systems. The partners believe the model offers a replicable approach to climate adaptation in other vulnerable regions facing rainfall variability and water stress.
